Ever the ultra glamorous sidekick of the trusty Little Black Dress, a long evening dress will silhouette the taller among us and create length for the shorter in profile. These dresses possess the magical powers of elongating the legs whilst bringing attention and proportion to beautiful shoulders, a statement necklace or toned arms.  For A/W 2013 choose a long dress and update the floaty, floral maxi dresses of summertime ready for autumn birthdays, stylish nights out in your student city and Christmas balls – look to the Long Black Dress.

Look no further than the collection of long evening dresses available to hire from the girls at Girl Meets Dress and plan in advance for your special event, or find an excuse to stand out from the crowd. For me, the Alexander Wang Panne Velvet Dress is the quintessential, profile-hugging floor length dress which will showcase an elegant back and shoulders perfectly and is available for £49 as opposed to the retail price of £285. If you love lace and are still keen to show off your pins, Dark Pink’s Susie Lace Maxi Dress will make you feel a million dollars.

If this is too daring for your evening, try Butter by Nadia’s Black Jersey Gown for a guaranteed fit and attention to the décolletage.  When black just won’t cut it, consider the understated Cerulean Jersey gown, again from Butter by Nadia, a fit that would put Kate Middleton to shame. Finally, who could resist injecting some colour into the colder days with the striking pink of Ariella’s Elizabeth Gown?

Our favourite celeb show is back! Strictly Come Dancing returns to our screens on Wednesday 4^th September 2013 for season 11. The show, best known for its lively atmosphere, went down a storm on the Strictly Come Dancing tour and now it’s here! We take a look at some Strictly Come Dancing outfits.

Last season we saw an array of bright and beautiful outfits gracing the dance floor. We were up to our necks in celeb dresses full of rhinestones and lace and quirky styles. Week 6 saw Denise Van Outen wow the judges in this sassy red floor length dress, whilst Victoria Pendleton showed off her moves in a lacy gold dress. Strictly Come Dancing Winners Louis Smith and Flavia Cacace always kept on top of their fashion every week too.

Strictly is back, and it’s bigger and better than ever. We can’t wait to watch the new series – and the celebs are already raring to go. After all the success of last season we’ll be sure to try and get our hands on some Strictly Come Dancing tickets this year. Will Abbey Clancy use her modelling background to help her dance the dance? Or will Sophie Ellis Bextor murder the dancefloor?

In running with our celeb dress hire, this week Girl Meets Dress look through the celebrities competing in this seasons’ Strictly Come Dancing and we suss out what sort of styles they might be wearing.

 Susanna Reid – TV Presenter

BBC Breakfast presenter Susanna Reid is usually known for her clean cut fashion. She loves shift dresses in bold colours and occasionally  mixes in some prints. This     season we can definitely see her wearing a  vibrant red dress for one of her dances,     like our Carven Tweed Dress,  or going dreamy and wearing a long evening dress like   the Dina Bar-El Eleni Gown.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Singer

Known for her quirky style, multi-platinum selling singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor is due to hit our screens tomorrow evening. Often favouring designers like Henry Holland and Temperley London, we can imagine Sophie will be sure to pick some eccentric dress choices.  We can definitely see her choosing a graceful silhouette like the Roberto Cavalli Afrodite ball gown or mixing prints and colours like our Jewel by Lisa Print Dress.

Vanessa Feltz – Broadcaster

A household name due to her outstanding broadcasting skills, Vanessa Feltz is sure to  challenge the other contestants. Described as one of the most hardworking women in  broadcasting, Vanessa is a big fan of little black dresses and likes to keep her style  smart and sophisticated. We can see her choosing some flattering long black dresses   like our Nicole Miller Felicity Black Gown, or maybe she’ll go a little wild and try to  bring in some sparkle like our Alice and Olivia Nala Knit Dress.

Abbey Clancy – Model

Abbey has been in the spotlight ever since she arrived on the modelling scene as a promising Liverpudlian on Britain’s Next Top Model. She’s in the midst of co-hosting a new TV show called Britain’s Ultimate Male Model (we’ll be watching that!) and is known for her love of taking risks in fashion. Often a fan of slim fitting bodycon dresses, Abbey will be sure to make the most of what she’s got by wearing figure hugging dresses throughout the show. We might see her in something similar to our Diva Sophia sequin dress or flying the flag for ruffles in our Opulence England Lace Tutu Dress.

The rest of the ladies are made up of Dragon’s Den hard-woman Deborah Meaden, Countdown’s Rachel Riley, Corrie’s Natalie Gumede and former Bond Girl Fiona Fullerton. And don’t forget to look out for fabulous fashion choices from Tess Daley! Have you got any predictions for the winner yet?

German born Dina, moved to the United States at the age of 18 where she has built her gorgeous collection of ball gowns and cocktail dresses and generated a huge following of fans and celebrities.  Based in California, the dresses are entirely made in the United States and designed to flatter and accentuate a woman’s curves.  As described by Dina, Plunging necklines, flouncy fishtails, two-tone gowns and asymmetrical drapes have ensured her dresses remain in the limelight.

Her collections reached an all time high when Kate Hudson wore her yellow, back-less gown in the film ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’.   Romantic, elegant and sophisticated she mixes the classic with a contemporary twist like nobody else.  Her dresses are on-trend yet maintain a high level of quality for an extremely reasonable price.  Inspired by her late daughter Orna, Dina’s collections are made with love and with a special appreciation for glamour and femininity.   Her collections are now sold worldwide.

Hire one of Dina’s gorgeous gowns from Girl Meets Dress today!  Here are some of our favourites…

The Louise Dress  is a statement, black-tie gown covered in lace with a fitted bodice and fish-tail skirt.  This elegant and highly glamorous dress is the perfect choice for a romantic, black-tie occassion.  Ensure you stand out from the crowd with a look that exudes old Hollywood glamour.

 

The Penelope Dress is fitted with a plunging neckline and fitted ruched bodice.  In plum with a corsage embellishment, this is another extremely romantic and elegant Dina Bar-El gown.  With its satin-chiffon draped skirt, team with strappy silver heels, a metallic clutch and long, delicate necklace to complete the look.

Finally, we have the Anastasia Gown, an asymmetrical dress with crystal embellishment on the shoulder.  In cream, silk-chiffon, the ruched bodice completes this evening gown with a high luxury look.  Keep the dress simple with matching silver accessories and strappy heels.

For styling advice please email: enquiries@girlmeetsdress.com.  Happy hiring! x

By Caroline Dawe

Nowadays not only are we fraught with decisions on fabrics, colours and necklines, we also have that all important heel and hem decision, a deadly combination that if married incorrectly can ruin that all important look.  Unfortunately, heel and hem combinations aren’t easy to mirror off of friends and strangers you may feel have mastered the marriage.  They are extremely personal and depend strictly on the length and width of your own legs from your hips all the way down to your ankles.  A hemline that stretches a millimetre too long or too short could turn your look from va va voom to va va doom.  Here’s how to prevent these fashion flaws…

Mini:  When wearing a mini dress whether short/tall/curvy or slim this dress is always going to make your legs appear longer and therefore you appear taller. If you are petite and this is a desired effect then look no further!  Team it with light-strappy sky-high heels and you’ll add inches.  If you are particularly slender then perhaps opt for a more substantial heel such as a pump to add a bit more volume to the look.  If you are tall then you can opt for either a heel or a flat depending on height desired.  Women who wish to slim down their legs should opt for a lighter more slender shoe.  We love this Puff Sleeve dress by Opening Ceremony that will take you from day to night with ease.  Wear it with ankle boots for an alternative look.  Just ensure they have heels for women who want to elongate their legs further.

Short-Midi:  Test the look on yourself by holding a dress up to your body in front of the mirror so that the hem sits at the lowest point of your knee.  If this is the widest part of your leg then consider wearing a dress of this length with a heel to detract from this fact and balance out your frame.  The shorter you are the higher your heels should be in order to lengthen your legs further.  We love DVF’S Alexy Jersey dress.

Long-Midi: Just like the short-midi, this length will need a mirror test.  Hold a dress up to your body so that the hemline hits just below the knees and they are no longer visible.  Most people will find that this does hit the widest part of your leg and therefore the prior rules apply.  Simply experiment with the height of your heels until you achieve your desired look.  The shorter or wider your legs are the higher the heel required.  We love Yves Saint Laurent’s Blue Linen dress.

Floor-Length: Finally, a floor-length dress will flatter all frames.  Taller girls can often get away with flats and shorter girls can often get away with high-heels.  Long-dresses are particularly slimming therefore the higher the heel the slimmer the look.  The material of the dress is key to your look however as the lighter the dress’s material the lighter the material of the shoe will need to be.  For example a silk summer dress would look clunky with heavy leather pumps but a delicate sandal would be perfect.   We love Adam’s Crepe Column Gown.

For styling advice please email: enquiries@girlmeetsdress.com.  Happy hiring! x

By Caroline Dawe