Bandage Dresses Are Back: The Controversial Silhouette Makes a Bold Return
Kaia Gerber brought back a '90s and 2000s staple, but does it work in 2024?
The bandage dress became a defining fashion staple in the late 1990s and early 2000s, appearing at virtually every red carpet event. The brand Hervé Léger is credited with creating this iconic piece, which was celebrated for its ability to sculpt and flatter the body like no other design.
Celebrities of the time, from supermodels to pop stars, embraced the dress as a go-to choice for major appearances. The bandage dress' sleek, bodycon aesthetic represented the height of glamour, with stars like Kim Kardashian, Victoria Beckham, Beyoncé, and Cindy Crawford regularly donning the look. The dress became synonymous with bold femininity and red carpet allure, symbolizing a cultural moment where maximalist style reigned supreme. The bandage dress wasn’t just a fashion trend—it was a symbol of empowerment and body confidence for a generation.
Over the years, the bandage dress gradually faded from luxury brands and retailers, likely due to its skintight nature. Fashion evolved, shifting away from the body-hugging, skin-baring styles of the late '90s and early 2000s, embracing looser, more relaxed silhouettes. As trends moved toward oversized blazers, flowing dresses, and wide-leg pants, the once-ubiquitous bandage dress began to lose its grip on the fashion world.
However, Kaia Gerber, taking inspiration from her supermodel mother, Cindy Crawford, brought the iconic style back in a modern way. Channeling her mother’s glamorous look from the 1993 Academy Awards, where Crawford stunned in a nearly identical bandage dress with bustier-style cups and an ankle-grazing hem while walking the red carpet with then-husband Richard Gere, Kaia reimagined the design for a new era. Styled by Molly Dickson, she wore one of Hervé Léger's most iconic designs: the bandage dress.
As a renowned It girl and major social media influencer, Kaia Gerber's recent appearance in a bandage dress has sparked speculation: could we see a resurgence of the iconic style in 2024? Will wide-legged jeans be swapped for bodycon silhouettes once again?
The chances seem promising. In fashion, while there is always room for innovation, there’s been even more space for nostalgia lately. Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a revival of early 2000s trends—low-rise jeans, chunky belts, UGG boots, babydoll tops, and more.
A bandage dress comeback wouldn't be surprising. Although the bandage dress was seen as exclusive to those with a slimmer body type rather than inclusive for all figures in the early 2000s, fashion has been more inclusive than ever, supporting all body shapes in recent years. So, could the new generation of fashion influencers and designers reimagine the bandage dress? Fashion’s cyclical nature and Gerber's influence could be the perfect storm to bring the bandage dress back into the spotlight.
