It takes confidence to wear a cut out dress, and believe us when we say that the ones that look good aren’t necessarily the ones cutting the most amount of eye catching skin. The ones with eyes on them know where they want that opening to go, how big they want it to be, and what shape it will take. Precision is key.
An awkward cut out looks like an accident happened. A strategically placed cut out looks like a decision you made. We’ve been particular here because this category breeds particularity.
Cut out dresses exist in this fun space between dressed up and undone, covered and bare. The best versions balance that tension without diving too far into either side. They’re for evenings when you want to feel like yourself, but also like a slightly more intentional version of yourself.
Date night on a rooftop, an outdoor wedding where you’re not the bride but you’ll still be in photos, dinner out where you’d like to feel dressed up without reaching for a tube dress or some other old standby. We loved playing with placement and proportion. Cut outs at the waist that skim and create shape without anyone specific body type needing to wear it to succeed.
Cut outs on shoulders and backs that feel elegant instead of like you’re just showing skin. Panels on the sides that give a simple silhouette some real intrigue. None of these dresses feel like a dare either.
Life is full of enough dares. These are the cut out dresses that you’ll want to reach for when you want to feel like you made a cute outfit choice and look back on those photos and actually like how daring you look. Speaking of fabric— it plays a much larger role in a cut out dress than most people realize.
You can’t have a fighting silhouette where the cut out is battling the stiff fabric it’s cut into. It has to move with you. Drape.
Settle around that cut out in a way that makes sense or else the whole look is garbage. Each and every one of these pieces was chosen with that ethos in mind, which is why you won’t find half the things we came across while compiling this post. Literally and figuratively they just didn’t make the cut.
