Trending — Lace It Up

The Reformation Caroline Dress ($98)

Sometimes I wish corsets came back in style and then I realize that I really don't want to wear an instrument of personal torture everyday. Underwire bras are annoying enough, thank you. Truth be told, I really just like the look of corseting; not even the look they give the women who wear them, but just how they appear in the world. They may be painful and the reason why fainting was an actual thing women did when they saw a total babe walk by, but they are pretty cool to look at. And the whole idea of lacing a corset up everyday basically means that you were a big enough deal to have someone who's job was to put that corset on you. #TheDream

So if you find yourself yearning for the coolness of the corset but would like to skip out on the whole rib-damaging, literally deforming your body to fit misogynistic beauty standards sort of thing, I have just the thing for you! The lace-up dress (or top)!

I was introduced to the coolness that is The Reformation while interning at WhoWhatWear this past summer, and one of their most popular styles is the Caroline Dress, a chic mini with lace-up detail and grommeting that reminds me of a corset but without the pain of wearing one! Clearly the WWW editors are big fans and so am I! The lace-up detail is a nice touch to what would otherwise be a simple LBD, and it has a sort of sexy pirate lady appeal to it (which, you know, you should always aspire to channel a sexy pirate lady). 

You can leave the lacing undone for a particularly sultry look, or you can be a bit more prim and proper with a fully-laced neckline. There's room for variation and interpretation with this style neckline, which is always nice.

SHOP Lace-Up Dresses and Tops:

What do you think of lace-up necklines?