This Dress Trend Isn't New, But It's Blowing Up Again This Summer
True story: This dress trend is stalking me. I first noticed it pop up all the way back in 2018 when just a few cult brands like Ganni and Dôen were designing it, but then as more and more brands got in on the look, I started seeing versions land in my inbox, plant themselves in my Instagram feed, and appear on my most stylish friends. It has gotten to the point where I can no longer ignore it. Shirred dresses are the trend that just won't quit. Trust me—once you start noticing this smocking detail, you'll also start seeing it everywhere you look.
The stretchy fabric makes any dress (and, therefore, any outfit you wear with it) immediately more summery, so it makes sense that the trend tends to come back around at the first sign of warm weather. Even though they're not necessarily new for 2021, shirred dresses still feel like a current option and a surprisingly comfortable one, at that. This summer, smocking has returned in ways that feel even better than it ever has, from pretty floral-print dresses to charming bow-tie straps and all the puffy sleeves a fashion girl's heart could desire. Simply keep scrolling to shop the very best ones and to get inspired by how cool girls wear them.
The dresses from Faithfull the Brand are possibly some of my favorites this summer.
The kind of dress you can easily throw on with sneakers or sandals.
Sleeper's dreamy smocked dresses are in a category all their own.
Ganni's version of a smocked dress has a cool downtown vibe to it, naturally.
Next up, Six Trendy Prints Everyone Is Wearing Instead of Leopard This Year
Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.
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