Muumuus have gotten a really bad rap over the years. I recently went in to Nordstrom Rack, and after pulling 22 outfits, not one fit me properly . . . except for a vivid bright orange muumuu. I stared at it for a bit then decided against it. Don’t want a muumuu. I am on my last week of the Habibi Sport Nourish Summer Series and was attempting to take my own advice about dressing to feel good about myself. I talk about this in a previous blog article for Fashion Talk. Funny, I was coining the phrase tent dress every time I ran across someone wearing a muumuu, not realizing that the tent dress is in a category all its own. These two styles, including the Kaftan, which is another free-flowing dress style are similar in a lot of ways but different in others. I think it would be best to define the two styles before I continue.
The Muumuu
Stemming from Hawaiian origins, the muumuu is a loose dress that hangs from the shoulder, vivid in color with floral patterns, usually generic Polynesian motifs. Muumuus worn by local Hawaiian residents are more muted in their tones. The Muumuu’s fit doesn’t restrict the waist, and for that very reason, Muumuus are also popular as maternity wear.
When I first got married (ahem… my first marriage), at my bridal shower, Margaret, the elderly woman across the street of my parents’ house surprised me with a gift. At the shower I was mostly given sexy lingerie. When I opened her package, it was a pale green muumuu with flowers embroidered around the lapel. I cringed inside. I’ll never forget what she told me. “I know this doesn’t seem like a great gift, but trust me, it will become your favorite dress!” I didn’t believe her. One day I pulled it out of the drawer and tried it on. On a scale from 1-10 it gets a 5 in style, but darn if she wasn’t right. I found myself wearing that dress around the house for years. A muumuu to me meant house clothes—something you only wear at home. Not the case anymore.
The Tent Dress
Worn without a belt, the tent dress hangs loose from the shoulders to the hips and has no waistline. They are made from a variety of fabrics, ranging from solids to prints, and sometimes a combination of both. In some instances you will see the mélange of patterns such as patch-quilt, vivid colors, even neon, combined in a single dress. They range from sleeves to sleeveless, sometimes have appliqués of costume jewelry. As far as styles, the tent dress can go to extremes of ultra casual to dressy, depending on the design. Tent dresses can be worn as minis, maxis, and micro-mini dresses. Twiggy made the tent dress popular, especially for those with waif body types.
The Kaftan
There is another dress (the Kaftan) that could be something between a Tent dress and the Muumuu, which possesses many of the same qualities: waist-less, free-flowing, and prints, usually made with silks, taffetas, chiffons, and other high-end textiles. Kaftans have been some of the most exotic designs and typically worn in Morocco and seen all over the fashion runways. Most people don’t know that The kaftan was often worn as a coat or as an overdress, usually having long sleeves and reaching to the ankles. In regions with a warm climate, it is worn as a light-weight, loose-fitting garment. In some cultures, the kaftan has served as a symbol of royalty.
Okay, so now that we’ve familiarized ourselves with these three very similar yet different dresses, I will continue. Before I started the Nourish Summer Series with Habibi Sport, I had a two-hour consultation with its founder Shahada Karim. I had been watching the successes of those on her program and my curiosity was piqued. Particularly as I looked at the petite and powerful female that sat across from me whom I’ve watched sculpt her physique to the point of envy. She of course is my poster child for this very special cleanse. Why? Because she’s not 25 and we possess—at least before she morphed into the image of perfection that she is now—somewhat similar body types. It always helps to see oneself in someone who had completed a health/fitness regime. I felt confident that I could start to achieve my own health and wellness goals whose byproduct would inevitably be weight loss.
In that meeting, we touched on dressing to feel good while doing the program. Shahada shared her story about how a few years back her husband mentioned how often she wore sweats, but when they first met, she would always dress stylishly making him proud. This is something she hadn’t even been aware she was doing. I thought about my own life and how I’ve been living in workout clothes and leggings. It really was time to stop this way of dressing. All I was doing was reinforcing my angst for my current weight. I had to stop living in the past, waiting for the weight to miraculously drop off before I’d dare dress in fashion ever again. So I attempted to shop for the first time in a really long time. I was excited to see so many items that I liked inside the department store. As I said in the first paragraph, I had at least 22 articles of clothing in my shopping cart. I chose the Rack because I am not ready to invest a lot of money into my wardrobe until I am closer to my weight loss goal. It was a less expensive way to shop for designer labels. But I was at least taking the first step to add a few nice pieces that complemented my current size. This is where it got tricky.
I am aware of my body type. I am a pear. That means I’m similar to hourglass except when pear-shaped women gain weight, their hips and butt tend to show it the most. Since I am quite familiar with A-line dresses and Imperial cuts, I looked for these styles because at my current size, they would flatter my assets, while hiding the extra weight. Wise Remedies blogger Melanie Wise said something profound to me. “Health is the underpinning of fashion.” And my goal is to achieve prime health and look great in my Prada.
My chef hubby needed to get his special mustard at World Market and asked me to come along. While inside the market, I noticed they sold clothes. There were really only two small racks, but a mannequin was wearing a maxi, and it looked great. Maybe it would look good on me too. I didn’t even try it on; this is something I never do. I have had to try on everything for the last six years! When we got home, I tried it on. Not only did it fit, I looked great in it. It was a Tent Dress!
I went through my closet and realized I owned several of these dresses. Some were muumuus, tent dresses, and others were kaftans. They were buried in the back of my closet. I revived them and moved them to the front right next to my A-line dresses and Imperial cuts! Now I can slim down in peace without having to worry about the fit.
NOURISH Summer Series by Habibi Sport – The end of Week 3. Visit: https://www.habibibodysport.com/nutrition-plans/
