Frill Off Shoulder Knit Maxi Mermaid Dress

A mermaid silhouette is a commitment and this dress knows it. The shape holds close through the body and then releases toward the floor, which is what gives the walk its drama and the whole dress its reason for existing. Adding an off shoulder neckline with a frill on top is not subtle, and it is not meant to be. This is a dress for the occasion you have been told about weeks in advance.

Lavender is a soft choice for a shape this bold, and the contrast is exactly what makes it work. The fabric is 100% polyester in a knit, and it is slightly stretchy, which is what allows a fitted silhouette to stay wearable across an evening. The body is not lined, so give a thought to what goes underneath, and an off shoulder neckline generally means strapless support. Sizes run XS through XL with lengths from 52.8 to 54.3 inches and hips from 32.3 to 40.2 inches. Because the fit is close, work from the measurements in the table below rather than your usual size.

This dress does not want much from you. A pair of heels under the hem, drop earrings, and a clutch small enough to be a punctuation mark. Leave your neck bare and let the frill hold the top of the outfit on its own, because a necklace here would only fight it. Hair up shows off the shoulders that the neckline went to the trouble of exposing. If the evening turns cool, a soft wrap over the arms is the only layer that will not interrupt the line. Everything else, the dress handles itself.

Why you will love it

• Mermaid silhouette that holds close then releases toward the hem
• Off shoulder neckline with frill detail
• Maxi length running from 52.8 to 54.3 inches depending on size
• Material composition: 100% polyester
• Slightly stretchy and the body is not lined
• Offered in lavender in sizes XS through XL

Care

• Machine wash cold
• Tumble dry low