The Slippery Slope of the Muumuu

A few weeks ago I wrote about about the trend of tiers on this season's new dresses. I never noticed that sweats were busy joining forces with dresses to bring back that horror of my late teen years, the muumuu.

I love Hawaii as much as anyone. I can pack a bag in an hour if you tell me we're going. Post WWII America discovered the culture of the Hawaiian Islands. Though it wasn't easy to get there, Hawaii came stateside via the ukulele, tiki bars, the Aloha shirt, Elvis Presley movies and...the muumuu.

A muumuu is a shapeless dress that hangs (very) loosely from the shoulders and is worn by some native Hawaiian women. It's probably an offshoot of the "Mother Hubbard" dresses brought to the islands by 19th century missionaries. When muumuus became popular in the 1950s they featured the bright tropical prints of Aloha shirts. While they were never high fashion (see Sack Dress which tried and failed) muumuus were considered fun and we all got them—my mother, my older sister and I.

The problem with the muumuu is that, while they were certainly colorful and comfortable, they had as much sex appeal as a grocery bag and were universally hated by that eternal source of criticism, men.

The muumuu craze faded fast, although they've never truly gone away. Muumuus just joined the house dress brigade. 

No one will likely label this latest crop of dresses muumuus, but they are teetering in that direction, and I caution fashionistas young and mature (a fashionista is never "old"), to look before she leaps. The 2021 muumuu is definitely not an investment piece.

All those who hope to switch your sweats to something cooler but just as comfortable next season—tread carefully.