7 ways to make a romantic dress less OTT

Fashion’s ongoing love affair with Marie Antoinette looks set to continue — here’s how to bring the vibe back down to earth

Guaranteeing a runway show worth talking about, last week Moschino’s Jeremy Scott sent his belles down the catwalk in opulent, French Revolution-inspired embroidered hoop skirts, ruffled Marcus Regency shirts, corsets, lace-up button boots and hair piled high to the heavens.

Scott’s offering was the cherry on top after a season which boasted countless dresses inspired by Elizabethan and Victorian times. Unsurprisingly, the Kansas-born designer shook things up (as he is wont to do) by juxtaposing his wares with street-ready denim, studded leather and layered jewellery.

Let the modern day Marie have her cake and eat it too? Now there’s a thought.

Elsewhere, frilly and frothy frocks that looked straight out of a glass museum case were seen at Brock Collection and Zimmermann (obviously, being both brands’ inherent signatures) in New York during the Autumn/Winter 2020 shows.

Prefacing the aforementioned, for Spring/Summer, Alexander McQueen, Erdem, and Louis Vuitton all featured gowns that wouldn’t have looked out of place in your Leaving Cert history book.

But while we love a dramatic entrance, there are certain limitations to where you can take these genre of dresses — yet lo and behold, with a few simple styling tricks, they too can be ready for the real world.

From belts that cinch voluminous layers to leather elements that tone down the saccharine nature of a romantic dress, here are seven ways to make this time-old trend work off the runway.

Black Waist Belt

Black + Brown Line Waist Belt, €119.58 from Net A Porter

With Docs

Dr. Marten’s 1460 8-Eye Boots, €174 from Schuh

Over jeans 

Straight Jeans, €27.99 from H&M

With a biker jacket

Faux Leather Biker Jacket, €39.95 from Zara

With a camel blazer

Double Breasted Blazer, €59.99 from Mango

With tall leather boots

Block Heel Knee Boots, €72 from Office

With a Messy Up-Do
(*Glass of wine: optional) 

Featured image: Moschino AW2020 by Jason Lloyd Evans

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