The A-Line

I am a devout practitioner of the A-line.  This slightly swingy, thigh-flaw-hiding style of dress and skirt is my friend.  It makes me feel good even when I ate the pasta and skipped running for two weeks.  It is a darn, cryin' shame that the style seems to go in and out of fashion so quickly in recent decades, having been a standard throughout the 1940's and 50's.  I would've thought that the style would enjoy a more "standard" or "foundational" role in women's wardrobes like the chemise, or Capri pants, or even the little black dress.  But, alas, the A-line comes and goes without predictability like a travelling salesman.

While I admit that the style works better in certain fabrics, I think it is perennially underutilized in patterned dresses and skirts.  I think the style stands up well to block patterns and florals, as well as solids and textured fabrics. The fabric, of course, needs to have a bit of rigidity to hold the "A" out a bit, otherwise it would be a poorly cut swing style, so weightier woven fabrics and slightly stiff crepes work nicely.  I'd like to see the A-line come into it's own as, not just a style, but a movement.  Gently feminine but bold and strong, it seems to me that the A-line fits well with the modern woman and her mission to be a provider, a leader, and a team player.

Whenever it is "in" I buy 3 dresses and 4 skirts in the A-line style and wear them constantly; touting this style's forgiving nature and directing people to stores in hopes that I can single-handedly make the style stick.  The last time, I was foiled by the emergence of the skinny pant, before that it was work-out chic, and before that, the pant suit.  I see the pattern now, however, that we move away from the "A" whenever styles go more body-hugging.  Next time, I'll be ready.