The 7-Way Dress
Tristan's 4 in 1 and More dress, $89. Instructions included, we hope.
One of the most interesting takes on this summer’s day-to-night dress is a Transformers-inspired number that can be tied, wrapped, twisted, haltered, strapped over one or both shoulders, or just plain dropped to the waist and worn as a skirt.
With so many different ways to wear the dress (Tristan, who makes this one, calls it the “4-in-1 and More” and I have to agree about the ‘more’ part. I hope that it comes with instructions (actually it does, and I’ve also attached video instructions to help make it easier for us to figure it out).
Tristan sells this fun and versatile summer dress in three solid colour options: coral, blue, and your basic black for an easy $89. I feel that the genius who invented the concept of a completely versatile dress should be promptly set back to work on creating more fun and practical pieces like this dress.
(I found other designers who create several-way dresses and theirs are available year-round in countless colour choices and also in a lovely floor-length version that is strikingly beautiful. More about these designers below.)
The Signature Wrap Dress is available year-round at Butter by Nadia (pictured above) and TwoBirds Bridesmaid.
I love that we can embrace the one-shouldered trend but also spin it into a halter or a strapless if we feel like it on another day of the week. Not only that, but the full skirt and the comfortable fabric will make it easy to work on all body types and fun to wear.
Could it be that we finally found the perfect dress for the masses- one is fun, flirty, transformable, and can be glammed up or dressed down for a reasonable price? I say get yours before everyone else figures it out.
Here are Tristan’s 7 ways to wear the “4 in 1 and More” dress:
UPDATE to this post:
Since writing this post in the summer, I’ve since wondered where we could find this dress during the rest of the year. Tristan’s bargain-priced summer collection number at $89 wasn’t meant to become a staple for this high-turnover retailer, and for some of us who didn’t buy one, this dress could be useful for a variety of occasions (like outfitting a fleet of bridesmaids!) More importantly, many of us were hoping for more subtle colours than the bright foursome by Tristan.
And that’s where Butter by Nadia and TwoBirds Bridesmaid come in. These labels are offering 7-way wrap dresses (or 15-way dresses.. depends on who’s counting) in lovely jewel tones and neutrals in a variety of fabrics and length. The Signature Wrap Dress by Butter by Nadia comes in short ($246) or long style ($360) and in either satin or jersey. The summer collection also included fun printed jersey but the solid colours are available year-round.
The Butter by Nadia Jersey Ball Gown wrap dress, $315
Butter by Nadia also created How-to videos that are posted on their website to show you all the different (and easy!) ways to tie the fun wrap dress. Here’s one of the videos; for more, see Butter by Nadia’s site or follow the YouTube link.
Another great option is the similar wrap dress by TwoBirds Bridesmaid, which is also available in multiple colours and either knee or floor-length ($270 – $310). The obvious benefit of ordering from this company is that they can easily outfit a team of bridesmaids for a wedding- which is a great option for those who want to keep a colour theme among their bridesmaids but understand that everyone might want a different style of dress. (And of course, who wouldn’t want to wear this bridesmaid’s dress again?) My favourite option from TwoBirds is the Rosette knee-length dress which is trimmed with fabric roses at the hem (pictured, bottom). We’re also told that there will soon be a two-tone colour version of the jersey wrap dress at Two Birds (!)
TwoBirds Bridesmaid Classic jersey wrap dress, $310
The Rosette wrap dress by TwoBirds Bridesmaid, $370
Happy wrapping!
Images courtesy of Tristan, TwoBirds Bridesmaid, and Butter by Nadia.
Special thanks to Jordana for the tip about Butter by Nadia!
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I love this dress!!! Does it come with instructions though? lol…
this is awesome! yes, does it come with instructions? and how much?
Yes, it has instructions and it’s available now in most stores for 50% off the last ticketed price for their summer sale. I’m in the Mississauga area and I’m about to make my purchase today. I am not a Tristan Employee but I love a great sale! Original price is $89.
Cray: Thanks so much for the update! I love a sale, too! I wish I knew which colour you’re choosing
-Johanne
I really love this dress and would like to use it as my bridesmaids’ dresses… but I’ve never heard of Tristan before. Can I order them online (if so what’s the website) or do I need to go to the physical store? Thanks!
I know what you mean- it’s a great dress and a really fun idea for a bridesmaid crew! I hadn’t thought of that but really- that’s fantastic!
The stores are in Canada and in America; here’s the website: http://tristanstyle.com/
You’ll have a hard time finding it at this time of the year since it’s a summer product… But it’s worth a shot. Also a lot of other manufacturers and designers were making their own versions this season, so you may get lucky and find the similar concept. Hope you do; I’d love to see a pic of your lovely bridesmaids in all the different dress configurations!
J.
This dress is awesome!! I found it in a magazine, but can’t seem to find where to purchase one! Has anyone found it??
After thinking I’d never find this dress for sale anywhere again, I stumbled across one that’s made by TwoBirds Bridesmaids. It’s lovely! You can order one for yourself as a party dress or a whole series of them for your bridesmaids right from the website: http://www.twobirdsbridesmaids.com/
It’s available in “Classic” which is gorgeous, or shorter at the knee and hemmed with rosettes. So beautiful.
And pure genius!
-J.
I read about a similar dress in the October issue of Glamour (p. 136). The dress in Glamour can be found at http://www.shopbutterbynadia.com. It even comes in satin!
Can anyone tell me how to care for the dress (washing and ironing instruction). I unfortunately through out the instructions and cut the tag.
Thanks
Hm, I would check on the websites of the other retailers (listed above in the Comments). Otherwise, you could look up instructions for washing jersey or whatever fabric is listed on the tag of your dress
-J.