The long-sleeved mini

When you want to make a splash for a night out on the town, a mini dress is a sure pick from your wardrobe to get noticed on the dance floor. But mini dresses can often come across as too risqué or revealing. How can you show off your spectacular legs while not exposing too much? The key is balance. When your skirt hem is high, make sure your collar line is close to your neck, and let your sleeves be long. This not only gives a more conservative look but it also lets all the attention be drawn to your legs! Designers have been creating a few stunning embellished long-sleeve mini dress pieces this season. Italian designer Roberto Cavalli stayed true to his style by creating a tiger print jersey dress. The form-fitting piece has a high neckline and solid black sleeves. The roaring tiger on the front gives it an extra edge. The Italian brand Pucci, although traditionally known for vibrant geometric prints, has taken a style diversion and created a lavender lace dress. The form fitting tube dress has a long sleeve high crew-neck lace overlay with scalloped hems. The texture of the dress gives body to the otherwise simple solid colour. French fashion house Herve Leger, founded by Herve Peugnet, also took an approach away from his famous wrapped body con dress and created an embellished knit mini dress. The striking gold ornate pattern on the midnight-black dress creates an almost royal antiquity look. The studs sporadically lining the pattern give the piece an added texture and drama. Fashion house Alexander McQueen, led by Sarah Burton since McQueen’s death, took the mini and created a conservative statement piece. The all black wool dress features tailored sleek arms and a ruffled flounced hem. The crew neck collar features five matching lined jewels, similar to an antique broach. The sophistication of the dress makes it wearable for work cocktails or a date night. While celebrities have always celebrated the long-sleeve mini dress for runway and gala occasions, the recent trend is towards embellishments and non-traditional fabrics. Czechoslovakian model Karoina Kurkova wore a Balmain mini dress. The high neck collar on the gold striped black leather piece created a futuristic look. She paired with black suede ankle booties. Selena Gomez has come a long way since her role as a child star on Barney & Friends. At this year’s ESPY awards she wore a stunning scarlet red embellished Dolce & Gabbana dress. The scalloped hem added intricacy to the dress, while her wavy hair softened the look. Taylor Swift, who recently opened a music education center in Nashville, wore a blue beaded Zuhair Murad mini with cut outs on the top of the bodice. The key to this trend is to find a silhouette that best fits your body style. Also, make sure to stay away from dresses that reveal too much skin. From a more sophisticated look, tie your hair up like Karolina. For a more romantic look, leave your hair down like Selena. That’s the fashion scoop for this week. Got a thought? Trend? Style you hate? Send it my way. Rachel Breaux is an American living in Rwanda.