How would you describe these dresses?

[Cartman94]

I am busy writing a story and I need to describe a dress one of my characters is wearing (it's important to the story). Now, the problem is I don't really know how. English isn't my first language and even though I'm pretty good at it, describing some specific things, in this case a dress isn't easy. I don't really know any specific words or terms to describe parts of a dress (if there are any at all). I don't want to write 'I'm wearing a beautiful blue dress', seeing as it is somewhat important to the story. So I was wondering if you could help me.

I looked around on google and found a few dresses I thought would fit my character and the story, so I was hoping you could tell me how you would describe these.

1. http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/cbb/2007/09/03/blue_dress_2_3.jpg

2. http://karaallan.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/blue-dress-2.jpg

3. http://www.cheapdressesus.com/images/UploadPic/simplydress/royal-blue-dress-MT-MD-3950-a.jpg

4. http://img1.promgirl.com/_img/PGPRODUCTS/1131087/1000/cool-blue-dress-CT-8420R16B-c.jpg (not the white sparkly things on her shoulder)

Thanks

 

[Handley_Page]

Is this spam ?

 

[PennLady]

I don't think it's spam.

I'm not that great at describing dresses myself, but I'll take a shot. I'm not saying this is accurate. I also don't know how important the details are; personally I find clothing details don't do much for me in general. However, I can see where certain clothes, or certain features of clothes, would be important.

The first one I would describe as a strapless blue dress where the material is draped, overlapping in front to form an inverted vee just below the knees.

The next three -- based on a quick Google search -- can all include "one-shoulder dress" in the description.

Dress two is a navy blue one-shoulder mini dress. You could add details like how low it falls, and I'm not sure what you call those ruffles that follow the diagonal line down the front.

Dress three is also a one-shoulder mini dress, but I would describe the color as medium blue or maybe royal blue. The skirt I would describe as having a gauzy overlay (if that's the word).

Dress four strikes me as ... kinda silly, but that's me. Also the URL you give says something about "prom," so it strikes me as aimed for the high school crowd. Or for figure skating. Anyway, again, you have a blue one-shoulder dress, this time with an uneven skirt (maybe ragged?) and sequins at the shoulder.

I hope that helps. I was also thinking that perhaps you could put the images into a Google search and that might lead you to the seller's site, which should have some kind of description.

 

[lovecraft68]

Screw the dress, I want the model in #4.

 

[oggbashan]

1. Strapless sarong style in Royal Blue.

2. Bandeau bodice dress with single bandeau strap, floaty mini-skirt.

2. Asymetric shoulder minidress with ruffle detail.

4. Has an asymetric shoulder and the skirt has a handkerchief hem.

 

[PennLady]

1. Strapless sarong style in Royal Blue.

2. Bandeau bodice dress with single bandeau strap, floaty mini-skirt.

2. Asymetric shoulder minidress with ruffle detail.

4. Has an asymetric shoulder and the skirt has a handkerchief hem.

*applause applause!!*

Although I have to say if I read description #2, I'd have no idea what it meant.

 

[StrangeLife]

Although I have to say if I read description #2, I'd have no idea what it meant.

I was thinking the same thing.

"Hi honey. Please be home early - I'm in the mood tonight. If you're lucky I might even wear my bandeau bodice dress with single bandeau strap and my floaty mini-skirt..."

 

[patientlee]

Drapey Draperson. (Project Runway, maybe?)

 

[Stella_Omega]

How much description do you need, really?

I mean... really?

If ever there was a Devil with a Blue Dress On, this lady was it. That thing she was wearing floated, and shimmered, and made him clench his fists with impotent anger and potent desire.

Or whatever it is.

 

[LadyVer]

royal blue and clingy

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Screw the dress, I want the model in #4.

Ewwwwww

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Couldn't you have picked a faster site to store the images?

 

[1millionsecrets]

I hate blue dresses....

Tacky for all.

 

[1millionsecrets]

Ironically my avi dress appears to be blue... It was once purple.

 

[Handley_Page]

Ironically my avi dress appears to be blue... It was once purple.

Perhaps the sunlight got to it ?

 

[elfin_odalisque]

Ogg, your knowledge of couture is amazing. I am impressed.

One point troubles me. Surely, bandeau, borrowed from the French, means strapless. You can have a bandeau dress or bikini or blouse but surely not a bandeau dress with a bandeau strap.

 

[jomar]

How much description do you need, really?

I mean... really?

If ever there was a Devil with a Blue Dress On, this lady was it. That thing she was wearing floated, and shimmered, and made him clench his fists with impotent anger and potent desire.

Or whatever it is.

Depends on the storyline...in my Marion series it was all about describing the clothes and accessories and how they felt on the character.

 

[oggbashan]

Ogg, your knowledge of couture is amazing. I am impressed.

One point troubles me. Surely, bandeau, borrowed from the French, means strapless. You can have a bandeau dress or bikini or blouse but surely not a bandeau dress with a bandeau strap.

True, but you could wear that dress without the strap.

Edited for PS. Years ago one of my cousins and a former fiancée used to make their own fashionable clothes using mail order catalogues for the designs. I collected the catalogues for them from neighbours who didn't want them - received as junk mail.

Also, many of my then staff were former workers in the 'Rag Trade' - manufacturers of cheap clothing in the East End of London. They were very well informed about fashion trends and often discussed the latest Paris/London/New York shows even when working. They (and she) were very rude about the descriptions. What they complained about is still true.

Look at an advert for a new skirt or dress, particularly in mail order versions. Then look at a similar item handing in a goodwill/charity shop. Is it still as great as it was made out to be?

 

[PennLady]

Ogg, your knowledge of couture is amazing. I am impressed.

One point troubles me. Surely, bandeau, borrowed from the French, means strapless. You can have a bandeau dress or bikini or blouse but surely not a bandeau dress with a bandeau strap.

Since words and concepts change all the time from their original meaning, I'd think this could certainly happen. Not knowing exactly what bandeau is, I would say for example, if the strap is done in the same technique or pattern as bandeau, then yes, you could have a bandeau strap.

 

[3113]

4. Has an asymetric shoulder and the skirt has a handkerchief hem.

I don't know what a handkerchief hem is, but I like that description. It suggests something about the garment—kinda neat and proper-ish.

 

[oggbashan]

I don't know what a handkerchief hem is, but I like that description. It suggests something about the garment—kinda neat and proper-ish.

This picture is of a handerchief skirt. The idea is that if you hold a square handkerchief by its centre, the folds would fall like this.

http://www.divadancewear.com/images/products/detail/10200L.jpg

 

[3113]

How much description do you need, really?
If ever there was a Devil with a Blue Dress On, this lady was it. That thing she was wearing floated, and shimmered, and made him clench his fists with impotent anger and potent desire.

Granted. I'd certainly go for yours there if this was just the girl-who-caught-his-eye moment and/or if she's not going to be wearing the dress for long. But...! If the writer is trying to say something about the girl wearing the dress—her taste, her view of herself, or something more about the person viewing her, then a bit more detail might not be so pointless.

For example, as PennLady said, that last dress would be more apt on a figure skater. So "She came into the club looking like a figure skater in a floaty, blue, sequined mini..." That suggests something about her character that she picked that dress.

Or take the first dress. "Draped in a Caribbean blue sarong, she looked like she'd just arrived from a tropical island..." That not only tells us about her tastes/personality, but about the hero, that he's into tropical island fantasies. So a description of the dress *can* be useful if the author is using it to do more than say that the woman is hot and sexy. If the author is trying to get across the personality of the woman and/or the personality of the person seeing the woman.

 

[3113]

This picture is of a handerchief skirt. The idea is that if you hold a square handkerchief by its centre, the folds would fall like this.

Ah, I see! Thank you. It's very apt and precise.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Granted. I'd certainly go for yours there if this was just the girl-who-caught-his-eye moment and/or if she's not going to be wearing the dress for long. But...! If the writer is trying to say something about the girl wearing the dress—her taste, her view of herself, or something more about the person viewing her, then a bit more detail might not be so pointless.

For example, as PennLady said, that last dress would be more apt on a figure skater. So "She came into the club looking like a figure skater in a floaty, blue, sequined mini..." That suggests something about her character that she picked that dress.

Or take the first dress. "Draped in a Caribbean blue sarong, she looked like she'd just arrived from a tropical island..." That not only tells us about her tastes/personality, but about the hero, that he's into tropical island fantasies. So a description of the dress *can* be useful if the author is using it to do more than say that the woman is hot and sexy. If the author is trying to get across the personality of the woman and/or the personality of the person seeing the woman.

Except that you haven't described the dresses very much either-- you've described the impression the lady gives wearing them.

 

[3113]

Except that you haven't described the dresses very much either-- you've described the impression the lady gives wearing them.

Well, I didn't say that there had to be much more description. But it is more than what you offered and it does get specific—a sarong that's tropical looking rather than, oh, monkish looking, right?