East Coast Shift

Cindy Cook

For some reason, it took a while to fully accept the shift dress on the East Coast. Fashion, over the past five years (give or take), has been all about cinching the waist and emphasizing those curves. But fashion is fickle, and hourglass-donning gals everywhere knew it would only be a matter of time before they kissed their waist-bearing belts g’bye (or, at least, until they hung them in the back of their closets for a while).

Enter the shift dress. This shapeless little 60s-inspired number offers a new kind of flatter — one that is more about long, lean legs instead of curves. And although this leggy frock is clearly a fashion do, it seemed to take a while to make its way into the hearts of Haligonians.

One shift-wearing cutie commented on her style while dining in downtown Halifax: “I wasn’t sure it would be flattering because it doesn’t emphasize my curves, but there’s something about the way the body moves under the loose-fitting dress that is actually very sexy. I guess I had to see it over and over again in various styles and fabrics before realizing that I love it.”