We guess it is safe to say that when it comes to dressing up, dresses are giving a tough ‘run-for-the-money’ to denim. Girls these days love to flaunt dresses more than anything else. Not skirts, full-length gowns, athleisure, formal suits, and dresses seem to have replaced them all. Rightly so, as there is a stylish dress style available to suit every occasion and mood. One of the favourite dress silhouettes has been the sexy bodycon dresses. They have been around for a long time but it is only recently that almost every girl seems to have developed a liking for them. From celebrities, and public figures to businesswomen to social butterflies, they all are equally fond of flaunting a Bodycon dress. Recently, Bollywood actor Janhvi Kapoor was seen donning a nude bodycon dress at a shoot and since then, the style has fascinated even more attention and eyeballs. Read on as we unravel everything that you need to know about this stylish piece of women’s dress.
What is a Bodycon Dress?
A ‘Bodycon Dress’ basically refers to a dress style that is body hugging from top to bottom accentuating the curves of the woman’s body but in a flattering way rather than looking hideous. The fabric of the dress is stretchable (can be super stretchable in some cases) and it fits the body as snuggly as possible; rather, just like denim, a body con dress also adapts itself to the body shape over time. The characteristic defining feature of a Bodycon dress is that it is supposed to be tight and bring out the curves of the body in a sexy, seductive way.
Bodycon dresses made their foray into mainstream fashion in the late nineties. The idea of these dresses was to give confidence to women to flaunt and carry their body types with acute confidence, rather than hiding their curves and trying to attain a zero figure. These dresses are a strong style statement now and encourage women to wear their sex appeal and seductiveness on their sleeves.
Why is it called a Bodycon Dress? – Delving into details
As per the dictionary, the meaning of ‘Body-con’ is something ‘relating to or denoting a very tight-fitting style of clothing.’ One may also call a bodycon dress a ‘body-contouring’ dress because they wrap up the body like a glove. Their fabric is super comfortable and designed in a way that it does not feel tight on the body. The name bodycon derives itself from “body confidence” or, originally, “body conscious” which was later transformed into Japanese in the 1980s as “bodikon”.
Can a Bodycon Dress Make you Look Slimmer?
That is the whole idea behind these body-flattering, waist-clinching dresses. Whether you are a size zero or size 28, these dresses do not just make you look sexy, but also feel your sensuous best. The sole purpose of these dresses is to highlight the female anatomy but appealingly without the wearer feeling conscious, uncomfortable or too loud in any way. They hide your flaws and plump areas and present your body in a more voluptuous, curvaceous manner. If you are wearing the right set of undergarments beneath your dress that suits the fit of the garment, there is no way you would end up feeling uneasy wearing a bodycon dress. Rather, the more curves a woman has, the more aesthetic the bodycon dress looks.
Some of Our Favourite Bodycon Dress Styles
Well, since these dresses are trending so much and complement each body type, there is no reason, why you should not have a sexy bodycon dress in your wardrobe. There is really not much effort that one has to put into styling these dresses and a string of compliments coming your way is a given when you wear one. They are often seen in only one robust colour and we would suggest you steer clear of prints, motifs or any floral semblance. Since these dresses are supposed to have an underlying sexy tone, better keep them at that.
1. The Sexy Bodycon Dress
As the name suggests, these dresses are ought to look super sexy and enchanting. They are slightly more body-hugging. Confidence and unabashed aplomb are the watchwords when you decide to adorn one of these dresses. If you are shy, coy, playing docile and delicate kind of a girl, these dresses are not for you. Be confident in your skin, bold and firm in case you wish to wear a sexy bodycon dress. Also, one needs to be really cautious of the lingerie that they are planning to wear beneath these dresses.
2. Bodycon Dress with Stylish Sleeves
The silhouette of most of these dresses is more or less the same. The only aspects that a designer or a fashion brand can play with are the length, colour and style of the sleeves. A lot of bodycon dresses show off the décolletage area and have deep necks. They mostly have no sleeves and just two slim strings to hold on the dress. One may even opt for an off-shoulder or a corset-style bodycon dress. They look super hot and further highlight the bosom area. But what we also love are the dresses with stylish sleeves. They add another dimension to the whole dress and give it a distinctive look. Sheer volume sleeves look very feminine and elegant. Other styles of sleeves that look stunning on a bodycon dress are a one-shoulder sleeve, ruffled sleeves and cowl neckline sleeve.
3. Black Bodycon Dress
Two advantages that are common between a bodycon dress and colour black are that they both make one look slimmer and secondly, they both enhance your sex appeal multifold and have a certain glamorous appeal. When combined together, that is a black bodycon dress; it makes for a lethal combination. Every woman must have a black variation of this dress in her wardrobe, specially reserved for occasions when she wishes to make jaws drop and eyes pop out.
4. Long Bodycon Dress
This is the style of dress that is more suited for a semi-formal to a formal outing. These dresses look super feminine and in case you are someone who is still not very comfortable highlighting their voluptuous curves, these dresses are your safest bet. The long bodycon dress is perfect for women with a taller, frame, but even if you are short height, you can balance it out with some nude heels or pumps.
5. Nude Bodycon Dress
When it comes to these dresses, there aren’t really too many colours that you can play around with. The best part about the nude colour is that it really complements and enhances the Asian skin tone. A wheatish complexion comes out beautifully with a beige or a nude shade bodycon dress. Jahnvi Kapoor stole our hearts when she recently wore a nude bodycon dress for a shoot. Her images serve as a temptation enough for all of us to stock up our wardrobes with at least one dress in this colour.
6. Red Bodycon Dress
We swear you would look like a divalicious beauty in a red bodycon dress. Red is the colour of passion, romance and vigour, and with a dress that screams sensuous, there is no way you would not look drop-dead gorgeous wearing a red bodycon dress. For a first date, an anniversary or anytime you want to ‘kill with your looks’ wear a red colour well-fitted dress.
Keep This in Mind While Wearing a Bodycon Dress
Before you get all excited and plan to adorn this dress, there are a few points you need to put your mind to! We give you a lowdown below.
- Do not just wear a bodycon dress, only because you find your BFFs sporting them too. Only go ahead, if the dress style resonates with your personal style and you are sure you can carry it with a lot of confidence and poise. If you are too conscious of yourself all the time, you would actually kill the vibe of the look and also not do any justice to the outfit. The idea of the dress is to make you feel empowered, not embarrassed.
- Be cautious of the undergarments you wear under a bodycon dress. No matter, if you are slim, far or super voluptuous, these dresses are for every body shape and size. Wear a seamless panty, one that shows no panty lines at all. Or a thong or a g-string that would almost have a negligible presence and yet keep you comforted and covered. Wearing shapewear, that hides the effect of the extra layers of cellulite under the dress, is also a good idea. Also, ensure you wear the right bra. It should not be peeping out from the side and the straps may either be invisible or detachable. If your dress has a really low neckline, sticking to adhesive bras or silicones that are glued to the skin is a good idea.
- If your dress is in satin, lycra or any other fabric that you feel clings too close to the skin, wearing a slip, a bodysuit or a tummy tucker can really help ward off all the awkwardness and make you feel really at ease.
- The grace and poise of a woman are actually in how effortlessly she carries her outfit. Once your lingerie is in place, you can feel confident in your dress. Carry yourself with elegance and you would be looking much more of a stunner in that dress than you could actually fathom.
Tips on Styling and Accessorizing a Bodycon Dress to the T
A bodycon dress is not just your regular dress or a floral gown. It has an identity and a personality of its own. If styled rightly, you can create your own version of a celebrity-stylist-curated look and get applauded for the same. Just bear the few following points in mind.
- Let the dress and your body frame do the talking. All those curves that you have always wanted to hide, will now work to your advantage. Just be effortless.
- Wear some very minimalist jewellery. We would suggest you refrain from wearing any layered neck chains or pendants and even heavy earrings. Just a bracelet, rings and a watch should do the trick. The idea is to divert attention to your collarbones and cleavage. Keep it as less crowded as possible.
- Natural beachy waves look the best as a hairstyle with a bodycon dress. You may also opt for a low bun or a half-tied hairstyle. But nothing that takes away the spotlight from the dress.
- Makeup should again be light. No heavy eye makeup. One may play with a lot of blush and highlighter to go along well with the sensuous look. Just put on some body polisher and highlighter as well and do ensure to pay equal attention to your neck and bosom area. Overall your body must be well moisturized so that your arms and legs do not end up looking drastically different from your face.
- For accessories, a belt, a scarf or a jacket may look nice with a bodycon dress. Whatever you style it with, just keep in mind that the idea is not to hide, but flaunt the whole look with confidence.
- Heels play a very crucial role in bringing together this whole look. Flats or ballerinas are an absolute no. Pumps look wonderfully flattering with bodycon dresses. Pumps, stilettos, and ankle strap heels with long pencil heels give you height and look great with a bodycon dress look. Wedges and platform heels should also be avoided. For the colour of the heel, a classic black or nude pump is the ideal choice. But one may also opt for contrasting heels or see-through heels.
Best Brands for a Bodycon Dress
If you are planning to add a dress to your wardrobe right away, we strongly recommend you explore the collections of these brands. You would certainly figure out the dress of your dreams from their collections.
- Zara
- H&M
- Marks and Spencer
- Forever 21
- Pretty Little Things
- Kazo Fashion
- Nykaa Fashion
- Street Style Stalk
Celebrities Spotted in Bodycon Dresses
There is no denying the fact that when it comes to establishing trends our Bollywood stars lead from the front. Courtesy their ‘always working’ stylists, we get to see them in their most glamorous avatars, giving us ample inspiration to play dress up. There are a few Indian actors like Deepika Padukone, Sonakshi Sinha, Jahnvi Kapoor, Tara Sutaria, Nora Fatehi who have taken the bodycon dress trend quite seriously and honestly, we are not complaining! It is a treat to the eyes to see them wearing these dresses for dinners, meetings, airport looks and more. We share some images with you so that you have no dearth of the right inspiration when you plan to don a bodycon dress next time.
1. Janhvi Kapoor – Like her mother, the iconic Sridevi, Janhvi is blessed with a curvaceous body and we absolutely love that! With regular gym and yoga classes, she has further toned her muscles. She can be quite called the torch bearer of the bodycon dresses as the actor is quite often spotted wearing the same.
2. Deepika Padukone – With a height and body like hers, there is no outfit style in the world that she cannot rock. We love a good’ol bodycon dress on her and only wish she wears it even more often.
3. Katrina Kaif – The actor has enjoyed an unprecedented following for her charms and there is no reason why not. With a sculpted body like hers and long legs to boast of, Katrina Kaif does absolute justice to a bodycon dress look. She has always kept it effortless with no accessories at all and just her wavy hair left open loose. We guess, whatever it is, she has managed to nail the look right.
4. Jacqueline Fernandes – With her peppy, cheerful demeanour, Jacqueline made the perfect attire choice with this neon bodycon dress. We are in love with the sleeves, the off-shoulder neckline and the motifs on the dress. Sensuality, oomph and cuteness all combined together to perfection.
5. Nora Fatehi – Trust the actor and dancer to always set our screens ablaze with her hotness quotient. This off-shoulder bodycon dress just fits her too well and again, we would love to see her wearing these dresses more often.
6. Ananya Pandey – With a petite frame, Ananya Pandey looks super hot yet cute in this short bodycon dress. We love her choice of pairing up such contrasting colours of both her dress and heels. The almost non-existent footwear with strappy orange heels gives her an illusion of longer legs and an even slimmer frame.
7. Sonakshi Sinha – Her robust body and broad frame are what works best for a long bodycon dress. As we stated earlier, these dresses are for all women, it is just that you have to pick the most suitable style and length. Rather than opting for a short dress, she chose to wear a longer length with sheer lace. Quite an intelligent pick, we must say.
We hope you loved our detailed post on rocking a bodycon dress and how. We would love to hear your thoughts on these dresses and if you have any styling suggestions. Feel free to share in the comments below.
Love,
Team LadyInRoseGold
