E is for Empire!

And no, we don't mean in a "Strikes Back" kind of way.
We mean...

em·pire waist  \ˈem-ˌpī(-ə)r\  \ˈwāst\     a style in women's clothing in which the dress has a fitted bodice ending just below the bust, giving a high-waisted appearance, and a gathered skirt which is long and loosely fitting but skims the body rather than being supported by voluminous petticoats.

[definition from wikipedia]

Okay folks, I am particularly excited about this post, because the empire silhouette has been my favourite style to wear for as long as I can remember, starting way back when I was a wee one.  My first fancy dress I ever wore had an empire waist!  It was white and frilly, and my mum did my hair in a fussy updo (I was six; I whined profusely) to complete the look.  And my grad dress?  Empire waist. It's definitely been my go-to dress shape over the years. 

The empire waist dates way back before I was six, though.  I definitely wasn't born in the 1800s. 

Evening gown, 1811
photo credit: wikipedia

The lady above looks like she's got some pretty cool (if not current) dance moves.

So this dress style does date back in the 1800s, but the term "Empire silhouette" didn't come about til the early 20th century in Britain. The "Empire" in question is the First French Empire.  Napoleon's first Empress-lady-friend, Josephine de Beauharnais, made the Empire silhouette in dresses a raging success.
[source: wikipedia]

Historically speaking, there are countless portraits of elegant women sporting this shape:

Portrait of Félicité-Louise-Julie-Constance de Durfort, Maréchale de Beurnonville (1782-1808) by Merry-Joseph Blondel (1781-1853)
photo credit: Wikipedia

This lady (Felicite-Louise-Julice-Constance de Durfort.. hoo boy! That's a mouthful!) totally knows what I mean about the tedious updo thing, by the way.  I wonder if she had a professional hairstylist, or if she was styled by her mum, too.

There are a million ways to wear an empire waist.  This style of dress is for sure one that stands the test of time. 

Here's what we have in-store right now: 

Photo credit: Hailey G

This little number is pretty funky and definitely a unique twist on the empire waist! It's not all that often that you see an empire waist AND a Peter Pan collar in the same dress, which is what makes this one so special!  As you can see, this dress has its waistline just under the bust, and the skirt skims the body loosely (not to mention it's a great skirt to twirl in!).  

  

Photo credit: My little sister

This is my grad dress, from many years ago (okay, not all that many, but it sure feels like a lot).  Like I said, I'm an ardent supporter of the empire waist!  Always have been, always will be.  The woven detail at the bust was my other favourite aspect of this dress.  Plus it was super on sale (score!). 

So, there you have it!  I hope this post has been entertaining and educational, and I hope there are some fellow empire-waist-lovers like me out there. Either way, I'm gonna keep waving the empire-waist-flag til I can't wave it no more (not literally)!

Stay tuned for our "F" post in our Fashion A to Z's!

xo,

Jessica Cuddy
(Out of the Blue's resident Blogger)