Sodding shirred dresses

[oohgoodcupofteanicky]

Why oh why do 95% of summer dresses this year seem to have a shirred top?! I’m very tall, broad shouldered and I just feel like Ms Trunchbull in them all. I am struggling for holiday clothes.

That is all.

Vinted is your friend, if stuff in shops isn’t working for you.

I’m tall and broad shouldered and feel the same
if you’re looking for casual, “next drawstring dress” on vinted should bring up this style. I’m 5ft 10 and they’re perfect on me, v flattering and lightweight

Thank you! That looks exactly the kind of thing I’m after.

Doesn’t help that all my friends are teeny tiny by genetics and I feel gargantuan next to them ☹️

Those shirred top dresses make my big girls look huge. Also, the elastic withers over time and smells horrible.

It's cheaper than actually tailoring clothes properly I guess 🙁. Not a fan because it doesn't tend to last well.

They’re not that dreadful when the sleeves are set in (raglan?). By ‘not that dreadful’ I mean 3/10, rather than wide-set sleeves (+ shirred chest + big boobs), which is 0/10.

But I’ve never seen the set-in style in shops, only ever on other women. Maybe I don’t shop in the right shops…probably not expensive enough.

I do love the way the shirring doubles over on itself when it encounters a roll of midriff fat 🙄

I'm sure shirred dresses look delightful on very slim women with small boobs. But then so does everything, doesn't it.

I love a Shirred dress when it’s Shirred at the back, as it means it always fits correctly. I’m not a fan of shirring at the front though.

I can just about cope with it at the back. Just.

I have small shoulders & a large chest. So unflattering.

Im thin with fried eggs and they look ghastly on me. I hate them 😐

I love that there is a lot of shirred stuff at the mo! I’m pear shaped so shirred dresses and tops fit my figure so well. I don’t particularly love how they look in general, just the way they fit. I can see how on other shapes they’re not as flattering. There’s a lot of dropped waist dresses around, which do my large hips no favours!

I haven’t noticed much shirred stuff at all recently. I don’t mind it, I have narrow shoulders and pretty much no boobs and I quite like the idea of shirring in that area going down to a more loose waist and bottom of the dress.
I do however agree that it’s a very lazy way of making clothes that will just stretch to accommodate all shapes and sizes and doesn’t really ‘fit’ accurately.

Off point but when did smocking become shirring? (Both pretty awful for anyone over about nine years of age if you ask me)

They don’t serve quite the same purposes because shirring is stretchy, smocking is not. Shirring is also simpler to do, therefore cheaper to manufacture.

They didn’t, they are very different things, both give a similar look.

With very small boobs shirring makes me look like a 5 year old child.

They're fairly flattering on me, but they just look really cheap. Even the more expensive ones... because it's such a cheap and lazy way to make a dress.

These bunchy, flouncy, shirred and tiered dresses are also going to look very dated quite soon imo. They are literally everywhere at the moment and that can't be a good sign.

This dress from Tu is great, it’s very long and now in the sale and it’s cotton
https://tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk/product/tuc147665621

They look great on me. I’m always on the lookout for one. By contrast, on me those tiered skirts give off marquee vibes.
Like a PP I’m a pear shaped, but I also have a broad back and strong shoulders. It makes me look athletic rather than just fat.

I’ve been waiting for this thread. 😄

Totally with you, I was wondering the other day if they were more of a thing this year than previously.

I’ve got one that works on me, but mostly I don’t like them because I am looking for summer dresses that doesn’t closely hug the body as it’s too warm! Something that fits fairly closely is ok but a thicker layer of ruffled elasticated material snuggling round me at all times - too much!

Hope it didn’t disappoint 😆

Well, I’ve reached the age of 59 without ever having come across the term shirred. Just had to Google.

I’ve really struggled to find summer dresses this year.

shirred
tiered
smocked
sleeveless
strappy
acres of material in the skirt
too short

😖