The one-shoulder look has gone from toga to trend in mere months.
Asymmetrical styles were all over the runways during the spring previews and then Michelle Obama, now the first lady of fashion, wore a one-shoulder gown by Jason Wu to the inaugural balls last month.
Cameron Diaz and Sandra Bullock were among those wearing the same silhouette to last month’s Golden Globes.
It’s a little bit edgy, a little bit avant garde but not outrageous, says designer Nicole Miller, and that gives it long legs as a trend.
“You know how the bubble skirt came out and we all thought it would be a one-season thing — and it wasn’t? I think that will happen with the one-shoulder too. I think people are starting to understand them,” she says.
Perfecting the look takes patience — and some trial and error — but once you find the right cut, it can be very flattering, Miller says.
Shoshanna Gruss’s spring collection has several versions and she has found herself wearing them to cocktail parties and restaurant dinners with friends. “I think of it as a strapless dress, I wouldn’t wear it to work or the playground.”
The appeal, however, Gruss says, is that it’s not strapless: It seems more “daring and interesting,” yet you’re actually more covered up. Plus, wearing a one-shouldered top doesn’t doom you to a day of battle keeping your top up.
“You do have a little more support so you can wear it with a little more confidence,” she adds.
Her advice is to pay attention to fit, particularly how the garment is cut under the arm.
