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9 Chic Ways to Style a Bodycon Dress and Turn Heads

The door squeaked open and in came the kind of lady we only saw on Instagram—flat tummy, small waist, wide hips. Her skimpy bodycon dress not only accentuated her alluring figure; it also flaunted her fresh thighs. 

The V-shaped pendant that adorned her neck made her look like freshly-baked bread waiting to be devoured. And for as long as she strutted to her seat, we could only gape at her ravishing beauty.

If you’re a curvy lady and you love to flaunt what your mama gave you, a bodycon dress is what you need. 

plus sized lady wearing bodycon dress with a high slit

The beautiful thing about these dresses is that they aren’t difficult to wear. You don’t even need to worry about the perfect top or bottom to pair with it. It’s a dress, you can wear it on its own, you know.

But just because these dresses are easy to rock and get going doesn’t mean you should wear them like that. You need to add an extra dose of style so you can turn heads like the lady in my story.

If this is you and your plans for that tight-fitting dress in your wardrobe, read on to see the flattering ways to wear a bodycon dress and make a style statement.

Who Wears a Bodycon Dress?

lady wearing oxblood bodycon dress

Bodycon, which is short for body-conscious, refers to any tight-fitting dress that stretches and hugs your body well enough to flaunt your curves and contours. 

These dresses came into the fashion scene in the ’90s and ever since then, they’ve been a woman’s go-to dress for enhancing the body shape and giving a slimming effect.

It’s a great wardrobe choice for pear-shaped, hourglass figures, and any woman who’s proud of her body type and wants to flaunt it.

This goes without saying that any woman can wear a body-conscious dress. You just have to go for the one that suits your body type and rock it.

Wondering how to go about that? You’ll find out as you read.

How to Wear a Bodycon Dress and Turn Heads

lady wearing green bodycon dress

Bodycon dresses come in different sizes, lengths, and cuts. You can have them in mini, midi, maxi, or lacy dresses with backless, off-shoulder, spaghetti straps, plunging neckline, etc. 

To ensure you look great in any body-conscious dress you wear, follow these guidelines:

1. Consider Your Body Type

lady wearing short white bodycon dress

If you hitherto thought tight-fitting dresses are for slim ladies alone, you’re wrong. As I said earlier, any woman can wear a body-conscious dress.

You just have to consider your body type while at it.

For instance, if you’re plus-size, go for a bodycon dress made with a thick fabric. It’ll accommodate your body better.

lady wearing a bodycon dress according to her body type

Also, if you’ve got a big belly and you’re not comfortable putting it in the limelight, layer your dress with a jacket, kimono, duster, or blazer. They’ll add more style while helping you hide that extra layer of fat.

You can also go for figure-hugging dresses that come with details around your belly and waist region. These details could be peplum, ruffles, or applique. If there are none, simply go for a multicolor/multipatterned dress.

Notwithstanding, you can rock the dress without layering it and confuse people with your body contours.

2. Choose Your Underwear Wisely

lady wearing a red body hugging dress

These dresses hug your body and as such, any unsightly line can show and steal attention. You don’t want that, do you?

So, choose your underwear wisely. Wear seamless panties or shapewear so everything appears smooth with no intruding visible panty lines.

lady wearing short body hugging dress

Further, don’t just focus on your lower body and forget your upper body. Your bra can cause damage too. And to avoid this, when rocking a bodycon dress, only wear brassieres with a clean finish. A T-shirt bra is the perfect one for this type of dress.

3. Switch Up Your Looks with Shoes

lady rocking long brown bodycon dress

These dresses are versatile. This means that you can wear them with anything to pull off different types of outfits.

Let’s imagine you have a wedding this weekend, a hangout with your girls next weekend, and a date with your crush afterward. After contemplating what to wear, you finally decide to go for the same short bodycon dress.

lady wearing body tight short dress

For the wedding, layer it with a kimono and grab on your stiletto heels, clutch, and jewelry. For your hangout with the girls, slip on a cropped jacket and a pair of sneakers or knee-high boots.  And for your date, flaunt your curves with the dress with a pair of heels that aren’t too high.

What does this say? I’ll tell you:

It all depends on your shoes. You can wear this style of dress anywhere. Just switch up your look with your shoes and ensure you appear appropriate for the occasion.

4. Explore Colours

lady rocking red body hugging dress

If you have a red bodycon dress, pair it with a pair of red shoes for a monochromatic look. Or better still, grab on an animal print heels if you’re avoiding white, black, and other neutral colors.

lady wearing body hugging dress with high slit

Just like every other fashion item, these dresses give room for stylish color combinations. Go through our guide on how to match colors to see the easy ways you can explore colors with your figure-hugging dress.

5. Add More Textures by Layering

lady layering black bodycon dress with a scarf

When you layer your outfit, you don’t just shield your body from unfavorable weather conditions. You also add more accents to your look.

lady layering her dress with a jacket

The sweet part about layering is that it doesn’t have to be with jackets, sweaters,  or blazers alone. You can layer with a scarf by simply tying it around your neck or hanging it around your shoulders. You can also layer with your necklaces too.

Would you like to give it a shot? Then read up our guide on how to layer your outfits.

6. Never Forget Those Accessories

lady wearing bodycon dress with bag and shoes

Your earrings, bracelets, wristwatch, and other jewelry are a necessity when rocking this style of dress.

You can top up your look by adding a hat and a pair of sunglasses, as the case may be. And don’t forget your handbags too, They’re statement pieces on their own.

lady wearing dress with a purse

Just make sure whatever you’re accessorizing with complements the color and style of your dress.

And most importantly, keep it simple yet classy. The general rule of thumb when rocking these dresses is to minimize accessories so the focus can be on your dress.

7. Avoid Thin Fabrics

lady wearing adire fabric bodycon dress

In general, when rocking a bodycon dress, avoid the ones made with thin fabrics. They can be so revealing and won’t present you as a classy lady. 

lady wearing short stretch fabric body conscious dress

That aside, these thin fabrics also cling so hard to your body. What’s worse? They even flaunt the features you aren’t proud of. So, avoid them and stick with thick materials.

8. Cinch That Waist

lady wearing white body hugging dress with black belt

I know right. A bodycon dress already cinches your waist. What then are we cinching again?

lady wearing white bodycon dress with belt

It’s called adding more details, baby. You wanna flaunt that banging body, right? You wanna switch up your looks while doing that, isn’t it?

So, add a belt to cinch your waist today You can rock the dress without the belt tomorrow.

9. Experiment with Prints

lady wearing animal print bodycon dress

Don’t just stick to solid-colored figure-hugging dresses. Try different prints too. You can go for animal prints, stripes, floral, polka dots, checkered, etc.  

lady wearing flower pattern bodycon dress

Just wear busy prints that can keep people’s eyes busy while they admire your outfit.

In general, when wearing a form-fitting dress, don’t eat too much. If you do, your stomach will bulge and you’ll transform from an eye candy into an eyesore. You don’t wanna be that fashionista with a potbelly, do you?

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Victoria B. Willie

Writing has always been a part of me. From writing stories as a young child to studying Communication Arts in the university, it has always been more than a medium of expression to me.

And then one day, I found myself toeing the path of an entrepreneur and becoming a fashion enthusiast. This made me develop an interest in content marketing and copywriting which I've been chasing alongside my fashion career.

That aside, when I'm not sharing style articles, selling with stories, or creating fashion-forward pieces for Ria Kosher, you'll find me telling wild stories that always come with a twist.

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