The Rules: Ruffles

Sun Herald

Sunday August 24, 2008

By Lara Zamiatin

Fun and flirty, ruffles are perfect for dressing up this spring. If your garment has no frills, flounce or float, it just isn't moving with the times.

Dresses that dance

The beauty of ruffles is their ability to create movement in clothes. It's why Spanish flamenco dancers strike their haughty poses in floor-length, cascading frills and why flappers appeared to be walking on air when the tiers of their 1920s dresses swayed. Forever associated with dancing queens, ruffles are tricky to master for everyday wear - the secret is to tweak the look to your shape.

Flatter the figure

Like much voluminous clobber, ruffles create the illusion of curves but can also add undesirable volume to areas many would rather conceal. A godsend for petite women, ruffles around the collar and chest enhance the bust, while frilly skirts give the appearance of hips. For fuller figures, ruffles are best kept to the hemline. Ruffled sleeves draw attention away from less-than-toned upper arms.

Daytime ruffles

Fashion designers seem to be collectively bored with minimalism. All the chiffon and loud-print ruffled frocks around make fabulous luncheon attire. Reminiscent of delicate 1930s tea dresses is Ladakh's floral patchwork shift with a wide ruffled collar for $80. Shakuhachi's shift also has an oversized ruffled collar, while This Is Genevieve's Count Dracula dress ($195) comes with a plunging V-neck, offset with just enough ruffles to make it suitable for daywear. Team frilled frocks with a wide belt if you must but, really, the point of ruffled gowns is their free-flowing form.

Juxtaposing pretty clothes with tough footwear is a fashion mantra. However, this rule doesn't work with ruffles. Heavy, clunky shoes with soft, floaty frills look just that: clunky. If your flouncy frock borders on the sweet side, up the sexy quotient with sleek sling-back kitten heels. Otherwise go for flatties with a funky twist, such as bejewelled flip-flops or metallic trainers. Converse's new sneakers come in shimmering silver and violet for $100.

After-five frills

Ruffled maxi dresses in vivid shades recall the 1970s disco craze. The new crop of ruffled eveningwear sits below the knees or mid-calf. Numerous brands have produced 1920s-style tiered shifts, including Nookie with its Love Potion shift ($220) and French Connection, with its Ruffle Me Up dress ($199). Events' violet ruffle-sleeved wrap dress ($189) harks back to the disco era. If you are planning a night of dancing, Sylvester's silver dress with multi-layered ruffles on the sleeves and hips ($248) is sensational.

When playing up ruffled frocks for night, one rule applies: no drab footwear. Anything goes, from metallic stilettos to strappy sandals and coloured peep-toes. Or, opt for ladylike boots. Get over-the-knee boots wrong and it screams cheap, so forget hard-core PVC styles. Tasteful super-high boots are hard to come by but if you're feeling flush, try Kit Willow's fab mid-thigh lace-up boots for $1500.

Ruffled separates

A word on co-ordinating frilly separates. Standard rules on volume apply: voluminous tops require streamlined bottoms. Don't do as the late Princess Diana did in the early 1980s and wear ruffled shirts with full skirts. The look is frumpy, even on fashion royalty. Instead, go for cigarette-cut trousers or

A-line and pencil skirts. The best tops include Citi's dove-grey sleeveless top with a super-sized ruffled collar ($137) and Morrissey's ruffled silk tank top. Ruffled skirts can't help but cause their wearers to walk with a flounce. Team a flippy skirt with a racer-back singlet or long-sleeved T-shirt.

Must-haves

A fantastic multi-tiered ruffled frock that puts a spring in your step. Fun, flirty footwear.

Must avoid

Ruffles, whether they come in stiff cottons or slinky silks, must be ironed. Saggy frills, put bluntly, look plain sad.

© 2008 Sun Herald

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