Bodycon Dresses: How to Choose the Right Fit, Fabric and Size

Bodycon means a dress cut to follow the body, usually in stretch jersey. The three cuts behave differently, and knowing which one you are buying is the difference between a dress you wear once and one you wear every month.

Ruched

Gathered fabric down the sides or across the front. The gathers are forgiving over the stomach and hips and hide creasing after sitting. The most wearable option for dinners and long evenings.

Twisted or draped

A knot or drape at the bust or waist. Adds shape and interest, and works well on straighter figures. Check whether the twist sits at the natural waist on the model photo.

Second-skin

Plain, smooth jersey with no gathering. The fabric weight matters most here. Look for a double-lined or thicker knit so it is opaque, and plan seamless underwear.

How to size a bodycon dress

Go by body measurements, not the size you usually buy. Every Kovelle product page has a Size and fit section with bust, waist and hip measurements in centimetres for each US size. If you sit between sizes on the hips, size up: stretch fabric will skim a size that is slightly large but will pull across one that is slightly small.

Where to start

The bodycon edit has 27 dresses from $32.99 to $94.99, in mini, midi and maxi lengths. The The Strapless Ruched Bodycon Mini Dress and the The High Neck Ruched Mini Dress are ruched; the The Twist Plunge Mini Dress is a twisted cut.

Every Kovelle order is dispatched the same day. Standard US shipping takes 2 days and is free on every order, express next-day shipping is $4.99 at checkout, and returns are free for 21 days from the day your order arrives. You can pay later options at checkout., and 20% off everything is applied automatically at checkout, so the price you pay is 20% below the price shown on the product page.