The 2021-2022 going-out fashion trend featuring strategic fabric cutouts revealing skin in unexpected places—midriff, sides, back, chest—as post-pandemic nightlife returned.

Origins

Cut-out dresses emerged forcefully in spring-summer 2021 as nightclubs and bars reopened after COVID-19 lockdowns. The trend represented a dramatic shift from 2020’s comfort-focused loungewear to body-revealing “revenge dressing”:

• Pent-up energy: Year+ of isolation fueled desire to dress up
• Body confidence: Post-lockdown fitness trends, going-out energy
• Skin without nudity: Strategic reveals rather than overall exposure
• Instagram appeal: Unexpected cutouts photographed interestingly

Designers had been showing cutout details pre-pandemic (Christopher Kane, Dion Lee), but 2021 made it a mainstream, accessible trend across all price points.

Cutout Variations

The trend featured diverse cutout placements:

Midriff cutouts (most popular):

• Horizontal bands revealing waist
• Asymmetric stomach reveals
• Crisscross patterns showing skin
• Centered keyhole openings

Side cutouts:

• Hip and waist reveals
• Curved cutouts following body contours
• Lace-up sides with skin showing

Back cutouts:

• Open backs with strategic fabric strips
• Criss-cross back details
• Keyhole back openings

Chest cutouts:

• Underboob reveals
• Sternum cutouts
• Asymmetric chest openings

Multi-cutout:

• Combined placements (midriff + side + back)
• Maximum skin reveal without full exposure

Market Explosion

Cut-out dresses dominated 2021-2022 fashion retail:

Fast fashion:

• Fashion Nova: Cutout bodycon dresses ($30-50), Instagram favorite
• PrettyLittleThing: Endless cutout variations
• Zara: More restrained, wearable cutouts
• ASOS: Dedicated “cutout dress” category

Designer:

• Dion Lee: Architectural cutouts, high fashion ($400-800)
• Christopher Kane: Pioneering cutout designs
• David Koma: Strategic cutout evening wear
• Self-Portrait: Lace dresses with cutout details

Celebrity adoption:

• Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber: Paparazzi moments in cutout dresses
• Red carpet: Awards shows featured cutout gowns
• Music videos: Pop stars wore elaborate cutout designs

Google searches for “cutout dress” increased 600%+ from June 2021-June 2022.

Cultural Context

The cutout trend reflected post-pandemic psychology:

“Revenge dressing”:

• Making up for lost going-out time
• Celebrating body freedom after lockdowns
• Rejecting comfortable pandemic clothing
• Announcing return to social life

Body confidence movement:

• Showing skin on own terms
• Strategic reveals vs. traditional “sexy” clothing
• Celebrating different body types

Instagram influence:

• Cutouts created visual interest in photos
• More interesting than solid dresses
• Unique styling opportunities

Nightlife return:

• Clubs and bars reopened mid-2021
• Need for going-out wardrobe after year of sweats
• Compensating for canceled 2020 events

Practical Challenges

Cut-out dresses posed real-world problems:

Undergarment issues:

• Bra visibility through cutouts
• Need for stick-on bras, nipple covers
• Going braless requirement for some designs
• TikTok tutorials on “how to wear cutout dress”

Body consciousness:

• Cutout placement highlighted specific areas
• Not universally flattering
• Sizing challenges (cutouts in wrong places)

Limited occasions:

• Too revealing for most professional settings
• Weather-dependent (warm climates only)
• Not versatile for everyday wear

Comfort:

• Fabric pulling at cutout edges
• Strategic tape required to keep in place
• Movement restrictions

Fashion TikTok featured “cutout dress fails” showing wardrobe malfunctions and styling struggles.

Styling Advice

Fashion media offered endless styling guides:

What to wear underneath:

• Stick-on bras, pasties for chest cutouts
• Seamless underwear for side cutouts
• Body tape for security
• Sometimes: nothing (built-in support)

Accessorizing:

• Keep jewelry minimal (dress is statement)
• Strappy heels (balance skin-showing)
• Small clutch (proportions)

Body type considerations:

• Different cutout placements for different bodies
• Emphasizing preferred features
• Avoiding cutouts on insecure areas

Peak and Decline

Cut-out dresses peaked in summer 2022:

• 520 million+ views on TikTok
• Ubiquitous in club/bar scenes
• Every retailer offering variations

Decline began in late 2022:

• Saturation: Everyone wore cutout dresses
• Practical fatigue: Annoyance with undergarment logistics
• New trends: #MobWife maximalism, covered-up glamour
• Economic factors: Recession reduced going-out spending

By 2023, cutout dresses remained available but no longer dominated trend discourse. The specific “strategic cutout everywhere” moment had passed.

Legacy

The cutout dress trend captured a specific cultural moment—post-lockdown euphoria, nightlife return, body celebration after isolation. It demonstrated fashion’s role in marking social transitions and how quickly Instagram-driven trends can saturate and exhaust.

The trend also highlighted tensions between Instagram aesthetics (looks great in photos) and real-world practicality (difficult to wear comfortably).

Sources:

• Vogue: “Cut-Out Dresses Are Summer 2021’s Biggest Trend” (2021)
• Refinery29: “How to Wear Cut-Out Dresses Without a Wardrobe Malfunction” (2021)
• Who What Wear: “The Cut-Out Trend Is Taking Over” (2021)