Behind the Dress: Lisa, According to Lisa
Behind every great Connected Apparel dress is an expert patternmaker. In our Behind the Dress series, we get up close and personal with the woman responsible for perfecting a dress you’ve likely seen, worn, and/or heard out: our best selling, Lisa faux wrap dress!Â
Meet Lisa: Connected Apparel's Best Selling Dress
Connected Apparel’s best selling and most iconic silhouette, the Lisa dress, has undergone a lot of changes over the years. The dress was designed and added to the CA collection in 2010. Since then, we’ve seen the Lisa dress in over 60 trendy patterns! From feminine flounce sleeves to sultry lace fabric and elegant floor-length styles, the Lisa dress is a tried-and-true favorite of the Connected Apparel family.
Meet Lisa, the Patternmaker
Named after one of our own patternmakers, the Lisa dress was perfected throughout the years to flatter every shape and size. More than ten years later, the Lisa dress remains our best selling dress and a customer favorite season after season.
Lisa, the patternmaker, has worked on every version of the Lisa dress. That’s hundreds if you include all of the different styles and trendy patterns. We spoke with Lisa and asked her why she thinks you’ll love the Lisa dress. She gave us 5 reasons why you’ll love the Lisa dress!
5 Reasons to Love Lisa
...according to Lisa herself!
1. Designed to Complement your Shape
The hardest part of choosing a dress is finding one that compliments your shape perfectly. Lisa made sure to strategically create a dress pattern that could easily be scaled up or down to fit a wide range of body types.
Whether you have a pear shaped body or an hourglass, the Lisa dress hides the not-so-flattering areas around the midsection while hugging your body, creating a feminine silhouette. And if you need help determinging your body shape, read our guide here.
As Lisa herself puts it, “The Lisa dress drapes over the skirt while laying flat over the mid-area loosely, but still close enough to the body for a slimming effect and camouflaging a woman’s imperfections. This adds to the forgiving feature that we all know and love! The perfect dress to wear to a dinner party, or really any party in general!”
2. Fabric that Moves with You
Fabric really makes or breaks the dress, in our opinion. The best fabric complements the shape of a dress while being comfortable enough to wear day-to-night.
From solid knits to embroidered metallic soutache, the fabrics we choose for our Lisa dresses always have a degree of stretch. The result is a figure-flattering look and an ultra comfortable fit. Move with confidence knowing you’ll look good day-to-night.
“We’ve made different modifications of the Lisa pattern to adapt to different fabrics and to make sure that the fit and movement was perfect,” Lisa explains. “We worked with different fit models that were very balanced, contributing to the success of the dress’s fit and movement.”
3. So Many Versions to Choose From
We make our Lisa dress in multiple lengths, sleeve styles and trendy patterns. There’s truly a unique Lisa silhouette for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a daytime Lisa, a nighttime Lisa, or a special occasion Lisa, we have a version perfect for you.
Also, most versions of Lisa are versatile enough to be worn for many different events and occasions, just switch up the accessories!
Reflecting back on the history of the dress, Lisa recalls, “We started with the cap sleeves version, knee-length. Then we added sleeves to it and did a tank version. We even did a version with an asymmetrical neckline. At my last count, we’ve done over 35 versions of the Lisa dress!”
4. The Faux Wrap is Your New Best Friend
Lisa’s faux wrap flatters all body types. This signature feature covers problem areas while defining and highlighting the small of the waist. The wrap is placed at the perfect part of your body to keep you feeling confident throughout the day and night. Wear Lisa to your next dinner party, and eat that dessert without feeling uncomfortable.
“I think that it’s great to see the Lisa dress on anyone from a petite woman to a plus size woman because it seems to flatter all bodies. That is one of my favorite things about this silhouette, no matter your body shape or size, you will feel comfortable and confident in this dress” Lisa boasts.
5. Perfect for Any Occasion
With so many styles to choose from, you can easily find a Lisa dress for any occasion! The Lisa dress provides the perfect canvas to your outfit. The dress can be styled up with statement earrings and sparkly heels or styled more casually with a denim jacket and booties. Either way, you’ll be able to get more than one wear out of her!
Also, the non-wrinkling nature of the fabric makes the Lisa dress also ideal for travel and for transitioning from day to night. You’ll look just as polished at the beginning of the day as you do after wearing Lisa for several hours.
“I’ve actually seen it reviewed in catalogs, saying that it’s a great church dress! The Lisa dress can be styled to truly match any scenario, all it takes is a simple accessory switch and you're ready to go” Lisa points out. “It’s perfect for just about anything!”
10+ Years Later...
It's more than 10 years later and the Lisa dress is more popular than ever before!
“The Lisa dress is my all time favorite. How could it not be?” Lisa laughs. “Even before it was named after me, it’s been my trademark dress here at Connected Apparel.”
While Lisa the patternmaker is now enjoying retirement on a ranch in Arizona, Lisa the dress continues to be a staple silhouette for Connected Apparel. You can find new updates to the silhouette every season! Make sure to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on new collection releases and style guides!
I like the colors and the sleeves
I love the bell sleeves, the cobalt blue, and the Jersey material. I saw it featured on the Home and Family show.
I love the way I feel in the Lisa 2.0 Cobalt Blue dress. It is flattering in every way. I receive compliments each time I wear it. I am so grateful to have found a dress that is perfect for those of us who are curvy and love everything girlie!
I’m a curvy woman and I have a hard time finding dresses that are flattering on my curves. I want to get this dress in several styles and colors!
Lo primero que busco yo en un vestido es la manga y lo largo, Lisa đź‘— está perfecto para mĂ, ahora mismo tengo 5 vestidos de lisa, y espero tener más.