Looks good now but....

July 14, 2012 6:46 PM

Are combo dresses like this one going to look hopelessly out of date any time soon?

This dress looked really good on me but it also seems kind of trendy. I was wondering if anyone in the know can tell me the outlook for these styles - both the combo dress (a dress that looks like separates) and the ultra high-waisted skirt look.

posted by bleep to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

The combo dress was a big thing in the past two or three years. I think it's already showing its age... if it's a big investment for you and you're concerned about looking dated, I would definitely go with a more classic style.
posted by telegraph at 6:48 PM on July 14, 2012

It will look out of date soon. In some places (like NYC and LA) it is probably already out of date. It will not look HOPELESSLY out of date for a few more years, especially in flyover states. YMMV, but this is my gut feeling.
posted by PsychoTherapist at 6:57 PM on July 14, 2012

The combo dress is definitely a Trend with a capital T. Unfortunately for you, I'd say the same about high-waisted skirts (typically not flattering for most folks so a trend I'm guessing most of us won't miss) although perhaps not as quickly as the combo dress which is, as noted above, on its way out already.

I'd say the current trend is peplum dresses instead of combo dresses. Actually, if you'd like to see the current trends, look at this rundown (it lists stuff Runway Ready in Spring '12 which means they're juuuust starting to trickle down to mere mortals).

The good news? One of the next series of trends will include at least one item that is equally as flattering on you--that seems to be the upside of the Style Gods continually taking our styles away from us!
posted by librarylis at 7:10 PM on July 14, 2012

Does Chicago count as flyover? I'm sad now because peplums and all the other trends linked there look terrible on me. I thought this dress made me look really sleek and it minimized my belly. (It might not be the exact dress linked, either, having a hard time finding it online.)

I guess my follow-up question is, if you saw a woman in a pretty combo dress that was well made and flattering would you think "That looks nice on her" or "Wow, welcome to 2011?" (Assume that I will never see the inside of the offices of Vogue or some elite LA casting agency. I work in an office building in Chicago.)
posted by bleep at 7:24 PM on July 14, 2012

I live in Los Angeles, probably a bit ahead in terms of timing than Chicago on trends. I saw that style of dress frequently a couple years ago; I rarely see it any more. It's definitely on the way out. However, as of right now, I definitely wouldn't think you were out of date if I saw it on you - it wouldn't register as unfashionable, just "looks nice." But, I don't know what I'll think of it in a year - so I wouldn't spend a lot on that style of dress.

I would, however, definitely buy some blouses and 1-2 awesome high waisted skirts - they're much more versatile. You can wear them & get that look in a slightly more up to date way, and then alter the skirts later when styles change (or just wear them differently.).
posted by insectosaurus at 7:47 PM on July 14, 2012

I lived in Chicago until about a month ago and I think you'll be fine. If you're not running with a high-fashion crowd, that dress looks sleek and professional and no one will bat an eye for quite awhile.
posted by stoneandstar at 7:56 PM on July 14, 2012

I live in Chicago. I wouldn't even identify that dress as a trendy "combo dress" (I think of those as the really color-blocky, seventies-looking dresses). I have a very similar dress (with a grey skirt and solid-colored top part) that I intend to keep wearing for the foreseeable future, and I'm a well-dressed person.

P.S.: peplums are hideous and look bad on everyone. You are not alone.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 8:11 PM on July 14, 2012