Low Back is Back

We have all seen such names Charlize Theron, Beyonce, Halle Berry, and many others who have all dared to show off a rather interesting dress design; one that not only flatters the full body but one that gives a new meaning to the saying baby got back. I am talking about the back, literally. There is no other design that is quite as elegant and sexy as this gentle open-backed style. If you have seen the movie “How to lose a guy in 10 days” then you've seen a gorgeous white, silk and satin, open-backed dress (Jovani) worn by Kate Hudson that inspired many young girls to wear open-backed dresses to their prom. Actually that statement is a bit modest.

In all actuality the dress from this movie caused a spike in prom dress sales, for this one particular style, and made this dress the season's most popular prom gown. Although many ladies get their prom dress inspiration from dresses worn by celebrities it still comes down to function, price, and availability. Since there are many high-end designers that took a hand at creating their own version of the coveted low-backed dress it is generally easy to find this style; although the general rule of prom dress purchasing is to always pre-order months in advance. And if you feel that you have to settle for a second-choice, low-back just be aware that designers were not straying far from the general design with this piece, so if you continue looking, you are almost guaranteed to find a similar dress with only subtle variations.

Go With Flow

The basic design of low-backs consist of a long, flowing silk or satin gown sporting a flared base which usually falls just above the ankle and can be found in variations flowing all the way to the floor. The low-back design will sit on or just above the hips and remain cut-out to the neck, where either a halter, thin sleeved, spaghetti, or twin threaded straps. There are also many different types of backing; the basic design consists of a completely open back with loose material flowing from the shoulders. Then you can find many differing designs which incorporate material crisscrossing, tying, wrapping, and stapling around the small of the back. Dresses have also been seen with more dramatic curves in places such as the mid-section or hips where the material curves in from the open-back revealing more of the mid-section from the sides. There are many styles, colors, cuts, lengths, and designs to choose from but the general low-backed dress is one to be coveted.