Frequently Asked Questions

What does bodycon mean?

Close-fitting, stretchy and made to show your shape. Dictionary.com defines bodycon as clothing designed to be close-fitting and often made with stretchy material, says the word comes from the Japanese bodikon, a shortening of the English body-conscious, and dates its first record to the early 1990s. Wondering what is a bodycon dress, or looking up bodycon meaning in the first place? It's any dress cut to follow the body rather than float over it. The Loren ruched midis and the Body Contour bustier styles are textbook examples, and that's what does bodycon mean in one sentence: the dress fits you, not the other way round.

What is a bandage dress?

The tightest dress in the room, on purpose. Wikipedia describes the style as a tight-fitting bodycon cut that looks like it's made from thin strips of fabric sewn together, credits Azzedine Alaïa, nicknamed the King of Cling, with creating it and showing it in the mid-1980s, and notes Hervé Léger brought out his own in the early 1990s before the look enjoyed red carpet ubiquity from 2007 into the early 2010s. So what is a bandage dress today? The same banded, holding fabric, and if you loved the bandage dress 2000s moment, the Black and White Striped Strapless mini is built from thick bands of stretch knit sewn in rows, while the Body Contour bustier styles use high-stretch bandage.

What does ruched mean?

Gathered, folded and stitched into soft ripples. Jovani's ruching guide explains that ruching gathers fabric into textured pleats across part or all of a dress, that the folds skim the body rather than clinging to it, and that the midsection and side of the waist are the most common and most flattering spots for it. So when you see ruched on a label, or look up ruched meaning, it means those gathers are doing the shaping for you. The Loren styles carry cascading ruching, and the elastic mesh styles add it at a nipped waist, which is what is ruched in practice and what does ruched mean on a hanger.

What is a sheath dress?

The original close-cut classic. Wikipedia defines the sheath as a fitted, straight-cut style often nipped at the waistline with no waist seam, usually worn with short sleeves at knee length, credits Paul Poiret with the first modern version in the early 1900s, and says it became the modern look for American women by the 1950s. So what is a sheath dress next to a bodycon? A close cousin: fitted, straight-cut and nipped at the waist. Whatever the sheath dress meaning in the dictionary, the Body Contour bustier midis and the Loren Runway striped midis are both described as a bodycon sheath.

What is elastane?

The stretch in your stretch dress. Wikipedia's spandex entry explains that the same synthetic fiber is called spandex in North America, a variant of elastane in continental Europe and Lycra in the UK and elsewhere, that it was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont, that it can stretch up to five times its length, and that in clothing it is usually mixed with cotton or polyester as a small percentage of the fabric. So what is elastane and what is spandex come down to one fiber, and what is spandex made of? A polyether-polyurethane copolymer. The Crystal V-Neck mini is 95% polyester and 5% spandex, and the Places To See glitter maxis run 85% polyester and 15% spandex.

What is a peplum?

A ruffle at the waist that does the flattering for you. Vocabulary.com defines a peplum as a flared ruffle attached to the waistline of a dress, jacket or blouse, and notes the word also names a draped garment worn by women in ancient Greece. So what is a peplum on a close-cut style? A little flare where the bodycon line meets the waist. The Off The Shoulder Red Ruffle midi pairs a single cascading ruffle sleeve with a peplum empire waistline and a mid-calf hem.

What is a sweetheart neckline?

A neckline shaped like the top of a heart. Wikipedia's neckline guide describes the sweetheart as a curved, concave edge that is usually doubly scalloped so it resembles the top half of a heart. That's what is a sweetheart neckline in one line, and it pairs beautifully with a fitted body. The Azure Elegance midi edges its sweetheart in crystal trim, and the Crystal Bow mini pairs one with crystal bows at the hips and studded straps.

BODYCON DRESSES | SKIN TIGHT DRESSES

Some dresses skim. These ones grip. If you're after a bodycon dress that holds its shape from the first photo to the last song, you're in the right place: bandage knits, ruched stretch, off-shoulder necklines, cut-outs and high slits, all cut to follow every curve you've got.

Shopping bodycon dresses by fabric first saves you a lot of second-guessing. Here, every bodycon dress for women is built to hug, so pick your tight dress by how firm you want the hold, then by length and neckline. Hunting tight dresses for a night that needs a little extra? This is the edit, and each skin tight dress, sexy bodycon dress and fitted dress in it was chosen to do the work for you.

Bandage dresses

Bandage is the heavyweight of the fitted world. In the bandage dress line-up, the Black and White Striped Strapless mini is built from thick bands of stretch knit sewn in rows, so the fabric holds you in rather than draping over you, and with no straps at all it's the tube dress of the edit. The Body Contour bustier styles bring a sculpting bodice, an empire waist and a back zip in high-stretch bandage.

Want color? As a pink bandage dress, the Body Contour bustier in pink is described as made for evenings, parties or the club, and for a black bandage dress, the black bustier midi and the Loren Runway striped off-shoulder midi both deliver. Pick a white bandage dress from the Body Contour white mini or the white Loren Runway, and for a blue bandage dress, the Body Contour styles come in blue and light blue with a V-neck and bold stripes. Craving brights? As a yellow bandage dress, the Sophie long sleeve mini adds a full front zip, and as an orange bandage dress, the Bandage Deep V-Neck style brings short sleeves and an asymmetric waistline.

Ruched, ribbed and stretch

Ruching is the cheat code of the fitted dress. Top of the ruched dress list sit the Loren styles in light pink, mint green and hot red, with long sleeves, a square neckline, an elastic waist and cascading ruching, and if you're filtering by ruching dress, the elastic mesh styles in blue, black, nude and leopard add a nipped waist to match. Each of those counts as a ruched bodycon dress, a ruched midi dress and a ruched waist dress in one, and the elastic mesh in black doubles as the black ruched dress of the edit.

Prefer texture over gathers? The Meet Me For Cocktails mini is a ribbed dress with short sleeves and a deep V, and the Eclipse Elegance mini adds ribbed texture, flair sleeves and an open back. For a stretchy bodycon dress that moves with you, the tie-dye pink and animal-print green minis use smooth microfiber with four-way stretch, and as a spandex bodycon dress, the Crystal V-Neck mini is a polyester and spandex blend lined in crystals at the neckline.

Want finish as well as fit? As a lace bodycon dress, the long sleeve red style layers gold floral embroidery on thick bandage fabric, and the black lace hollow-out gown goes floor-skimming with a high neck. For a mesh bodycon dress, the Midnight Allure midi brings shimmering mesh sleeves and a back slit, and as a sequin bodycon dress, the Shine Right plaid mini brings all-over sequins, clear straps and a square neck.

Necklines, cut-outs and slits

Neckline decides the vibe. For an off shoulder dress, the Delicate Diva and the pink, orange and blue high-slit styles bring an asymmetric shoulder and a figure-hugging stretch fit, and if you want an off shoulder dress long sleeve style, the Ruffle Bow midis in orange and navy add a dramatic ruffle bow sleeve, and the orange one adds a center back slit. For a midi off shoulder dress, the Midnight In London ruffle-hem styles, including the red one, finish with an asymmetric sleeve.

Going one-sided? As a one shoulder dress, the Ruffle Nude midi brings cascading frills and an empire waist, and the white ruffle style adds a one-shoulder cascading ruffle sleeve. Into an off-center line? As an asymmetrical dress, the Midnight In London one-shoulder midi goes sleeveless with a ruffle hem. Want a sweetheart neckline dress? The Azure Elegance midi lines its sweetheart neckline with crystal trim, and the Crystal Bow mini pairs one with crystal bows on the hips. For a strapless bodycon dress, the copper brown sequin mini drapes down the front, and the Red Bodycon Front Slit style adds a waist belt with a bow knot.

Love a little skin? In the cut out dress edit, the Work The Runway minis in red and pink come with spaghetti straps and a belted front, while the dark green cutout dress at midi length adds braided detail and a draped tail. Here, every slit dress earns its place too: the Off The Shoulder High Slit midi has a center-front slit that does all the talking, and as a high slit dress, the black bodycon maxi goes backless with a halter neck and a front slit cut high.

Mini, midi and maxi

Length changes the plan. In the bodycon midi dress lane, the red Siren Flare midi pairs a flounce hem with long sleeves, and the Pearl Strap midis in black and white bring pearl spaghetti straps and built-in bra cups, so either one works as a fitted midi dress for dinner. Prefer a knee length dress? The Delicate Diva high-slit styles sit right at the knee, and as an above knee dress, the Body Contour bustier midis stop short of it.

Want office-friendly lines? Many of the Body Contour and Loren Runway styles are cut as a bodycon sheath, so they read like a sheath dress with a little more attitude. Going short? As a bodycon dress short enough for the dance floor, the Long Sleeve Bodycon Black mini pairs a high neck with bandage-and-mesh cut-outs, and for a tight dress short and bright, the long sleeve minis in red, pink and dark green add a deep V and a full front zip. In this edit, each tight mini dress is cut to move.

Going long? For a long bodycon dress, the black high-slit maxi goes floor-length in stretch bandage, and the sequin feather maxis are cut as floor-length bodycon mermaid gowns. Need sleeves? As a long sleeve bodycon dress, the Loren styles, the lace red style and the long sleeve minis in red, pink and yellow all keep your arms covered.

White, pink and the rest

Color sets the tone. As a white bodycon dress, the Pearl Strap white midi and the High Slit Off The Shoulder white midi lead, and as a tight white dress with sleeves, the Long Sleeve Mesh Cut Out white style adds mesh panels on the sleeves. Want a fitted white dress with structure? The white corset style brings ruffle shoulders and a corset bodice. For a pink bodycon dress, the Off The Shoulder Pink style has a high slit, and as a blue bodycon dress, the Ruffle Bow navy midi leads. As a brown bodycon dress, the Backless Rhinestone Strap brown midi lists graduations, cocktails and special events.

Black is always on the list. As a tight black dress, the Crystal Bow mini adds side slits and studded straps, and as a black fitted dress, the Ruffle Shoulders Turtleneck midi brings class and sass in one.

Where to wear it

Big night? As a club bodycon dress, the Body Contour pink bustier names the club outright, and as a cocktail bodycon dress, the Ruffle Romance mini finishes with a contrast ruffle hem for cocktails and nights out. Need something for a dressier invite? Here, each form fitted dress with a covered shoulder, from the Siren Flare to the Turtleneck midis, keeps it polished. That covers every tight fitting dress mood, and each fitted dress for women here comes ready for heels.

Want more? Short styles live in mini dresses, curves get plus size cocktail dresses, and nights out continue in party dresses. Finish it with high heels and a handbag.