Whereas Instagram was once the go-to for finding viral fashion — think: Ganni’s seersucker check dress — more recently, these trends have been taking over TikTok. Over the last year-plus, styles like the Aerie cross-over leggings, Aritzia Melina pants, and Amazon butt-scrunch leggings have exploded on the Gen Z-approved platform. With so many items turning into viral sensations in next to no time, though, it can be tricky to keep track of its buzziest styles.
Good thing for you, we spend far too much time on fashion TikTok, browsing (and shopping!) the looks that regularly show up on our #fyp. It’s there that we discovered some of summer's best dresses: With Jéan’s Alexa dress, Bamba Swim’s low-back Bounty pool cover-up, Mirror Palais’ Fairy dress, and more styles that, by now, have likely been seen and purchased by the platform’s loyal users.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
SKIMS Soft Lounge Long Slip Dress
Available in sizes XXS to 4X, this floor-length SKIMS slip dress, which comes in six colors ranging from pastels to neutrals, is a major hit on TikTok, where #Skimsdress has garnered 2.2 million views and counting. On the page, thousands of videos of wearers of all sizes share their honest takes on the form-fitting frock.
SKIMS Soft Lounge Long Slip Dress, $78, available at SKIMS.
Skims Soft Lounge Long Slip Dress, $, available at Skims
Zara Satin-Effect Short Dress
From a now-sold-out Kermit green, printed mini to the more simple white or red version, this cowl-neck slip dress from Zara is a hit across the board. Get it while it's still available, because, as Zara lovers will tell you, once something sells out, you're unlikely to see it again.
Zara Short Satin Effect Dress, $39.90, available at Zara.
Zara Short Satin Effect Dress, $, available at Zara
Wilfred Divinity Romper Unitard, $78.00, available at Aritzia.
Wilfred Divinity Romper Unitard, $, available at Aritzia
Bamba Swim Bounty Dress
If you're going on a much-needed vacation this summer and want to look like a full-blown TikTok influencer, this is the beach coverup for you. By Australian swimwear brand Bamba Swim, the backless Bounty Dress — which comes in a range of colors, including, our favorite, pink-and-orange ombré — is almost always paired with gold hoops and colorful candy rings.
Marcelo Gaia's '90s-inspired fashion brand Mirror Palais was destined to go viral on TikTok. It was only a matter of which hot girl summer dress would be the first to catch peoples' attention. The winner? The sparkly Fairy Dress, which has garnered over 677,000 likes on the platform. Unfortunately, even after a recent restock, the mini is no longer available. Let us introduce you to a worthy alternative, instead: Gaia's underwire slip dress.
Mirror Palais Underwire Slip Dress Rose, $565.00, available at Mirror Palais.
Mirror Palais Underwire Slip Dress Rose, $, available at Mirror Palais
House Of Sunny Good Vibrations Dress
You've seen the famous green Hockney dress from House of Sunny, but have you noticed its pastel counterpart? The wave-print dress is nearing the same viral status as its predecessor, which means you should act fast.
House Of Sunny Good Vibrations Dress, $138, available at Lisa Says Gah.
Similar Style: My Tiny Coven Handmade Knit Dress, $35, available at Etsy.
House Of Sunny Good Vibrations Dress, $, available at House of Sunny
Princess Polly Penney Mini Dress
Is it just us or is this lilac-colored dress from Princess Polly in every single clothing haul on TikTok? If lavender isn't your color, the ruched style has seven other colorways.
Princess Polly Penney Mini Dress, $45.00, available at Princess Polly.
Princess Polly Penney Mini Dress, $, available at Princess Polly
With Jéan Alexa Dress
No list of TikTok dress trends would be complete without the ubiquitous terry cloth Alexa dress from With Jéan.
With Jean Alexa Dress, $239.00, available at With Jean.
According to Lisa Says Gah and TikTok, babydoll dresses are back. Sadly, the San Francisco-based brand's popular zebra-print style is no longer available. But, the exact same silhouette with a pink-and-red print is. In fact, it's on sale. You can thank us later.
Lisa Says Gah Lena Babydoll Mini Dress, $189.00 $151.20, available at Lisa Says Gah.
Lisa Says Gah Lena Babydoll Mini Dress, $, available at Lisa Says Gah
Zara Gingham Dress
Given the thousands of Zara hauls on TikTok, it was inevitable that more than just one dress would go viral. In addition to the Spanish brand's slinky slip dress, this pink-and-white gingham frock, too, is gaining attention on the platform.
When Saya Ruiz was 16 years old, he bought his first packer, a padding or a phallic object worn in the front of the pants to give the appearance of a penis. It was a piece of leather with two elastic bands at the front that he remembers as “sweaty, gross, and horrible.” But the design — one that allowed him to go to the bathroom without having to remove the packer — always stuck with him.
“I decided to make them myself not really thinking that I was going to make a business,” he says.
More than a decade later, Ruiz has founded My Pack, a direct-to-consumer brand of packing straps, which allows people to pack in any underwear they want (or no underwear at all) with minimal skin irritation thanks to a moisture-wicking pouch fabric. Launched in 2020, My Pack is one of a few transgender men-owned brands reimagining the packing experience for folks in the United States.
The problem Ruiz most frequently encountered with the packers he used to purchase was the way they were designed to reside inside his boxer briefs. “The thing that I kept finding was that packing is stuck within [your] underwear, so when you sit down to go to the bathroom, you take it off your body. It’s a very dysphoric experience,” he says. So he took advantage of his sewing background as a former patternmaking student to create his own packers out of old underwear by removing the elastic waistband and making my own pouch.”
“I could feel this euphoria and comfort in my life because it really does ease your dysphoria,” says Ruiz. “It shuts your brain up when you feel like it’s right.”
Nearly 1.6 million adults in the United States are transgender, with 78% of transgender men identifying their gender dysphoria, a distress often caused by a discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and the sex assigned at birth, by age seven. Still, the average trans man lives an average of 22.9 years before starting his medical transition, according to a study by Cedars-Sinai. That transition might include hormone therapy or surgical procedures to remove breast tissue and reproductive organs.
For trans men and non-binary folks, packing and chest binding (compression of breast tissue through commercial binders, sports bras, bandages, or other elastic materials) are lifelines used to cope with gender dysphoria. Yet, mainstream fashion brands rarely cater to these realities, and instead rely on cisgender sizing to mass-produce items that overlook these fraught experiences. Although male models such as Nathan Westling and Chella Man are carving a space for trans men in fashion, they remain the exception rather than the rule when it comes to representation both backstage and through consumer goods. With that in mind, many trans folks, like Ruiz, are taking matters into their own hands, creating products that allow for a new sizing and construction standard for men to cope with gender dysphoria.
Auston Bjorkman and Scout Rose both started their transitions in the early 2000s back when finding direct-to-consumer brands catering to trans and non-binary folks was unheard of. They used to peruse messaging boards and sex shops to find packers, items that were “created for cis men and we’d use for our own purposes,” according to Rose.
They founded Trans Guy Supply with the aim to change the landscape for young trans folks so they don’t have to rely on sex shops to source items that are a necessity. Their online shop features products from other trans-owned brands, as well as their own line of packers, T-shirts, hats, and accessories made with the transmasculine experience in mind.
Before launching their own line, Bjorkman and Rose tested “everything that was out there” from regular packers and prosthetics to STP (stand-to-pee) devices. They found that most could cost upwards of $100 for one packer. In contrast, the prices of packers from Trans Guy Supply range from $15 to $54. (My Pack packing straps also start at an affordable $15.)
“Transitioning can be an incredibly expensive experience, and even if you are pursuing a medical transition, trans folks are part of a vulnerable population that doesn’t have a ton of money to spend,” says Rose. “What is the point of making a product for a community that can’t afford it?”
Beyond packers, Bjorkman and Rose also carry packing undergarments that help packers stay in place, and are now looking to expand to packing swimwear. “The beach is definitely a frontier,” says Bjorkman.
While some brands are trying to conquer new ground, Finnegan Shepherd from Both& is attempting to make everyday clothing to address the different experiences within the transmasculine and non-binary spectrum. Its first launch included three T-shirt models — the Finnegan, the Khazeel, and the Tyla. The latter is tailored to men post-gender-confirmation surgery who “want to show off their muscles” by minimizing the shoulder width, according to Shepherd, while the Khazeel is generously cut in order to help folks hide chest binders under their clothing.
“The way that I always try to explain it is how I can smuggle function in through style,” says Shepherd, who studied literature and philosophy prior to opening his business. “I always wanted since the beginning [for the brand] to have this aspirational and elegant aspect to it that I didn’t see.”
The demand is there. Last year, My Pack’s Ruiz raised over $13,000 through Kickstarter, surpassing his original goal in a two-month period. “The fact that someone from the trans experience made this product [resonated with people],” says Ruiz. “But also how affordable and accessible it is.” A year after launching his brand, Ruiz still looks back at the beginnings of his transition whenever a mom thanks him for providing accessible products a teen can use or when he hears from a college swimmer who tells him how much his life has changed since he discovered the brand.
“When you have things that make you feel comfortable, it really makes a huge difference,” Ruiz says. “It just makes navigating the world easier.”
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A year and a half into working from home, our Fashion and Shopping teams are starved for some style moments. Fashion weeks turned digital, party nights were replaced by at-home cooking sessions, and the threads we bought out of impulse last year still have their tags on.
But as we transition into post-quarantine life, it's all coming back. And we are ready to dive headfirst into the summer trends that we’ll actually get to wear outdoors, IRL fashion shows, and vacation wardrobes. Oh, and then there’s a little TV show narrated by a certain girl who likes gossip coming to HBO Max that we can’t wait to watch for the costumes.
Ahead, fashion that’s getting us excited for July.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Tombolo set
“Last summer, while following stay-at-home orders, I impulse-bought this pasta shirt from Tombolo to wear at home as I canceled all foreseeable vacation plans. Fast-forward a year later, I haven’t left New York, and it’s still my go-to shirt when I need a mood-booster. This month, I am planning on upgrading to a matching set from the brand — one that may actually end up on a trip. I am loving this “Fruits de Mer” one that just launched.” — Irina Grechko, Fashion Director
“I’m excited for the reboot of Gossip Girl [out July 8]. I was absolutely obsessed with the original in middle school (I modeled my style after the fabulous Blair Waldorf), and this one looks absolutely perfect. It's a refreshing, diverse take on the original that I'm so excited to check out. The fashion looks incredible.” — Mercedes Viera, Associate Deals Writer Photo: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images.
Pearl necklaces — with a twist
“Inspired by one Harry Styles, I began to wear pearl necklaces again this summer. I have especially taken to styles that mix the traditional gemstone with more modern chains and gold detailing. My current favorites include Missoma's Baroque Pearl Twisted Link Necklace and Machete’s (now-sold-out) Petite Figaro & Rice Pearl Necklace." — IG
Gabriel For Sach’s Fall ‘21
“The other thing I'm most excited about this month is Gabriel For Sach's fall '21 collection, which launched this week. The collection is centered on timelessness, so none of the handbags and garments are new per se, but, instead, reworked versions of past pieces, made in new colors, materials, and textures. I'm a huge fan of the brand and how classic yet innovative the bags are.” — EH
The Return of Birthday Outfits
“I’m turning 27 in August and, like any Leo, I’m already prepping for it. This month I’ll be dedicating a good chunk of my time (and budget!) to find a great party dress so I can celebrate like God intended. Currently, I’m obsessed with this Selkie puff dress in black.” — FSS
IRL Thrifting
"Super late to the game, but, since moving to Brooklyn, I’ve really enjoyed thrifting on my days off. It’s the fun of shopping on a budget without the guilt of buying from fast fashion, both for environmental and workforce ethical reasons. Awoke Vintage is super close to me, and I just love how they have new things every time I visit. I go to other thrift stores nearby, too, but I always check in on Awoke first, if only for those stunning accessories!” — MV
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It takes guts to step outside your comfort zone, much less onto a camera-crazed red carpet, wearing little more than a sheer piece of fabric or hole-riddled chainmail. And yet, naked dresses have appeared at award shows, premieres, and the like for nearly a century, popping up during pivotal points in history — think the sex-positive ‘60s and early ‘70s, as well as the ‘90s when boundary-pushing was all the rage — before going dormant for the past decade or two. Today, with vaccines aplenty in the U.S., quarantines (hopefully) in the past, and the term “hot vax summer” leading the vernacular pack, we’re seeing yet another spike in demand for the barely-there frocks made famous by Sarah Jessica Parker, Cher, Rihanna, and Madonna.
According to global fashion shopping platform Lyst, the first signs of a naked dress resurgence in 2021 arrived in March, when Dua Lipa appeared at the 2021 Grammys wearing a custom Versace chainmail dress that looked like a metallic second skin embellished with colorful butterflies. Following her debut of the Cher-inspired look, search for chain dresses skyrocketed 18% in a matter of hours. Interest in “embellished” and “bejeweled” dresses rose by 15%.
But barely-there dresses aren’t just for celebrities attending industry events. In the month of June alone, Lyst reported a 45% increase in searches for “naked dresses” and “see-through dresses,” while “mini sheer dresses” and “cut-out dresses” saw page views increase by 21% and 38%, respectively. Leading the charge are brands like Mirror Palais, Poster Girl, and Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS, all of which have body-mirroring dresses that are currently going viral on TikTok.
In anticipation for the summer of naked dresses, we first got to know their past.
According to Kimberly Chrisman Campbell — a fashion historian and the author of Worn on This Day: The Clothes That Made History and the forthcoming Skirts, a history of the garment — the term “naked dress” didn’t arise until Sarah Jessica Parker wore a DKNY slip dress in a shade so close to her skin tone she appeared almost naked while attending the 1997 VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards. She made more waves when she wore the same dress on the first season of Sex and the City, most memorably on her first date with Mr. Big.
Though the dress dates back well before Bradshaw set Manolos down on the cobblestone streets of the West Village. “It’s something that we’ve seen in Hollywood movies and nightclub and burlesque performances since the early 20th century,” Campbell tells Refinery29. These dress styles were referred to as “illusion dresses,” because they gave off the impression that the wearer was nude.
According to Campbell, the person responsible for bringing the style out of the clubs and into the mainstream was Marilyn Monroe, who wore a beaded, sheer Jean Louis gown to the party where she famously sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962. “She was really the first person to wear that kind of dress in a non-performance context, wearing it as an evening gown as opposed to a stage or film costume,” Campbell says.
Later, Elizabeth Taylor became known for her glitzy get-ups that more often than not left little to the imagination. At the 1969 Academy Awards, Barbara Streisand wore black, sequin bell-bottoms by Arnold Scaasi that were almost completely sheer. Throughout the ‘70s, Cher debuted a bevy of skimpy, rhinestone Bob Mackie ensembles on The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and later on her solo show, Cher.
Not unlike today’s post-lockdown landscape, the ‘60s and ‘70s were a time defined by freedom and rebellion — the liberty to do what you wanted, go where you wanted, and wear what you wanted, no matter how see-through or skimpy. Celebrities were straying from the norm, wearing fashion that shocked and disrupted, rather than playing by the rules. The result was a spike in fleshy dress sightings.
The trend quieted until the ‘90s, when the fashion world embraced minimalism and unapologetic sexuality (read: the Calvin Klein ads that graced the sides of city buses). Supermodel Kate Moss caused a stir when she wore a graphite-colored slip dress sans bra to an Elite Model Agency party in London circa 1993. Unlike those before her, though, Moss’s take — a very simple alternative to the hip-hugging, crystal-embellished naked dresses of yore — portrayed a different kind of sex appeal than what was popular in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Her dress was more slinky and spare. More naked, if you will.
“Kate Moss was very famous for being flat-chested, but [that dress proved in a way that] she could be flat-chested and sexy,” says Campbell, who believes the naked dress trend isn’t necessarily about a dress at all, but rather the body the silhouette was designed to show off. “It was a new interpretation of sexiness.”
It was Moss, with her boy brief underwear and loose-fitting slip, that inspired a new kind of naked dress, one that wasn’t limited to a single definition of desirability. “It taught society something about what is considered ‘revealing’ and what is considered ‘attractive,’” says Campbell. As time went on, and the way society defines attractiveness evolved, so, too, did the naked dress.
In 2014, CFDA Fashion Icon Award recipient Rihanna walked the event’s red carpet in a Swarovski-crystal naked dress, designed by Adam Selman, that showed off her curves (and, well, everything — the dress was completely sheer). One year later, J.Lo (whose naked-like jungle dress from the 2000 Grammys will never not live rent free in our minds), Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé all went nude-adjacent to the 2015 Met Gala.
Naked dresses have been a staple of red carpets since, with regular appearances by noted daring dressers like the Kardashian-Jenners and Lady Gaga, but none have sparked the kind of reaction that Rihanna’s Adam Selman look, or Beyoncé’s Met Gala dress for that matter, did. In 2021, however, after a year defined by sweatsuits and house slippers, the naked dress is back with a vengeance, ready to adorn the likes of everyone who has spent 365-plus days in solitude. We’re feeling braver and bolder, lucky to have bodies, and to once again go to places where they’ll attract the notice of others.
“They’re a very look-at-me type of clothing, which I think will probably be the look this summer,” Campbell says of the dresses. “People want to be out, to be the center of attention and go off a little, because we’ve all been isolated indoors.” And what better way to do so than in a dress known for its ability to make a statement?
That appears to be the consensus on social media. On Instagram, naked dresses of all hues, silhouettes, and level of nudity are plentiful, with style stars like Milan Wheaton, Ireanna Bradshaw, Sandra Heinrich Sauceda, and more all donning their pared-down frocks. Making the post-pandemic naked dress comeback all the better is the wider variety of bodies that might now be included in this once size-exclusive phenomenon. “This time around, I predict that this trend will be a lot more diverse in terms of body types that participate in it,” Campbell says. “I think we’ll see people that, 20 years ago, maybe wouldn’t have felt comfortable wearing completely sheer and body-baring clothing, [fully] embracing the naked dress.”
In 2021, the naked dress is more of a battle cry than a body-con casing. They’re a tool to show off who you are and what you’ve got.
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