Are Bandage Dresses Really Making A Comeback?

Now, when you think of the best dresses for every shape and size, bodycon dresses probably don't come to mind. But, is everyone ready to feel nostalgic? If we take you back to 2008, you may have been a school pupil, a university student or a fully-fledged adult, but no matter your age, you will most likely remember the bodycon dress era. Because let's face it, it was iconic.

The likes of Rihanna, Kim Cattrall and Eva Longoria led the way when it came to being papped in the super-tight so-called 'bandage' dresses.

And guess what? They might, just might, be preparing for a comeback. And as you might have anticipated, the reaction has already been mixed. 'A bandage dress with six inch heels and a blowout? COME AWWWWWN,' said one user on X.

Hervé Léger was really the designer pioneer of this movement back in the early '00s, with his instantly-recognisable minidresses. Now, A-listers have hopped right back on the bandage bandwagon. For the promo trail of Barbie, Margot Robbie wore a black-and-white striped bandage dress by Léger, a recreation of 'The Original' 1959 Barbie, masterminded by her stylist Andrew Mukamal. Her co-star Issa Rae, President Barbie, also wore one of his designs to The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Gala.

Its subtly-bandaged bodice and soft lavender hue recalled a dress famously worn by Salma Hayek. At the 1998 premiere of Lethal Weapon 4, the actor wore Hervé Léger, naturally; a bandage dress in a naughty-but-nice shade of purple that she accessorised with silver strappy sandals, a beaded purse and a hair clip. Iconic, not least because most of us can relate to the time when a night out meant a bodycon mini dress, plus heels and a shoulder bag, right? Kim Cattrall's version, meanwhile, was a little dressier; a golden maxi dress that her most famous on-screen alter ego, Samantha Jones, would have worn with door knocker-sized earrings (well, she was attending the Emmys).

So if you're considering the bandage dress (and, go on, the heels and the hair), where on earth should you start? Karen Millen's bandage knitted midaxi dress, which has an asymmetric waterfall hem (also very '00s) and comes in ruby, emerald or black. Then of course, there's the OG: Hervé Léger himself, whose dresses are still available to buy.

Keep scrolling to see our pick of the best bandage dresses for 2024. Salma would be proud!