Romantic ruffle dresses – spring trend report

Layered ruffles are one of the hottest motifs this spring season. With nostalgia, designers go back to the end of the 20th century – the golden age of fashion – and create forms and shapes that underline women’s delicate and sensual nature. Romantic chiffon dresses decorated with flowing ruffles – that’s how Alexander McQueen, Isabel Marant and the Zimmermann sisters see women this spring.

‘90s floral dresses

The ‘90s are back! Remember the time when we wore flowing dresses with heavy combat boots and chokers? Designers – for example Sarah Burton – invoke the spirit of the last decade of the 20th century and combine romantic floral ruffle dresses with heavy boots.

Burton presents a dress made of flowing white fabric decorated with blossoming flowers in red and blue. Ruffles running the whole length of the dress enhance the natural flow of the fabric.

The next of Burton’s creations is a short black leather dress – the rock character is offset with a colorful floral print, a black embroidery and a jaunty ruffle.

‘80s disco ruffles

Isabel Marant also takes us on a journey through time, but to a decade earlier. This season, the nonchalant tomboy who loves boho suggests coming back to the style of the ‘80s. A silvery shimmering mini dress trimmed with a stiff ruffle is a reference to crazy disco nights. Gucci joins the bandwagon with a cobalt blue silk dress with a stiff ruffle, which accentuates the figure.

Layered baby doll ruffles

Chloe has incorporated ruffles in an interesting way – to make baby doll dresses in candy pink and lemon yellow lighter and even more girly.

Short dresses with lace and embroidered ruffles were also presented by Burberry and the Zimmermann sisters. Innocent and sweet dresses reveal the legs, but layers of ruffles at the top make the silhouette seem modest and conservatively covered.

Sheer fabrics and lace ruffles

Donatella Versace included romantic lace ruffles in one of her spring designs – a mid-thigh silk dress trimmed with a lace ruffle in blue.

But designers have also found a practical use for ruffles on the runway. In her sensual collection for Dior, Maria Grazia Chiuri used flowing and delicate layers of ruffles to minimize the see-through effect of the fabric. Tulle ruffles add volume and dimension to a look as well.

The Zimmermann sisters play a game of hide and seek with lace – in their collection, flowing and strategically placed ruffles have the leading role. A delicate navy dress made entirely of lace stimulates imagination and the senses, while small ruffles balance revealed areas, adding style and refinement to the figure. Tiered ruffles have also been used in collections halfway between pret-a-porter and haute couture from Valentino and Gucci.