Would you like the good news or the bad news first?
The good news is that low-rise jeans, despite looming as a threat over our wardrobes in recent years, are not making a comeback this year.
The bad news is that bodycon dresses most certainly are.
Yes, thanks to designers like Bottega Veneta, Givenchy, Maximilian Davis and Nensi Dojaka's SS21 collections and hardbody-owners Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid and Kaia Gerber, body-conscious dresses are back just in time for when lockdown lifts in the UK on June 21.
For several months during lockdown, comfort has been king, with loungewear staples like hoodies, sweatshirts and joggers reigning supreme. But, according to recent runway presentations, it looks like we'll soon be swapping our much-loved stretchy fabric (think cycling shorts and leggings) for teeny tiny mini dresses this summer.
If you're having 2007 bandage dress by way of Topshop flashbacks, we understand. But panic not because the bodycon of 2021 is much more flattering and well-constructed than its 2000s predecessors, harking further back to its 1980s roots in spirit and style, but with a 2020s twist.
Thankfully, designers nowadays are looking back to the 'king of cling' Azzedine Alaia, whose obsession with the female form as sculpture lead to the platonic ideal of bodycon dresses in the 1980s.
The 2020s twist in question is that these are rarely straight-forward minis. Instead they play with extreme cut-outs and 'flossing' detailing in design and stretch-knit and woven silk in construction, exemplified by Hadid-favourite Nensi Dojaka's styles.
We saw the new bodycon dress throughout the SS21 and AW21 seasons, with everyone from Celine to Bottega Veneta for SS21, to Stella McCartney and Chanel for AW21, proving that this is far from a flash-in-the-pan trend.
Shop Bodycon Dresses Now
NENSI DOJAKA Cut-out woven and silk-blend mini dress
Bottega Veneta Open-knit cotton-blend mini dress
Khaite Beth sweetheart-neck ribbed-knit midi dress
However, it's not just the designs that are different from the bandage dresses of our youth, but how we should wear them.
Though a pair of vertiginous and strappy heels work just swell (heels are also seeing a comeback this year, so have at it), we're going to style ours with slightly more unexpected shoes, such as sliders (à la Givenchy), trainers (à la Lily Allen), chunky boots and awkward heels.
Shoes To Wear With Bodycon Dresses
Nike Air Max Viva Women's Shoe
Givenchy Marshmallow rubber slides
Bottega Veneta Rubber-trimmed leather Chelsea boots
With the bodycon making its return, now has never been a better time to invest in some SKIMS.
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