Despite controversy, body-hugging dresses still fascinate Hollywood beauties

(Dan Tri) - Fashionistas cannot deny the "hotness" and body-hugging ability of bandage dresses.

In 2007, Apple released the first iPhone. The Spice Girls embarked on their first reunion tour. The Harry Potter books finally hit shelves.

Not only that, 2007 was also the year that bandage dresses became popular and were promoted by stars like Rihanna, Victoria Beckham and Kim Kardashian.

Nearly 20 years later, this controversial dress style is making a strong comeback. According to Vogue magazine, the bandage dress is not only a "tight relic" of the past, but also a fashion statement of strong elegance. Now, the IT Girl generation (girls with influence, unique fashion sense, leading the trend) is reviving this dress style.

Where did the bandage dress come from?

Although the younger generation of IT Girls is just starting to make their moments with the bandage dress, many Millennials (those born between 1981-1996) have already experimented with the style.

Harper's Bazaar magazine said the revival was fueled by video- sharing platforms, with the keyword #bandagedress having 17,300 global posts and a growth of more than 130% in the number of posts in 3 months.

Kim Kardashian and Rihanna promote bandage dresses.

Molly Rooyakkers, a researcher in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, has noted a recent global surge in the style, with online searches increasing 400% in just one week in June.

The trend has slowed, but searches are still up year-over-year, she said. On Google, searches for “bandage dress” also hit a new high in the first week of June.

The origins of the dress date back to the late, legendary designer Azzedine Alaïa, long before it became a red carpet staple. He created a design that accurately reflected the curves of the female body, using stretchy knits and tailoring techniques, rather than hiding them.

In the 1990s, designer Hervé Leger created his own version of the style. It was Hervé Leger’s interpretation that made the bandage dress popular in popular culture. At the time, the IT girls’ “secret weapon” when going to the nightclub was the bandage dress, combined with a blazer and high heels.

In 2007, A-list celebrities began wearing bandage dresses to glamorous events. Kim Kardashian looked sexy in a tight bandage dress. Victoria Beckham wore it to fashion shows. Rihanna chose this style to walk the red carpet.

The controversial form-fitting dress is known as the "bandage dress" because it makes the wearer look as if she is wrapped in a bandage.

The revival of the "bandage dress"

The popularity of the bandage dress has come with its own controversy. Because of its form-fitting appearance, bandage dresses are often seen as flattering only to certain body types, typically those with slim, toned figures. This reinforces narrow beauty standards.

But like many other fashion trends, the bandage dress had its time to fade, giving way to other designs. The rise of body positivity and the integration of the 2010s caused the bandage dress to lose its trendy position.

The resurgence of the bandage dress can both reinforce and subvert traditional beauty norms, says fashion psychologist Jennifer Heiner. It all depends on who is wearing it and why.

"The dress still carries the mark of the past when slim, toned figures were the norm. Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) is recreating that. But now we're seeing fuller bodies, regardless of gender," Heiner told WWD .

Specifically, Gen Z's version of the bandage dress is a breakthrough, styled with soft, unconstrained accents.

Kaia Gerber and Hailey Bieber are the pioneering IT Girls reviving the bandage dress.

Like in the 2000s, many IT girls are now also favoring this style. For example, in September 2024, at the Toronto International Film Festival (Canada), model Kaia Gerber appeared in a white bandage dress. In fact, this was a new version of the Hervé Leger dress that her mother, supermodel Cindy Crawford, wore to the 1993 Oscars .

Another IT Girl who has embraced the trend is model Hailey Bieber. In April, she wore a plum-colored YSL dress to the Fashion Trust US Awards . Heiner says it’s all about conscious style, where the wearer chooses how they want to fit in with the trend, rather than letting the trend dictate their worth.

The return of the bandage dress represents a deeper evolution in the way people approach sexiness and structure. Once constrained by a narrow beauty standard, the bandage dress is now reinterpreted through a contemporary lens, promoting flexibility, confidence and self-expression.

Any revival isn't just based on trend, it's also iconic. Love it or hate it, the bandage dress continues to shape the conversation about contemporary women's style.

Photo: Getty

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/du-gay-tranh-cai-mau-vay-bo-sat-co-the-van-me-hoac-dan-my-nhan-hollywood-20250807175105538.htm