Bloomingdale's leans casual and forgiving, the right instinct for daytime versions of this look. The Karen Millen Petite Knit Full Skirt Midi Dress at 224 dollars has enough weight in the knit to hold a real flare without a crinoline, and the Filament Full Skirt Knit Midi Dress at 300 dollars does the same in a dressier finish. To test the silhouette before spending real money, the Layered with Love Tiered Dress at 35.84 dollars is a low risk trial, though it will not hold its shape as long.

Saks is where this era gets its evening wardrobe right. The Alice + Olivia Chara Turtleneck Floral Flare Skirt Midi Dress at 695 dollars nails the cinched waist and full skirt with a fabric that has real body, and the Zimmermann Luna Corset Linen-Silk Fit-and-Flare Minidress at 775 dollars uses a corseted bodice the way the original silhouette intended. For something closer to a cocktail party than a diner, the Badgley Mischka Floral Embellished Strapless Cocktail Dress at 695 dollars adds structure through embellishment rather than a stiff underlay.

The honest truth is that most of the work here is in the skirt, not the bodice, so that is where I would spend. A cheap bodice under a good full skirt still looks put together, but a great bodice over a flat skirt just looks like a normal dress that missed. Skip anything sold as a costume piece unless you need it for one night, the polyester will not hold up and the shine looks wrong in photos. Bloomingdale's is the better everyday entry point, Saks is where I would spend for an actual event. If you take one thing away, feel the skirt fabric before you buy, since that makes the silhouette work.