Working the shift dress at work
Photo ©: thekaleidoscope.co.uk
Nothing says sexy secretary or boardroom chic like the classic shift dress. 
It's one of the most versatile work dresses that comes in so many different shapes, cuts and styles. This articles focuses on the shift most suited to you, starting from the top at the neckline and working all the way down to the hem.
Necklines
Typically, a shift dress has a high neckline, suited to the more conventional environment of the office. However, with the plethora of necklines, be fussy, have fun and choose the best one for you:
• V necks (not too deep for office wear) and deep, round necklines are great for elongating a short neck, or minimising a larger bust.
• High round necklines give the illusion of more volume to smaller breasts.
• Boat necks are great for pear-shapes with narrow shoulders, making shoulders appear broader and balancing out with hips.
• Cowl necks are universally flattering but make sure you don't overdo it, too many folds add bulk to the chest area.
Sleeves and straps
We may be most familiar with that Audrey Hepburn sleeveless style of shift dress, but consider a few different options and their benefits:
• Cap sleeves balance out bigger hips by making shoulders look wider.
• Short, puffed sleeves also broaden shoulders, balancing out wider hips.
• Thin straps show off toned arms and shoulders, whilst wider straps balance out broad shoulders.
• Wide-set straps, which sit further away from the neck and closer to the arm, make arms look thinner.
The shift dress - finding a great fit
There are a few dominant fits of work shift dresses, so, pick the one that best represents your body:
• Pear-shapes, that is narrow shoulders and wider hips, look great in a style that is fitted on top, and skims loosely over the bottom-half. A-lines styles might also do well in just skimming over your hips. Avoid any style with gathers on the lower half.
• Apple-shapes, with a large bust, broad shoulders, slim hips and not so much of a waist can wear an empire shift with the seam under the bust, drawing attention to a narrow section of their body. Colour-blocked shift-dresses with a dark band around the wait create the illusion of a smaller waist.
• The enviable hourglass shape, with well-proportioned bust and hips, are the lucky ones, most shift dresses suit this shape, so, play around, try on a few, and pick whichever looks best.
• Androgynous body types, with a small bust and hips and an undefined waist, should pick a shift that creates curves. You can play around with ruffles and pleats to create curves in places where there aren’t many. Shift dresses that are cinched in at the waist suit you best, by creating a contract with your shoulders and hips.
It’s all in the details
So, you’re at work, you’re wearing a business shift dress; how do you exude some personality? It’s all in the details:
• Go for a colour-blocked shift dress, with some splashes of bright colours.
• Belt your shift dress at the waist.
• Wear an embellished brooch, a statement necklace or elegant earrings.
• Try a shift dress in patterned fabric.
• Pair a monotone shift with bright shoes and accessories.
• Add a soft, sheer scarf around your neck.
End at the hem
Lets finish off at the bottom, the hem. Choose a length that works best works for you, and if you love the dress, but the length is all wrong, alter it! Having a dress tailored will make it seem like the store-bought dress was actually made for you! The universally most-flattering leg length is a different area on everyone, but essentially the same principle: the hem should end at the thinnest point on your leg, drawing attention to that area.
So, get your shift on this summer, and make others envious of your polished work wardrobe!
Images: the-fashion-buzz.com, womens-dresses.net, style-eyes-fashion-blog.com
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