What Is a Halter Dress?

Although it’s still early for summer, you can learn a little about the latest popular dresses from now! When discussing the dress styles that have been very popular in recent years, halter dresses must be on the list. If you have observed the outfits of ladies around you last summer, you would have found that many of the once popular slip dresses were suddenly replaced by halter dresses.

If you don't pay much attention to fashion trends, you may not be very familiar with this kind of dress. So what is a halter dress? What is the difference between it and a slip dress? How to wear it and what to wear with it? To know more about the halter dresses, just keep reading, and all you would like to know about it will be provided for you!

The Differences between a Halter Dress and a Slip Dress

If we were to explain directly what a halter dress is, it might be a bit hard and difficult to understand. So we can find a reference for comparison. Yes, the reference used here is exactly a slip dress. So what are the differences between a halter dress and a slip dress?

You are sure to be very familiar with slip dresses. In fact, there are not many differences between a halter dress and a slip dress in the skirt part below. The main difference lies in the upper body. We all know that a slip dress has two straps hanging on the shoulders. However, the straps of a halter dress are not hung on the shoulders, but on the neck. Many ladies have a problem when wearing slip dress, that is, the shoulder straps keep sliding down. This is especially noticeable for women with sloping shoulders. A halter dress solves this problem. No matter how you move, the straps stay securely around your neck.

Due to the different positions of the shoulder straps, a halter dress exposes a slightly larger shoulder area than a slip dress. Therefore, wearing a halter dress can more completely show the beautiful shoulder curve. On the other hand, a slip dress will completely expose the neck. Therefore, a slip dress is more suitable for showing the neck curve.

Also due to the different positions of the shoulder straps, there are certain differences in the neckline shapes of slip dresses and halter dresses. The neckline shapes of slip dresses are more diverse. Whether it is a V-neck, square neck or round neck, they are all very common. The neckline of the halter dress is mostly off-shoulder or slanted neckline design. Although the neckline shape of a halter dress is not as diverse as that of a sip dress, the halter design can visually lengthen the neck line and modify the face shape.

In terms of the combination with other garments, slip dresses might be more versatile than halter dresses in most cases. Because the halter neck design is largely a highlight that should not be covered, it may not be particularly suitable when paired with an coat.

Who Is Suitable for Wearing a Halter Dress?

First of all, halter dresses are especially friendly to ladies with sloping shoulders. As mentioned in the previous section, when ladies with sloping shoulders wear halter dresses, it is normal for the shoulder straps to keep sliding down. This will definitely bring a lot of inconvenience to ladies. The risk of over exposure is greatly increased. Or, even if you notice this, it doesn't look elegant to keep adjusting the shoulder straps on more solemn or formal occasions. On the contrary, a halter dress will relieve women with sloping shoulders from this worry.

For women with shorter necks, a halter dress can also be very effective in modifying their figure flaws. The design of the halter dress can visually modify the position of the trapezius muscle, lengthen the neck line, and make the whole person look more elegant and straight.

For ladies with an inverted triangle figure shape, a halter dress is also a good choice to modify the figure. Halter neck design can shift the focus of others more to the neck. Therefore, although women's shoulders will be exposed when wearing halter neck dresses, they are surprisingly not very noticeable, which is very beneficial for women with inverted triangle figure shapes. If choose a halter dress with a more fluffy skirt, the proportions of women with an inverted triangle figure shape will be balanced to a greater extent.

For ladies with rectangle figure shapes, a halter dress can add several highlights to their figures which lack curves. If women with rectangular figures can choose a halter dress with a waist-hugging design, or use a belt to emphasize the waist curve, the overall look will be more charming.

Halter dresses are more suitable for tall ladies with slender limbs than for petite ladies. Halter dresses usually expose more skin. For ladies with slender limbs, so they can show their figure advantages by wearing a halter dress. Tall people wearing a halter dress can better show the overall beauty and lines of the clothing. Whether it is a long or short halter dress, it can show their elegant temperament.

What Accessories Go Well with a Halter Dress?

Generally speaking, halter dresses are suitable for creating an elegant temperament. Therefore, when choosing accessories, you also need to match the characteristics of the dress as much as possible.

First of all, since the halter dress has its own design highlights at the neck, the necklace will seem redundant. Therefore, when choosing jewelry, give priority to earrings and bracelets. Long earrings can modify the face shape to a great extent and add elegance to your look. As for bracelets, you can choose thin and delicate metal or chain bracelets according to your preference.

Leather shoes, sandals and high heels can all go well with halter dresses. Therefore, the shoes you choose depend largely on the occasion you are going to attend. For more grand or formal occasions, a pair of high heels is undoubtedly the best choice. While on casual occasions, especially when going on vacation to the beach, sandals will become a more suitable option. As for semi-formal occasions such as office, a pair of flat leather shoes can help create a decent and elegant outfit for you.

An exquisite clutch is a great choice to pair with a halter dress for formal occasions. It can enhance the overall gorgeousness of the look and complement the elegance of the halter dress. A small chain bag can also add a sense of fashion to the look, show your fashion taste.

As mentioned above, women with rectangular bodies can wear a belt, and women with other figure shapes can also wear one if you want to emphasize your waistline. A thin belt is more delicate and can show an elegant temperament; a wide belt is more unique and fashionable, and can add highlights to the overall outfit.

A shawl is a very useful fashion item to pair with a halter dress when the weather is cold. Because the highlight of a halter dress is on the neck, a normal coat will cover this highlight. If you choose a shawl, you don't have to worry about this. It can keep you warm and add a sense of elegance and luxury to the overall look.

How to Wear a Halter Dress in Cold Weather?

Indeed, a coat will cover up the design highlight of a halter dress, but when the weather is cold, we can't go out without a coat. Therefore, many ladies are hesitant. Can a halter dress be worn in cold weather? If so, how to wear it?

Above all, the answer is absolutely “yes”. To keep warm as well as styling a halter dress in cold weather, the first thing you can do is to choose a halter dress made of a denser fabric, such as leather or wool. And remember to choose a halter dress with lining, which provides extra warmth without adding too much bulk. It’s true that halter dresses in chiffon and silk look more elegant and flowy, but they are more summer-appropriate options.

On the other hand, remember to choose a longer halter dress. This is partly because long dresses are definitely warmer than short dresses themselves, and partly because it is easier to wear pants underneath if you wear a long dress, thus gaining extra warmth. But if you really like short halter dresses, there are still ways. You can wear a pair of flesh-colored leggings, which will look better than a black one.

Another way is to use a shawl instead of a coat, as mentioned in the previous section. In addition to shawls, you can also stay warm by wearing other accessories such as hats. For example, a beret is exactly a good choice for cold weather. As for footwear, long boots are great for protecting your legs from the cold weather and are also very stylish when paired with a halter dress.