Why You Should Wear Dresses With Empire Waists

Let’s talk about empire waist dresses for a moment.  I’ve already shown this dress in Instagram roundups, and besides how stretchy and comfy it is, besides how flattering the cross-front v-neck is, and besides how it can be worn to a variety of events like bridal showers, dinner with friends or a significant other, or even to a more casual wedding, one other thing I love about it is that it has an empire waistline.  

I learned about empire waistlines from Stacy and Clinton during the years I was obsessed with What Not to Wear.  They would suggest empire waistlines over and over and overrrrr again to women of all different shapes talking about how flattering they are.  They would usually say to the woman, “For you, the narrowest part of your body is right under the bust.  An empire waist starts right there, draws attention to your narrowest part, and floats away from the body, creating a nice clean line.”  Though right under the bust is not the narrowest part for every woman, if it is for you, try an empire waist dress.  I watched them prove the power of an empire waist over and over again with woman after woman, whether they had large or small chests or a larger or more slender mid-section.  It’s pretty amazing!

Not only are they great for lots of different body shapes, they are accommodating and flattering for different stages of life and different body changes.  I wore empire waist dresses before having a kid because of Stacy and Clinton’s recommendation.  They ended up being perfect for pregnancy because they begin higher than the bump, so I already had a ton of non-maternity dresses I could wear through all three trimesters.  They were also amazing postpartum because they were comfy and kind to my tender belly, but they were also super duper flattering for the extra postpartum belly.

As I’ve sifted through dresses in my usual go-to stores over the last couple of years I haven’t been able to find as many empire waist dresses.  Lately the waistlines have hit several inches below the bust, stretching right across your midsection or over your natural waist.  For me, that’s not flattering and makes me look awkward, especially the fuller my belly is, like after eating a big meal haha!

If you’re looking for empire waist dresses, I found a few on Amazon and ModCloth that are featured below.  Just note that not all empire waist dresses are the same either, but you shouldn’t have to try TOO many to find a flattering one.  Usually the ones with really, really thick waistbands are hit or miss on me.  Sometimes the thick waistband starts getting into the “waistband right across my midsection/natural waist” territory.  But mostly anything else, like the one above with a thinner waistband, works like a charm for me!  Give them a shot!

Most come in multiple colors or prints.  They range between $10 – $65.

Sunglasses: Urban Outfitters (exact–currently on sale for $12!)