Grecian Dresses: Why The Goddess Style Endures

WSJ.com -Bad times are good for goddesses.

Designers say the economic downturn and resulting implosion of the luxury market has resurrected the Grecian dress, which in the last few decades has emerged as the go-to look at times of financial or social turmoil. Valerie Steele, director of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, notes that Grecian dresses were big in the 1970s, after the social revolution of the 1960s, as well as in the 1990s, after the excesses of the 1980s. "We've been in this time of excess and we're in a clean moment now," says Zac Posen, "The Grecian dress is part of that clean moment."

One could be forgiven for never realizing that Grecian dresses had gone out of style. The look has come back twice this decade, on the heels of two economic busts. In 2002, after the dot-com bubble and the terror attacks, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York selected goddesses as the theme for its annual Costume Institute gala for the following year. "In a difficult economy, how do you create something new that is flattering to women? You go to a classical style of dressing," Met curator Harold Koda said at the time.

Characterized by draped or pleated fabric, ruching and shoulders reminiscent of a toga, Grecian dresses appeared on runways and presentations of designers including Donna Karan and Monique Lhuillier during New York Fashion Week last month. "In times of great uncertainty it's natural to be inclined to invest in pieces that are not trendy and bound to be quickly out of fashion," says Carmen Marc Valvo, who showed a number of models wearing Grecian-style dresses at his New York Fashion Week presentation.


Toga-like togs were out in full force at September's Emmy Awards, worn by celebrities varying from Elisabeth Moss of "Mad Men" (Reem Acra) to Hayden Panettiere of "Heroes" (J. Mendel) to Tina Fey (Gucci). At one point, two stars from "Gossip Girl," Blake Lively and Leighton Meester, stood on stage side by side in Grecian-inspired dresses by Versace and Bottega Veneta, respectively, as they presented an award. Ms. Lively even sported a Grecian-style long, braided hairdo.

Another reason women flock to Grecian dresses time and again is that their drapes can accommodate a wide variety of body types and ages. Paula Garces, an actress who stars in the ABC show "Defying Gravity," wore a one-shoulder Carmen Marc Valvo Grecian-style dress for the first time at an award show last month. The actress, who says she is 5-foot-4 and 125 pounds "on a good day," sported "really high" Christian Dior platforms to help pull it off. "The dress had a train and had all these tiers to it. All those things, if you're not really tall, the dress can be really unflattering," she warns, adding that she also put her hair in a long ponytail to lengthen herself. And when it comes to accessories, Ms. Garces believes less is more. "With this kind of dress, everything else should be very simple," she says.

While a Grecian dress can be flattering for all types of women, it can venture into Greek tragedy if one isn't careful. Ms. Meester received mixed reviews; some critics thought the tied fabric at her shoulders overwhelmed her petite frame.

The Grecian dress has been around since, well, ancient Greece. Its earliest-believed true fashion moment was shortly before the French Revolution in the late 1780s, when it symbolized both political freedom and freedom from constricting corsets and hooped skirts. "Many French people identified the style with democracy in ancient Greece, which contrasted with monarchy in France," says Ms. Steele. The look ended with the French Revolution and remained dormant until the early part of the 20th century, when artists like dancer Isadora Duncan and writer Gertrude Stein adopted robe-like garments more as a freedom than as a fashion statement. "It looks like they are at a toga party," Ms. Steele says.

By the 1920s, the classic goddess dress began inspiring fashion designers such as Madeleine Vionnet and Madame Grès, in synch with a revival in appreciation of neoclassical art. Their Grecian dresses set the standard for future designers.

Sophia Kokosalaki, a Greek designer, was among those who helped popularize the latest craze for Grecian dresses, when stars like Drew Barrymore wore them to events in 2004, according to Jamie Thomas, markets editor at style-trend forecaster Stylesight. Max Azria has since adopted the style into body-hugging mini dresses for women who wanted a more fitted look.

Kristin Cavallari, best known for starring in MTV's reality series "The Hills," says she likes to wear Grecian dresses to events because they're "comfortable and effortless and kind of timeless." "You can be in not the best shape and there are things you can hide with this dress," she adds. But 5-foot-4 Ms. Cavallari never goes without her high heels.