Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Dress straps can vary as much as the gorgeous girls who wear them, from wafer-thin strands to more ample ones that sit on your shoulders. Simple dress straps can keep a dress subtle and sedate while embellished or twisty dress straps can bump up any dress from basic to bodacious.
Spaghetti Straps
The standard strap for any formal occasion, spaghetti straps can hold your bodice up in stylish comfort. Generally super-thin, these straps usually extend straight up from the top edge of the bodice, over your shoulders and then straight down to the top edge of the back of the dress. Spaghetti straps might be so thin that they even give the illusion of strapless in some styles.
Halter Straps
Mix it up a little with a halter strap gown. Each strap crosses your upper chest to encircle your neck at the back in standard halter-top fashion. Depending on the style of the dress, the straps might be very thin and delicate, somewhat wider or so wide that they don’t even look like straps. This style can provide comfy coverage to curvy girls looking to play down their curves.
Criss-Cross Straps
Amp it up a notch with criss-cross straps in a variety of configurations and styles. From wild and trendy criss-crosses over both the front and back of the dress to a more sedate style that simply crosses once in the back, criss-cross straps can put any dress on the map. A dress with contrasting criss-cross straps is an even bolder choice, making the design stand out to demand attention.
Wide Straps
Wide straps that cover your shoulders provide just enough extra coverage while still giving the appearance of delicate and sheer. Wide straps can do anything that thinner straps can do, crossing in front or in back or meeting in the middle in halter-top fashion.
Asymmetrical Straps
Try something a little unexpected and unusual with asymmetrical straps. With one strap crossing over a single shoulder or even horizontally over one upper arm, the effect can draw a second glance with its unpredictable style. The strap could be thin and wispy or thicker and more substantial, depending on what you desire.
