Bandaged to glamour

If you have the curves to flaunt, the bandage dress is something you would love to slip into this season.

French Couturier Herve Leger introduced the bandage dress in the late 80s. Though it did make its presence felt in the fashion circuit, year 2009 has seen a comeback of sorts for this body-con (body conscious, for the uninitiated) outfit that usually ends on your thighs. From Max Azria and FCUK to Shilpa Shetty’s favourite brand, Preen and designer Narsico Rodriquez, known for dressing up US First Lady Michelle Obama, international designers have launched their versions of the bandage dress.

Victoria Beckham, Rihanna, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Moss have already pioneered the trend followed closely by our very own desi celebs like Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra, Amisha Patel, Sophie Choudhary and Amrita Rao. Not to be left behind, Indian designers like Ranna Gill, Kavita Bhartia, Narendra Kumar Ahmend and Puja Nayyar have filled Delhi’s fashion-conscious women’s wardrobes with the bandage dress.

What is it
A bandage dress is made of strips of fabric joined together horizontally. Though its tailormade for body conscious ladies, the dress does act like a pair of magic pants, holding in bulges and clamping the thunder thighs together. Designer Ranna Gill who showed her version of bandage dress at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week spring/summer 2010 defines it aptly. “It’s like a swimsuit in a dress, except that your midriff is covered. It’s too body fitted and super fit.”

If Ranna’s statement is anything to go by, the non-size zero women should look elsewhere. But she clears the air. “It’s not about size zero or size two; you could be a size eight too and carry off a bandage dress well if your body is in shape,” she says. Recollecting a sight in New York, she says, “When I was in New York, I saw these lunching ladies, easily in their 50s and 60s sitting gracefully in their bandage dresses.”

Stylist Shy Kalra calls the dress “your second skin”. But she has a word of advice. “Only girls with long torso, irrespective of their height, should wear bandage dresses.” Giving an example from Bollywood, she says, somebody like Deepika Padukone can carry off a bandage dress.

Designer Puja Nayyar had her models walk the runway in bandage dresses way back in 2006. She says, “It [the dress] has suddenly become a rage. Be an actress or a commoner, bandage dress is something that has the potential to either look super hot or extremely disastrous. Ditch it if you don’t have a great body.”

How to wear it

Ranna suggests one should team it up with chunky neckpieces to accentuate the dress. Though the dress is made for summers, Ranna says one can flaunt it in winters by wearing a pantyhose and wrap-around cashmere shawl. Knee-high boots and danglers also do justice to the dress.

A word of caution before you slip into one: If you have long legs, sport a bandage dress with a high neck, but if you are petite, you must avoid this style and opt for spaghetti bandage, strapless or even broad shoulder dresses.