Item of the week: the cut out dress

What it is:

Spruce up your average bodycon with a cut-out style, a look that has quickly become a popular dress silhouette for the coming seasons. As much as cut-outs have been around for a while, designers displayed even more daring versions of the style for spring 2022 runways, from which retailers have translated into more wearable dresses for party-goers. The increasingly popular trend is one of the many from the currently revived noughties era, shedding its past controversial connotations as a statement look that will take customers through the party seasons ahead.

Why you’ll want it:

Spotted on celebrities and influencers alike, the cut-out dress has made its way back into the limelight as a must-have for the spring/summer seasons. Its place in the current noughties revival is prominent, as younger customers start discovering the trend through a new perspective and older generations relive the nostalgic look. However, unlike its noughties counterparts, designs available today are more refined and day-to-day wear appropriate. Now, the cut-out is often recognised as a body positive style, celebrating women through the ability to show their skin in a subtle manner.

Where we’ve seen it:

The cut-out dress was a popular style for the SS22 season, featured on a number of runways as a stylish alternative to the typical bodycon. The look was, arguably, made popular due to LVMH Prize winner Nensi Dojaka, who adopted the style as her signature for her sought-after line of deconstructed dresses. The technique was also adopted by both David Koma and Rejina Pyo for SS22, with the two opting for one shoulder looks for a more dramatic cut-out effect. However, nothing came as close to Mônot’s silhouette. Dresses by the Lebanese design house ranged from subtle slits to barely-there cuts, with one of the more risqué looks appearing on reality star Kendall Jenner.

How to style it:

This look is all about the subtle skin left on show, so styling needs to be considerate of this. For daily wear, the dress can be paired with an oversized leather jacket, tights and lace-up boots, for a casual appearance that brings in more elements of the noughties already explored in the dress. To take the dress into evening wear, the customer can bring the look to life with strappy heels and a matching clutch, paired with simple jewellery, like necklaces and rings, for an added touch of bling for a night out.

Appealing to both the younger generations, who are experiencing this trend as a first, and those who lived through the noughties, the cut-out dress is a nostalgic trend that has received a welcomed update for the current time. It brings to life the simple bodycon in a way that makes it appealing for both events and daily wear, blurring the lines between the two for a garment can be surprisingly versatile.