With its signature stretch and sculpted fit, the Hervé Léger bandage dress has made an unexpected return to the fashion spotlight in the past months. Gen Z’s obsession with the look has sent online searches soaring, but with the trend’s resurgence comes the question: Does this new wave of body-con dressing signal a return to restrictive ideals, or has the style become a statement of autonomy and inclusivity?
Searches for “Hervé Léger dress” have increased by 1303 percent on Depop over the past three months, while searches for “bandage dress” have risen 1280 percent on the platform during the same period. In the past year, the e-commerce company reported a 58 percent increase in interest in “body-con” silhouettes. On Google, searches for “bandage dress” also reached a new peak in the first week of June.
The formfitting dress, created by designer Hervé Léger, was considered the uniform of ’90s models. The silhouette, first made of dozens of elasticated bandage-style strips of knitted cloth, debuted on Léger’s fall 1992 ready-to-wear collection and became an immediate sensation, WWD reported. By the early 2000s, the dress had become a staple in celebrities’ wardrobes, seen on Kim Kardashian to Rihanna.
Tatjana Patitz at the Hervé Léger Fall 1992 Ready-to-Wear Collection
Wade Watson/WWD
With its popularity also came the controversy. Due to its body-hugging appeal, the bandage dress was often seen as flattering only on certain body types — typically slim, toned figures, which reinforced narrow beauty standards. With the rise of body positivity and inclusivity trends in the 2010s, the style lost its trendy status.
In 2025, the bandage dress is experiencing a resurgence alongside the rise of a new skinny culture, fueled by the popularity of Ozempic and similar GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, as well as social media