GRECIAN DRESSES

The Grecian dress takes its name from classical Greek dress, which hung from the shoulder and fell in soft vertical folds rather than following the body. The modern version keeps that idea. It skims the waist and hip instead of gripping them, and it ends at or near the ankle. Because there is no fitted waistband, the same dress stays comfortable through a long lunch, a hot afternoon and a late dinner, and it suits a wider spread of body shapes than a tailored dress does.

Compared to a short sundress, a Grecian dress covers more of the leg while feeling cooler than a fitted midi, since the fabric moves rather than clinging. That combination is why it travels well for coastal holidays and hot inland evenings. Shoppers who want shorter and more structured warm weather shapes should look at sundresses instead, and the full dress range holds every Duck Apparel dress shape in one place.

The ten prints fall into four groups, which makes the choice easier. The animal prints, Leopard Grecian Dress and Sapphire Tiger Grecian Dress, are the boldest and work as a whole outfit with flat sandals and nothing else. The florals, Floral Forest Grecian Dress, Floral Fairytale Grecian Dress and True Romance Grecian Dress, are the safest choice for weddings, lunches and photographs. The brights, Tangerine Tango Grecian Dress and Zesty Lime Grecian Dress, read as holiday and beach wear. Vintage Vogue Grecian Dress and Paisley Paradise Grecian Dress sit in the pattern heavy middle, while Pure Pastel Grecian Dress is the quietest of the ten and the easiest to dress up or down.

A Grecian dress and a kaftan both hang loose from the shoulder, but a kaftan is wider through the body and sleeve and is usually worn over swimwear, while a Grecian dress is narrower and reads as a finished outfit on its own. That is the practical test: if you want something to throw over a costume at the pool, take the kaftan, and if you want to walk from the beach to dinner without changing, take the Grecian. Duck Apparel puts the two shapes side by side in the Grecian and kaftan pairing for anyone weighing them up.

Summer in South Africa runs from December to February, and that is the peak season for a Grecian dress, but the coast stretches the window in both directions. Durban and the KwaZulu-Natal coast stay warm enough from roughly September to April, the Cape holds its heat well into March, and the December holidays along the Garden Route are the busiest use of all. Inland, a Grecian dress works for a Highveld evening once the afternoon storms have cleared. In cooler months the same dress carries into a warm day with a denim jacket or a knit over the shoulders.