Fashion Experts Agree—This Forgotten Dress Trend Is Graceful, Timeless and Back for Summer

For several years we've witnessed hemlines dominate the runway, courtesy of shrunken or elongated hems and the dropped waist dress trend is set to become one of 2025's most lauded fashion movements. You could say it's somewhat of a revival. Dating back to the 1920s, low-slung dresses adorned with tassels or fringing became a widely coveted style, which evolved into loose but pronounced silhouettes with stretched-out bodices.

Today, the re-imagined style comprises similar elements as far as the elongated silhouette and hip clinging feature are concerned, albeit a touch more contemporary and with less focus on the hemline but instead the longline body element. Unlike designs of the 1920s, 2025's many drop waist dresses span long form and mini dresses, alike — with some comprising other complementary trends, such as voluminous underlays (or overlays, as is the case with 16 Arlington), cloud-like bubble skirts and V-shaped corsets with protruding skirts, to add further dimension.

There's an indisputable reference to cinched bustiers of the 16th and 17th centuries to create hourglass shaping, however, there's an empowering element to the modern interpretation of dropped waist dresses in supple fabrications, where comfort is prioritised and the individual form determines the fit—a subtle ode to the female form (in its many shapes).

We've seen many iterations of similar trends over the years (if you recall Abercrombie's viral Plunge Corset Maxi Dress, for example) demonstrating the recurrent nature of the dropped waist feature. There are a variety of fits from which to take your pick. Below, I've listed 19 styles that caught my eye, if you're also taken by the timelessness of this darling trend.

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This piece was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.