Ladies, breathe a sigh of relief. At last it’s fashionable to cover up. As the Duchess of Cambridge has proved time and again, more is now officially more when it comes to dressing for a night out.
Looking elegant and demure in her cream Roland Mouret dress recently, Kate mirrored the new mood of modesty which also dominated the red carpet at the Costume Institute Gala Met Ball in New York last week.
There, A-listers including Hilary Swank, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cameron Diaz and Cate Blanchett – ladies not usually averse to flashing a little bit of flesh – covered up in full-length, high-necked gowns.
Many didn’t even have their arms on show, let alone their cleavage.
So why the sudden shift from overtly sexy, dangerously low-cut cocktail minis to styles that wouldn’t look out of place on your grandmother?
Surprisingly, it was former queen WAG Victoria Beckham who paved the way for this new propriety.
Nowadays the woman who once thought a revealing Herve Leger bandage dress de rigueur for any occasion is rarely seen wearing anything more risque than a high-necked, knee-length pencil dress.
The rest of the fashion pack have followed suit.
Sober silhouettes and an almost Victorian sensibility have been seen everywhere from Valentino (who opted for floor-skimming ballgowns with high-necked bodices and sleeves to the wrist) to Elie Saab’s couture collection which was inspired by the decorous style of Grace Kelly.
We’ve seen prim, girly broderie anglaise for day at Louis Vuitton and pared-down, smart evening wear at Ralph Lauren, Jenny Packham and Roland Mouret.
But fear not, this new take on prim dressing isn’t without sexuality.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s carefully constructed bodice and thigh-high split added a frisson of excitement to an otherwise rather modest look.
Happily, these demure styles are more forgiving than their showier cousins. Evening gowns with sleeves and long hemlines are a godsend for those of us who are less than enamoured of our assets.
The bad news is that demure can look dowdy unless you follow certain essential rules, such as embracing modern fabrics with all-over beading or sequins.
Be sure to choose a bold contemporary colour for this classic silhouette; modernist white, red, or green will look striking.
And learn from Kate and pair your simple dress with carefully chosen accessories – a fabulous pair of shoes and a single statement piece of jewellery will work wonders. – Daily Mail