Is the Two-Piece Still a Thing?

When two-piece dresses began appearing on the prom runaway several years ago, we knew it would take a year or two before our Kansas girls would be willing to follow the trend.
But now the two-piece dress has become a fixture for prom, and it doesn't appear the trend is going to fade away anytime soon. Even though it's only fall, girls already are talking about the kinds of two-piece dresses they will be hunting for Prom 2019.
Because Kansas can be rather conservative, we knew the two-piece dresses would first have to pass the Dad test, or maybe the Grandma test, and for the most part they do. Most are not too revealing and some are actually downright modest when compared to the plunging necklines some of the single-piece dresses are adopting.
Let's look at some of the variations you can expect to see in the two-piece lineup for Spring 2019:

Tops

Of course, a two-piece dress is going to have two components – top and skirt. The ideal for retailer and customer is the option to mix and match tops and skirts, but that's a bit of a nightmare for manufacturers to outguess customers and keep the right inventory, so in most cases you'll need to be content with top and skirt that come together.
Tops will vary by color and the amount of bedazzling, but you'll find just a few basic styles:
• Halter: With a strap around your neck and a strap across mid-back, a halter will give you plenty of back exposure, if that's the look you desire.

• Choker: This style normally features a triangle shape coming up from the bodice, either in front or front and back both, with a bejeweled choker wrapping around the neck, leaving the shoulders exposed. This style appears to be very popular for 2019.
• Strapless: These normally feature a heavy bodice with strong boning to hold the top up. As with most strapless dresses, these are not too common right now.

• Illusion Straps: These mesh straps, with or without beading, provide stability and allow the corset to be less ridged, so they continue to be popular.

• Off the Shoulder: These continue to be a popular style as they give some of the security of straps but leave the shoulders exposed.
You'll find many tops that overlap these various styles, but these cover the basics.

Skirts

Two-piece skirts tend to follow the mold of the one-piece dresses. One thing to remember about a two-piece skirt is that they are designed to be worn at the narrowest point on your waist, so expect them to ride higher than, say, your blue jeans.
Here are the basic looks you can expect to find:

• A-line: Typically, this style will be made of chiffon and is designed to flow over your hips and down. It's probably the most common style for two-piece dresses, but as such, designers are trying to stretch beyond this style.

• Ball Gown: These fuller skirts flare out wider than the A-line and feature layers to tulle to make them as big as you'd like. The fabric normally is a chiffon or organza outer layer, but taffeta also has made a big statement the past couple of years. Taffeta is popular because they stiffness also allows the designers to include pockets. The chiffon ball gowns seem to be making a bigger statement for 2019.

• Mermaid: The mermaid style features a taffeta or jersey fabric that stretches over the hips and then drapes to the floor. Some of these skirts have a higher waist that can add modesty.

• Fit and Flare: Like the mermaid, this skirt will curve rather tightly across the hips but then flare at the bottom with a layer or two of tulle. One note of caution about the mermaid and fit and flare: You may think you want your skirt to be hugging tight across the hips, but you also want to consider that you will need to sit down at some point.
Whatever you dream about in a two-piece dress for your prom, we'd love to help you find the perfect dress.