When choosing a dress for a special occasion, you need balance: you want something that’s simple enough to be easily wearable while also being unique enough to draw some admiring attention your way. A bow back dress has the best of both worlds. They have a simple shape in the front with a bow detail in the back that adds a burst of personality. Check out these 6 lovely eye-catching bow back dresses below, and click the links to see them for yourselves.
Sleeveless Coffee-Colored Bow Back Dress
This gorgeous bow back dress comes in a coffee-colored tone, hand-made with Italian silk fabric. The dress is sleeveless and opens in the back to a stylish, medium-sized bow. The skirt of this dress is loose, so it has a slight pleating effect that is flattering. It’s fitted at the waist, and has medium-width shoulder straps and a plain rounded neckline. From the front, it looks like your average semi-formal party dress, but the bow detail and subtle pleating on the back gives this dress a lot of life.
The coffee color of this dress would be especially flattering on olive and brown skin tones. It would look wonderful with gold accessories or even pearls. This dress would be perfect for wearing to a wedding or another formal party.
Black Long-Sleeved Bow Back Dress
Sometimes you need to add something interesting to your cold-weather wardrobe, and this bow back dress is perfect for that. It’s long-sleeved and has a high round neckline in front with a slight v-neck in the back, so it shows just a bit of skin while keeping you mostly covered up.
The dress could be easily layered, and the length is perfect for wearing with tights and boots for those colder winter or spring days. It could also be worn on warmer days — just skip the tights and boots and pair it with a cute pair of matching flats or booties instead. Try wearing it with a pair of long earrings, and skipping any other accessories, since your arms and neck will be mostly covered. Since this dress doesn’t tightly hug the body at all, it’s easy to wear for all body types and is forgiving of any flaws.
Flutter-sleeved Bow Back Dress
With this dress, you can participate in the bow back trend while wearing something that’s still simple, modest and wearable. The dress has a round neckline that comes just below the collarbones, and the back of the dress is just open enough to display the bow without showing a lot of skin. The most unique part of this dress is the sleeve — the flutter sleeves add some texture and movement to this otherwise simple dress. It’s a medium length, so it’s versatile enough for a variety of occasions — it would be great for a party or date.
Because this dress is relatively simple, you can jazz it up with fun accessories. Try wearing the navy blue bow back dress with solid gold accessories — think dangling earrings and bracelets to bring attention to the flutter sleeves.
A-line Bow Back Dress
There’s nothing like a classic A-line silhouette. This dress combines that classic look with a trendy bow back. The front is modest, while the back has a generous low-cut shape with a compact bow. The dress comes in black, champagne, maroon and pink. It’s fully lined.
This dress is perfect for special occasions in the spring or summer, such as a prom, wedding, or upscale date. The dress is structured while not being too form-fitting, so it could be flattering on a variety of body types. Since the back is low-cut, you may have to go braless or wear a backless bra with this bow back dress.
Try wearing this dress with patterned pumps or eye-catching jewelry. The right accessories will complement the plain color of the dress, while not taking away attention from the bow in the back. Choose the color based on the occasion you’ll be wearing the dress to.
Polka Dot Retro Bow Back Dress
Be the life of the party in this fun polka-dot bow back dress. It comes in a lovely blue and white polka dot color if you want to lean into the retro 50’s look. To get the same retro silhouette in a more understated color, buy it in all-black. The dress comes with a matching belt to accentuate your waist, and it flares out to knee-length. The dress is made of 100% cotton and is fully lined for durability.
This dress is a throwback to pin-up-style dresses, when curvy bodies were all the rage. As such, it’s most suitable for curvy and/or tall women who can fill the dress out. With the belt and bow detail, it’s very flattering on the right body type. Since this dress has such a busy and attention-grabbing look, you’ll want to wear it with very simple accessories. It would look great with minimal, plain-colored jewelry and plain pumps.
Linen Boho Bow Back Dress
This sleeveless bow back dress features a printed linen front and a dramatic large navy blue bow in the back. The contrast is quirky and adds a fun element of surprise to your outfit, while still being conservative enough to wear to a casual office environment. This would also be a great dress to wear during the day or for a date. The linen fabric and open back will keep you cool. The bow is made of 100% cotton. Since this dress is handmade, it can be custom-made to your measurements.
Pair this dress with gray flats and a messy bun. Keep your accessories neutral, so that the bright bow on the back has a chance to shine! At $145, this is a high-quality dress that you’ll be able to keep for a long time.
These 6 bow back dresses offer a variety of colors, styles and fabrics, so you can wear a bow back dress for almost any occasion. Maybe you need one for a special occasion, or maybe you just want to look special in your everyday life. What type of bow back dress is your favorite? What accessories would you wear it with? Let us know in the comments!
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