Suddenly, Everyone's Wearing Dresses With Giant Holes in Them

Cut-outs are a trend I've always had time for, particularly if they fall on the waist. For me, that is the part of my body I don't mind highlighting. However, even I found myself double-taking at the latest peekaboo iteration that's currently in favour with the fashion set—not in a judgemental way by any means, but more awe-stricken curiosity. 

I love seeing women dressing for themselves, and this is at the centre of the holes-in-dresses trend that's everywhere lately. Yes, you read that right—holes in dresses. I'm not talking about small details on a neckline or down the sleeve of a jumper. These are cut-outs you could crawl through. I reiterate, holes. Kai Collective is the brand that has cemented this trend through its Añuli dress and Adanna skirt, both of which have become cult pieces on Instagram and TikTok. So who better to ask why large cut-out dresses are so appealing than the brand's founder, Fisayo Longe? 

If you're an avid Who What Wear reader, you'll remember Longe from our franchise Best Wardrobes in Britain. Having turned her love of vibrant colours and prints into a career, Kai Collective is one of the buzziest brands to come out of the London design scene in a long while—which should come as no surprise when it creates clothes like this. 

"I think large cut-outs done tastefully are not overtly revealing but also not modest," says Longe. "I think this makes the woman wearing them seem spontaneous but also mysterious, and isn't that how we all want to feel in our clothes?" 

I can't argue with that. However, I still have questions. The first one being: What underwear do you wear with such a thing? To which Longe said, "A G-string or no underwear is advisable." Seems a silly question in hindsight.  

While I still have some concerns pertaining to sitting and getting out of taxis, I, for one, am all for the holey-dress energy I'm witnessing in 2022. It's a statement, bold, fun, and 1000 times sexier than the joggers I'm currently wearing as I type this. Perhaps a dress with holes is just what I need to reignite my style spark for the year ahead and to rediscover some of my pre-2020 dressing confidence.

If you, too, could use some extreme cut-outs in your life, scroll on to see my picks, from Kai Collective's OG designs to some subtler interpretations.

SHOP EXTREME CUT-OUT DRESSES

Next Up: The Naked Dress Trend Is Now So Naked That It's Barely There at All