The 17 Best Dresses For Curvy Women With Perfect Taste
Image from Anthropologie
by The Candidly Team
Here’s something we really love:
Throwing on clothes without really thinking too much about it and instantly feeling gorgeous, comfortable, and in possession of an overwhelming amount of confidence.
And for us, almost nothing does that better than a simple, comfortable, perfectly flattering dress.
A dress does not have to be dressy. A dress does not have to mean your day consists of anything fancier than picking up dog poop in your backyard and running into the post office to return your 4th bathing suit you ordered online that you hate.
A dress can be casual, effortless, and feel almost like you’re wearing loungewear while looking like the very best version of yourself such that if you ran into your self-important ex, you would be wearing exactly the right outfit to remind him of why you are infinitely too good for him.
Here are 18 of those dresses. Some of them are more expensive than the products we usually recommend, but your perfect dress—the one you can throw any all the time, feel amazing in, and get on with your day—will last you your whole life.
Also, please don’t scream at us in the Facebook comments about how all models below are not all curvy. We do not control every brand. Many brands don’t showcase a variety of bodies and that’s just dumb, because it’s obviously helpful to see a range of people wearing the same clothes, to gauge how it will fit on us. But when we find cute, size inclusive, wildly flattering things, we are going to tell you about them. It’s our duty.
1. Maeve The Cecily Fit & Flare Sweetheart Dress
This dress is made from the most sculpting, stretchy material that makes you feel entirely held in, while creating the prettiest silhouette. We love it in every summery print it comes in, but black is that chic staple we’re always looking for.
Price: $170
2. Hill House The Ellie Nap Dress
Possibly the most-hyped dress on the internet. And why shouldn’t it be? It’s gorgeous, it’s comfortable, it looks stunning on everyone, and for a few of us, the smocking means you don’t even have to wear a bra with it.
They sell out at the drop of a hat so if you see your size, grab it. Oh, and order one full size down. Trust.
Stunning with #10 on THIS list.
Price: $150
3. Marcella Clara Dress
This the dress version of THESE JEANS. Every person we’ve seen wearing it looks stunning. You can hear our enormous list of reasons we love it (and see try-on photos on a non-model human) HERE.
Price: $108
4. Everlane The Ribbed Tank Dress
The true beauty of this midi dress is that it has a sliiiiightly more relaxed fit, so while it’s elongating and creates excellent lines, we don’t feel restricted and self-conscious. Plus, we found a couple of ways we love to style it (for those of us who don’t love wearing fitted things around our waist). Behold!
Price: $78
5. By Anthropologie The Maya Ruched Cowl-Neck Dress
Ruching can be the most flattering and comfortable way to showcase our curves without feeling sucked in and squeezed in awful ways. They’re smoothing without creating annoying bulges. This dress has a thick, stretchy “hold” that feels elongating and chic and STILL supremely cozy.
Price: $160
6. By Anthropologie The Silverlake Flutter-Sleeve Dress
This dress is clearly designed by someone who knows curves: the ideal neckline, the correct size bust, the wide elastic band, and finally, the flounciest of skirts. But what takes it to a whole new level is the back. Throw this dress on with your strappiest flat sandals and you’re ready for any occasion, from a pool party to a wedding.
Price: $170
7. Reformation Juliette Dress
Reformation is known for it’s wildly flattering, smartly tailored, and ultra-feminine dresses, but many don’t know that they also have a gorgeous line of extended size dresses that we pretty much turn to for every occasion we’re invited to. This one could be our favorite.
Price: $248
8. Timathous Strapless Maxi Dress
Sometimes, the most flattering dress possible for a curvy gal is the one without sleeves or straps.
Strapless dresses (especially with smocking) allow your bosom to be the star and your collarbones to be the wind beneath your wings.
Aka, if you’re big busted, get. this. dress. It will change you. And it has about 8 million color and pattern options.
Price: $33
9. Universal Standard Tulip Hem Linen Wrap Dress
Quite possibly, the easiest dress to wear to any daytime or warm evening occasion. Throw it on with a cozy pair of sandals, and poof, you’re chic! A wrap dress just looks great on every shape human, but especially on those with curves. And the size range of this brand is incredible.
Price: $148
10. By Anthropologie Slim Strapless Ruched Dress
A slim, fitted dress can be so alluringly chic, but so many of them feel daunting and unflattering on our actual bodies. This dress achieves exactly the opposite. The stretchy, shaping fabric is like smooth, breathable magic. And then there’s the brilliance of the ruching, which keeps us from feeling an ounce exposed or self-conscious. We love it in blue ice and mango mojito, but it’s nothing less than perfect in black…with your favorite, pain-free heels, naturally.
Price: $148
11. Boden Gathered V-neck Maxi Dress
If you want a very summery, lightweight dress that makes you feel like a million bucks, you found it. The dipping neckline, paired with the skinny tie waist create a beautiful silhouette. And yet, you feel like you’re in PJs. Beyond flattering. With THIS straw hat? Gorg.
Price: $130
12. J. Crew Smocked puff-sleeve midi dress
Once again, we turn to smocking for all its comfy and complementary powers. This time in a dress that thankfully has sleeves but is light as air, so we’re not left a sticky, sweaty mess the minute temperatures rise.
Price: $65-$85
13. Reistor wrap maxi dress
Another easy wrap-style, but this one has the length and movement to make us want to wear it to every brunch, picnic, wedding, or garden party we’re invited to….or throwing, just so we have an excuse to wear it.
Price: $165
14. Summersalt The Silky Luxe Smocked Maxi Dress
A smocked maxi dress may just be the easiest thing you’ll ever throw on. This one fits smoothly around the the waist to reveal your curves, but then cascades into a floaty skirt that’s breezily comfortable to wear all day.
Price: $135
15. Skims Soft Lounge Long Slip Dress
Special note for every woman who is extra shapely in the bosom and derrière—this dress is MADE for you.
Please address yourself to the straight neckline and the thin straps. These are the two components which most flatter a curvy body. Now, you’re no doubt asking yourself, is a bra strap going to interrupt this this flow? No. Here’s why:
A. You’re home and you don’t need to wear one.
B. The fabric of this dress is almost like a soft bra itself and will keep you slightly hoisted but in a comfortable way.
C. If you must wear a bra make it a strapless and you’re golden.
Toss on a jean jacket and nude flips and you can even leave the house. You know, if you ever want to.
Price: $78
16. Everlane Daytripper Shirtdress
Shirt dresses can be so hard because they’re too short or too long or too wide and you end up looking like a pile of wrinkled laundry.
But this one. Oh, this one is perfect. It’s timeless. It’s impossibly chic. And we bought it in 2 colors. Oops.
Wear it with THESE ESPADRILLES for your Midnight In Paris moment.
Price: $98
17. Everlane The Smock Dress
The smocking, paired with the light and tiered maxi skirt, make this dress hard not to wear on repeat every single day. It looks as good as it feels, and it feels like loungewear.
Price: $98
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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