Crosses one front panel over the other and ties, making the waist adjustable.
Also called: wrap dress, faux wrap, surplice
The basics
What to know about wrap
A wrap builds the dress from two front panels that cross and secure with a tie or inner button. That produces a V-neckline and a waist that closes to your measurement instead of a fixed one. A faux wrap, common in knits, sews the crossover shut and keeps the look while giving up the adjustability.
Adjustability is the main reason to choose it. The tie takes in or lets out an inch or two on demand. That means a wrap survives size fluctuation, pregnancy and long dinners better than any fixed-waist dress. The diagonal wrap line flatters by drawing the eye inward and down. The 1970s jersey version fixed the formula: a knit with enough weight to drape, a mid-thigh to knee length, and a V deep enough to frame without exposing.
Security is the main drawback. A true wrap can gape at the bust when you lean forward and open at the skirt in wind or when you sit. Check three things before buying: whether an inner tie or snap anchors the under-layer, and how deep the V falls when you bend. Also check where the skirt overlap ends when seated. A generous overlap separates a wearable wrap from a nervous one; seated, the panels should still share at least a hand's width of fabric.
Best for
When it works well
Measurements that change through the month or year meet their match, because the tie re-fits the dress each wearing.
Bust definition without boning is the draw, since the crossover shapes with fabric alone.
Office-to-dinner days work well, as the V and the tied waist read right in both rooms.
Between-size buyers benefit most, because the closure absorbs the difference a fixed waist cannot.
