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As of 2024, some of our favorite wrap dresses for work include the classic DVF* (also look on resale sites!), Kiyonna*, Modern Citizen, Quince*, Reiss and Amazon Essentials* — also check out this faux wrap dress from Karen Kane*. (*also available in plus sizes*)
Recent wrap dresses we've featured (as of 10/24) include some of these great dresses, below:
Today's reader mail presents us with a great question about wrap dresses for the office… specifically, how to keep a wrap dress closed! Here's her question:
I am continually more frustrated with trying to monitor my wrap dresses to ensure that the flap upon my lap/knees is “closed.” Do the readers have any suggestions? There is never enough “wrap” fabric to have it sewn shut along the other seam as some dresses are pre-made that way. I'm on the verge of tossing all my wraps. Thoughts?
We hear you — we own a classic wrap dress that feels more like a robe.
We've wondered whether a bigger size might be a help (someone told us that the “trick” to wearing wrap dresses is to get them a size or two larger), but this particular wrap dress has pockets that sit in exactly the proper place. We've also been less than satisfied with the solutions.
Hunting for plus-size wrap dresses? As of 2024, some of our favorites include Kiyonna, Eloquii, DvF, and Etsy seller TielDorein — also check out this faux wrap dress from Karen Kane and this “trench wrap” from Universal Standard.
Still, here are the techniques I've tried to keep a wrap dress closed:
- Wear a black, plain slip — no lace — beneath it — like this one.
- Try a combo of tall, waist-shaping shorts and a demi camisole
- Safety pins — you can pin the top of the dress closed; we've also placed a safety pin around the mid-thigh mark of the wrap.
- Double-sided tape — we've found it's better used to secure the safety-pinned edge so it lays flat rather than relying on double-sided tape to keep your dress shut
- Finally, we've never tried this, but it just might work for some wrap dresses: wear them backwards.
Actually, some of the solutions for gaping shirts might work for you — here's a little slideshow:
Some of the top products to help you fix a gaping blouse include:
Readers, what are your solutions to the problem? What are your best tips for how to keep a wrap dress closed?
(Pictured above: Diane von Furstenberg Justin Dress, available at ShopBop.com for $325.)
Steph @ Stiletto Jungle
For cool weather months, I’ve found that opaque stockings below and a camisole above provide just enough coverage to make me feel comfortable with the wrap dress at work. I still haven’t mastered warm weather wear…
AbbyA
I have never understood the appeal of wrap dresses. Here, you’d be paying $325 for a dress, and then have to go to a tailor to add snaps or stitches. I did succomb and buy one last spring, which I wear with a camisol and a half slip. I still clutch the flap of the skirt to keep it from opening, however. What a pain.
TS
Mine are driving me up the wall. I have a beautiful blue and white one from DVF but I don’t want to show cleavage. And no matter what the camisole, more cleavage shows than I’m willing to show. I’m only a B cup. I think I’ll have to only wear this dress in the fall and spring – and with a turtleneck.
divaliscious11
You can take them to your tailor and have your tailor either add small stitchings (but them you have to put the dress on overhead), or add unobtrusive snaps in the appropriate places so that you can have some extra security.
KLo
I think stitches, snaps, hook-and-eye closures, etc. are the only acceptable fix. Or like Anon, skipping that style dress altogether.
jcb
I agree. The rest is just too much to deal with and you would never want it to show. I have a friend who swears by little snaps that her tailor adds to the neckline, I imagine it would work as well for the skirt.
Legally Brunette
What are snaps and what purpose do they serve?
A Different Liz
Snaps are a type of fastener for clothes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap_fastener
AN
I use safety pins mid thigh and it works. I also go up a size for this purpose.
The problem I have is that wraps ride up during the day, from waist to just under boobs. ( I think this is not an issue for less curvy girls.) I do wear a cami but still I feel it looks awful when that happens.
So I had my seamstress stitch the hidden tie part to the side seam and wear wrap tops in a pull-on way now. Not sure if it would work for dresses. Does anyone else have the riding-up issue and what do you do ?
Shayna
I like the slip suggestion, and I use safety pins for nearly every fast repair imaginable (including buttons on the go).
The problem with double sided tape is that in the warmer, humid, months I find it loses its stick, and the rest of the year leaves an icky residue
Anon
I don’t really have any constructive suggestions. My take on work clothing in general is that I don’t wear it to work if there’s a chance I’ll be worried about a wardrobe malfunction (dress flapping open when I walk, clear view down my shirt if I bend over my desk, etc.). I don’t need the extra stress :)
Elle
Amen.
Shayna
So true – the risk of ink spots, lost buttons, and spilled lunch is always present – why add additional stress?
dw
Iron-on adhesive? I can’t think of a brand name, but you can buy it at a fabric store and it comes in either tape or sheet form. It is usually meant to adhere patches, but it works great to hold seams very flat and is an easy and permanent alternative to double-sided tape.
L
I think it is called “stitch witchery.” I think it is a good idea!
http://www.amazon.com/Dritz-Stitch-Witchery-Heavy-Tape/dp/B000XANJUU
TS
Good idea!
Rumana
Sort of OT – where can you find simple, good but not too expensive slips? Do they come in colors besides black, white and nude? And what about sleeves? I always thought it was kind of silly that slips are sleeveless….it allows your deodorant/sweat from your underarms to go directly on your dress.
mew
I’ve had moderate success at Kohls, but they don’t always have much of a selection or much in the way of different sizes. I don’t know why as so many dresses and skirts need a slip to make them hang properly.
I
I have (and am currently wearing) a plain Jockey slip. I think it cost in the $30 range. (I forgot where I got it, but it was def a dept. store like Macy’s or something.) Not sure if this, or any other slips come in other colors, but my experience is that a black slip and a nude slip will take you a long way.
k
I just go to a mid level department store to buy slips. No need to spend money at Nordies or Saks for these basics.
Sarah
You can always buy a white or a nude slip and dye it yourself with the dye from the grocery. One of my friends does it and ends up with some great colors (although not necessarily the same colors as your dress).
divaliscious11
Target…
Anonymous
JC Penney always has tons of slips, or online at onehanesplace.com.
Delta Sierra
I have some Hanes bras that apparently are going to last forever, 3 -4 years now, machine wash and dry, elastic is still snappy. So if their slips are as good, well… good.
Ms B
You can buy dress shields to deal with the underarm problem — they are basically little cloths that are affixed under the arms of a dress or blouse to prevent perspiration from getting on the fabric. They are hard to find, but sometimes can be located at a fabric or dressmaking store. When I find them, I buy all that the store has in stock. I am down to two boxes right now. While they cost about $1-2 a pair, that is a lot cheaper than the $7 to $15 to dry clean a silk blouse or long sleeved dress and they allow me to get two or three wearings or an item between cleanings.
I have used both the paper kind that stick in with adhesive (good for structured blouses and dresses) and the light fabric or muslin kind that you sew in (good for delicate silks where the adhesive could ruin the fabric or where the shield might slip or slide). I tack mine in on the sleeve seam so that the stiches do not show and trim the shield if needed. I am sure that a reputable dressmaker could tack some in for you without too much cost.
3L
I was about to ask where to get slips myself. But, is this really even a solution? Is it acceptable to have a slip peek out of your dress, even if it is better than exposing skin? It reminds me of many an unfortunate grade school teacher’s attire.
Shayna
If its a plain slip – no lace, then it just looks like part of the dress – like its supposed to be a layered/lined skirt
AnneCatherine
For slips in colors aside from black, white and nude/beige/tan/cream (which are probably all you will really need), you can look at Marshall’s. I found a peach-colored Josie Natori (sp?) half-slip there once, and also a navy blue full-length one. I got a light blue one (half-slip) at Saks, and a sort of dark peach one at Victoria’s Secret (half). But Target has really good basic ones, as divaliscious11 alludes to.
s-k-s
I usually wear a cami to solve the top problems. If you wear a cami, you can sort of wrap/belt it looser and lower, which also gives you more fabric at the bottom and lets you feel a little more comfortable with that half as well.
Delta Sierra
No wrap dresses for me, I gave up on them , too much grief. Any time I tried one on that’s one or two sizes up, to beat the overlap problem, the neck gaped. And I hate the look of a safety-pin at the V. And it annoys me that the manufacturer doesn’t cut them with enough fabric in the skirt – if each side of the skirt were cut wider, we wouldn’t have this problem.
Claire
I wear a slip and use a safety pin or two, as needed. I’ve had wraps with snaps, and they work well if the material isn’t too slinky. If your wrap is blowing open outdoors, a long coat will solve that problem.
Where to find slips: I like mine in rayon-type fabrics, from Anthropologie or GapBody (when they have them). You can find cheap ones at Filene’s or any department store in the lingerie section. They come in prints as well as colors, although considering you’re usually wearing a slip because you’re afraid it might show, I wouldn’t recommend a crazy print.
I’ve never seen a slip with sleeves (isn’t that a night gown?), but consider stick-on underarm guards if you’re worried about sweat or deoderant.
Clerky
Speaking of wrap dresses, I’m thinking of buying this one from Banana in navy:
http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=6322830020000&cid=50129
The reviews are all over the place, though. Has anyone bought this?
Also, does anyone have any BR coupon codes — free shipping or discount on a full price item? I can’t seem to find any. Thanks!
Anon
I got this as a gift and returned it. It is very, very formfitting. I had a size medium, I’m 5-8/125lbsand it was skin-tight. You could actually see my abdominal muscles through the fabric. Um, no thanks.
Also, the v neckline is deep enough to require a cami and the hole that the tie goes through is much larger than the tie, exposing skin on the side of your body.
Frankly, I’d skip it.
K
YMMV. I have this dress in grey and it is great. (I am 5.8 and about a size 10 right now, just had baby 3 months ago). I have a size L. You can wrap the neckline higher and it doesn’t require a cami, and I don’t find the hole for the tie to be bigger than the tie (you do have to make sure the tie is not all twisted up though). Great for work, could probably transition to after-work event with a change in accessories.
Oh, and also with nursing etc my boobs are bigger than normal right now (probably D-DD) so that may be why the top fits me better than the thinner poster above. :)
Clerky
Thanks for the feedback, ladies. The reviews are truly all over the place — some people say that it is the best dress ever, others hate it. I’m tempted to buy the dress anyway just to see what I think. Everyone seems to have a different opinion about sizing, though. I’m a size 2 on top and a size 4/6 on bottom. I was planning to buy both a XS and S and see what fits better, but reading Anon’s comment, I wonder if I should get the medium as well?
What is YMMV? :)
Anon
Clerky – if it helps you choose your sizes, I wear a size 4 and am far from busty.
Lee
I think it’s Your Mileage May Vary
legalicious07
Yes, that’s what the acronym means. Iow, one person has given her opinion and you are entitled to have a different view.
J
I own this dress and I’m wearing it today! I really like it, but I will say that I wear shaping underwear underneath it and I use some Hollywood tape to keep the neckline from being so deep. It gets a thumbs up from me …
AT
I own this dress and I’m wearing it today! I really like it, but I will say that I wear shaping underwear underneath it and I use some Hollywood tape to keep the neckline from being so deep. It gets a thumbs up from me …
A
Put me down as one of the ones who didn’t like it. I did have trouble keeping the tie straight enough that the hole in the side didn’t show skin. The neckline was deep enough that I’d have to wear it with a cami. I also thought it ran a little small; it clung to my thighs. I’m pear-shaped, though – others might find it easier to wear.
Clerky
Just goes to show how different this dress works on different women! Thanks everyone for the feedback. I am waiting for BR to give me a coupon code or some other discount and will then probably purchase this dress in a few different sizes to see what I think. THANKS!
lawyer
Have to agree with Anon — work is stressful enough without stressing about if your clothing is going to do ITS job (i.e., clothe you). And I always sigh a little bit when I see safety pins and tape on others — to me, it screams that the item simply doesn’t fit for the occasion and should not be worn to the office.
K
I find camis to be a better solution than safety pins – how do you make the safety pin not show???
Also, I think we had a slip discussion a while back – but I gave up slips in college and I am not about to start again. Why would a dress need a slip to work? and would that not mean that a different dress might work better?
k
For me it is clinginess of the skirt to my Spanx that requires a slip with some skirts and dresses.
divaliscious11
I have a lot of jersey or knit that in a warmer climate I didn’t wear with hose. Now that I am in the midwest, hose/tights are a must, and slips reduce the cling to the hose. I think I bought my first slip in 20 years last October….
Delta Sierra
Honest question: what is it about slips that you don’t like? I gather they are sort of out of fashion right now, but dunno why.
Blonde lawyer
I just never saw their purpose besides keeping a white skirt from being see through.
anon
Yikes. Slips make most skirts fall/lay better and white is not the only color that is see through. i have two black skirts in a jersey/silk fabric and if the light hits me just right you can see EVERYTHING. Not to mention that slips help hide those pesky panty lines or dimples if you are so unfortunate, unless wearing spanks. But then you still need a slip b/c spanks tend to create static on my clothes. I always wear one just to be safe.
Lynette
I wear them to avoid surprise “transparency” issues.
AN
Safety pin won’t show if you pin from within/inside. Just turn up the dress to pin from below. I’m Indian and that’s how we get saris to stay in place :)
Eponine
You should wear a slip with unlined skirts or dresses to make them hang smoothly and, um, especially to prevent them from clinging to your lady parts. You’ll have a much smoother line and less static with a slip. Lined skirts or dresses shouldn’t require a slip, although sometimes I wear one anyway on hot days to soak up perspiration.
A.
I think any item of clothing you have to think this much about is probably not appropriate clothing for the office. What is that quote – “I dress well, in impeccable clothes, so then I can forget about them.” The last thing I want to do all day is fuss with my clothes and worry about being overexposed. I only buy wrap-style dresses if they are “faux-wrap” – meaning one side has been stitched closed. Otherwise, forget it. I don’t want to spend so much time fidgeting with my dress that people think I’m more focused on it than on my work.
Jenny
I have had success with very opaque black stockings in the winter months. For summer, maybe one of those form fitting slips, from companies like Spanx? I’ve never tried it, but it seems like they would give just enought security.
For the most part though, wrap dresses seem like alot of trouble… and they make me look like a linebacker.
Tidy
I’ve had ok luck with slips at Target. I insist on slips so things don’t cling, bunch, or gape. That said, I usually have to get half slips because they never fit me in the chest. If I team a cami with a slip, we’re good to go with just about any wrap dress situation.
Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler
Not a hijack, more of an FYI: According to the article linked below, L’Oreal is pulling Shu Uemura from the United States.
http://www.stylelist.com/2010/03/30/loreal-pulls-the-plug-on-shu-uemura-in-the-u-s/?icid=main|main|dl5|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stylelist.com%2F2010%2F03%2F30%2Floreal-pulls-the-plug-on-shu-uemura-in-the-u-s%2F
jojo
Thank you! I was crushed until I read that they’ll still sell online.
Stephanie
I have to go with divaliscious on this one. little snaps on my wrap dresses (especially up top) are a must. If anything it allows me to go through the day and not have to worry that I am showing off more than my work.
anono
Went in to meet with a senior partner after reading this column, and she was wearing a very unfortunate wrap dress. She spent our entire meeting fidgeting with her dress. It probably looked fine when standing in front of a mirror, but it did not cover well enough when she was sitting – I spent the entire meeting in fear of an unfortunate slip. You could tell she was totally uncomfortable in the outfit. Definitely not worth it.
Delta Sierra
Wish I had room next to my full-length mirror to do a sit-test on each outfit :)
Eponine
Take pictures! I keep a file of outfit photos, usually taken after purchasing the item, so I don’t have to try stuff on to remember how it looks. It makes it a lot easier to get dressed in the morning.
Shayna
This is the reason why my wardrobe is mostly black/dark gray — life is stressful enough without worrying about flashing anyone or having an inkstain on your shirt/pants…
Law-Less
Amen Shayna! I loved that white suit a while back, but the first thing that came to my mind was that I would spill coffee all down the front of that thing in a flash!
Shayna
I had the same thought! I used to call myself a klutz, but honestly, I think we all have those ‘oops’ moments
DW
Thread jack:
I recently met with a potential employer at in informal meeting and he asked me to send him a writing sample. I was planning on sending him a hand-written thank-you card for meeting with me, but now that I’m sending him an e-mail with a writing sample, I plan on thanking him in an e-mail. A handwritten thank-you note seems like a little much. Any thoughts?
Delta Sierra
I wonder if he means a sample of your writing, as in text, to see your writing style. Or a sample of your actual hand-writing. If #2, I can’t imagine what for… unless he wants to send it to a hand-writing analyst?! Which = too barbaric to consider, surely!? Although I’m pretty sure I’ve read of employers doing that with potential employees.
Cat
definitely not a handwriting sample!
agree to thank only via e-mail — no need to re-phrase the same note twice. Plus, as an e-mail, your nice thanks may get forwarded around with the sample.
DW
Thanks! It’s good to know my instincts were on the right track.
DW
Yes, just a sample of how well I write legalese.
legalicious07
Yes, definitely not a handwriting sample!
Eponine
I think that in this case where he’s specifically asked you to send something via email, it’s fine to include your thank you in the body of the same email. A second, handwritten thank you would be overkill.
Shayna
Agree — too much is almost as bad as too little
artemisia
Back to the wrap dresses – first, make sure you give yourself a fighting chance by buying dresses with generous fabric (I’ve done well with Boden). Cami and matching tights in colder months, as mentioned upthread. In the warmer months, cami if needed, and very light bike shorts.
legalicious07
Wrap dresses are quite flattering on me, as it’s the closest to an hour-glass figure I’ll ever have. But I always have the same problem as the OP with one dress in particular. I had never considered the snaps idea, and I’ve never even heard of stitch witchery — but I want to give both of these a try!
anon
I would just baste the flap closed. Although I confess I stick to faux wrap dresses.
Kind of off-topic, but did someone mention culotte slips a few topics ago? Does anyone know where I can get one?
Eponine
I mentioned them in the thread about workouts! I wear them when I walk to work in the summer. They have them at JC Penney and on Amazon or, if you’re plus sized, try jms.com. The best kind to get is the kind that has lace that you can snip off to shorten the slip.
Also, if searching for culotte slips doesn’t turn up anything, try searching for pettipants or petti pants. Awful name, but some brands call them that.
Ashley
You should add to never wear them on a windy day. HeHeHe. Seriously, I agree with some people, have a tailor put on some little hooks. As long as you get a good tailor and will retain the style and fit of the dress =D
Beth
I feel like this should be more obvious than it evidently is: Safety pins are for emergencies. If you need a pin as part of your ensemble, you should be using a pin that is designed to be seen.
Why not use a pretty jewelry pin? For instance, a stick pin should work nicely — one of those long straight pins that has a pearl or large bead or curlycue of metal at the top of it. There are other fashion pins that perform similar functions. Some have closures similar to what you’d find on a broach, but they are longer and slender and designed for basically this purpose. Others look like fancy safety pins, but unlike what you’d buy at a drug store, are obviously intended to be visible.
And no, visible underwear (including opaque slips) is never the solution. That’s worse than visible safety pins. Leggings are a better choice, but obviously more appropriate for weekend wear.
I also concur with the folks who said that if you need to worry about the dress flying open, maybe you shouldn’t be wearing it to work (or ever). Work attire should not be, as my aunt would say, “hard to keep track of.” But also, some styles will work better on some bodies than on others. Although the wrap dress was probably first designed to emphasize the hourglass curves for those of us who have them, many contemporary wrap dresses seem like they were cut for Twiggy. If there’s “never enough ‘wrap’ fabric” to go around, as the question-poser above lamented, then put it back on the rack and move on to another style or brand.
delurking
100% co-signed.
Thank you.
Beth
Another, completely different idea: Instead of focusing on the position of the outer flap of the skirt, focus on securing the *inner* flap. Sew in some small ties, perhaps similar to the thin loops of fabric used for hanging a skirt or dress. Two of the ties will go on the edge of the inner flap, and two more will go on the inside of the dress, at whatever position the inner flap ends when the dress is closed (which is hopefully at or near a seam). When you are putting the dress on, tie the inner flap and outer flap together. So for example, if the opening of the dress is on your left side, you’ll be tying the dress together, on the inside, at your right hip and right thigh. If you know that all 360 degrees of you are securely covered, then you won’t worry so much about the movement of the outer part of the skirt.
Cat
Second this suggestion — it means nothing is peeping but the outer flap still moves the way it should!
75
These Diane Von F. dresses are very glamorous and very sexy. The best solution is not to wear them to the office. Wear them on a special date where you want something wonderful to happen, and where the inscure wrap feature will be a wardrobe asset and not a wardrobe liability.
dr
I am the one who posed the question…thanks for al the good ideas. It seems we all agree that if it must be “managed,” the item just isn’t for work.
I may well take the two wrap dresses whose fabric I adore to the tailor and have her make skirts (with side zippers) instead. It will increase the cost of the items with which I have been fighting, but as a skirt, in the long run, my CPW (cost per wear) should go down dramatically. (The other two will go to charity and I’ll swear off buying open, true wrap dresses.)
What say you?
Happy Spring, Passover celebrations, and Easter – all heralding the big closet switch outs!
CWA
My sister introduced me to Peek a Boob Strips. They are wonderful little double-sided tape-like strips that were originally created to fix “blouse gap” but I use them for many wardrobe issues. They are a quick fix to a ripped hem, secure a wrap dress that won’t stay closed, hold a belt in place so it doesn’t ride up in the back when I’m wearing pants that have no belt loops, etc. They are much stronger than regular double-sided tape but they don’t harm clothing – even silk. Their website is below:
http://www.peekaboobstrips.com
Maggie
Wrap dresses? Do they still make those? I stopped wearing them in high school. No reason to ever buy one!
Sarah
It’s simple–either you’re the right shape to wear a wrap dress, or you aren’t. If you aren’t, nothing you do to “fix” the dress is going to make it look right.
For years, I never even tried on wrap dresses because I had seen so many people wear them poorly. A friend convinced me to try one once, and it was a revelation. Wrap dresses fit me SO much better than tailored dresses do. I absolutely cannot stand faux-wrap–they are never sewn to hang right on me.
My waist/ribcage is significantly smaller than my bust/shoulders and hips/butt (like 8-10 inches). I suspect only a true hourglass shape can wear wrap dresses easily.
Kim
Hi wear a Metallicus shift dress underneath. It then shows a hint of colour across the breasts (the other issues with some wraps) as well as peaks out as the skirt moves/ when sitting. Also it is not as slippery as some slips.
Kathy
I like the look of a wrap dress and top… The v neck is flattering and it is shapely. I have tried safety pins but fine it takes time to set them correctly so they don’t show and also so mess- up the drape…standing or sitting…. Shape wear slips scream shape wear …. And slips also. So my current thought is to find a silk plain camisole or slip …or tank top. Silk always looks elegant … Even as a peek… To wear underneath wrap dresses and v neck’s of all kinds. I just need to find inexpensively… Perhaps a summer clearance sale .
Harriett
Wrap dresses? Do they still make those? I stopped Yellow Long Sleeve Shirt wearing them in high school. No reason to ever buy one!
Adrienne
Sew on snaps! One or two snaps should hold it shut at the upper thigh, and snaps need so few stitches to sew on that it won’t show even if there’s no separate lining to see them on to, and won’t ruin the dress if you decide to take it out.