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The Ultimate 'Work to Flirt' Office Outfit That Transforms into a Sexy Evening Dress

BY DAY it passes as demure office attire, suitable for boardroom meetings and making presentations to clients. But by night, this seemingly simple little black dress transforms into sexy evening wear.

The dress, dubbed the “ultimate addition” to any girl’s wardrobe, is capable being transformed in under three minutes.

Created by designer Tansy Hamley on behalf of website DatingDirect.com, the dress, made of jersey fabric, includes five key tailoring features for the quick change.

Buttons and hooks positioned along the dress’ bottom hemline can be used to create a shorter, sexier skirt, while its three-quarter-length sleeves can be folded up to reveal a red silk trim.

It also includes a reversible waist belt, a concealed thigh-high split and a ribbon which can be pulled tight to create either a scooped or a sweetheart neckline.

The dress has yet to go on sale, but so far officials at the website say it has been well-received.

“Women say it takes the hassle out of planning their date outfits. Many have joked it helps transform in a Superman-style makeover, said Ms Hamley.

“Due to the hectic lifestyles we are all leading these days, I believe in the future more fashion will be focused on two-in-one versatile outfits that can be altered to suit different occasions.”

Huw Rees, S4C’s fashion expert and presenter of Wedi Saith, said he was a “big fan” of multipurpose outfits as they encourage women to wear the clothes they own.

He said: “Especially in Wales, people are biased towards buying good clothing and keeping it to wear as their Sunday best. But what this means is that they have an expensive outfit sitting in their wardrobe which can go unworn. When it’s eventually pulled out, people know it’s from a collection three years ago.

“People in cities like Cardiff and London often like to go out after work, and fashion shows on television regularly feature outfits which can be changed by wearing a different shirt or by putting on a shorter skirt.

“This type of dress could look good, and people are already used to owning reversible items of clothing.”

However Bridgend-born designer David Emanuel – who famously co-created Princess Diana’s wedding dress alongside his wife Elizabeth – said the design was a clever concept but looked “very ’80s”.

River Island designer Sophy Pavitt, of Newport, said the outfit was “too much like a gimmick” to be a hit with women.

“Surely it’s easier for women to carry a smaller handbag like a clutch inside their larger work bag when they know they are going out. Good shoes can also be used to create a new outfit, as can wearing a different lipstick or changing your hairstyle.

“No matter how quick it is to transform this dress, I don’t think girls would enjoy making a trip to their office bathroom to shorten their skirts and roll up their sleeves.”

According to Dating Direct, several high-street chains have already expressed interest in stocking the prototype dress. A date for its arrival in stores has not been set, as the design is being piloted by women across the country who will feed back ideas to modify its design.

The idea for the two-in-one “work to flirt” outfit stemmed from research conducted among 1,000 singles living inside the UK. The website found nearly half of those questioned – 42% – said they preferred not to wear their office clothes while on an after work date. Of these, 68% described taking an outfit to work to wear on a date as a “hassle” and a third said they had turned down dates after their shift because they were unhappy with their choice of work clothes.

Courtesy of © 2008 YellowBrix, Inc.

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