Listen, we never thought we’d say it either, but hear us out: Bubble dresses and skirts aren’t just back in the conversation—they’re everywhere. We spotted the dress trend on the summer runways at Tory Burch, Staud, Miu Miu, Bally, and Altuzarra, just to name a few labels. In recent weeks, Kylie Jenner, Rihanna, and Sabrina Carpenter have also cosigned the look everywhere from vacation to the Met Gala. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, it’s officially time to give balloon hemlines a go.
Last seen en masse at the tail end of the aughts, bubble skirts once signaled preppy, moneyed glamour. (It’s no surprise, then, that Princess Diana famously wore a striped puffball dress in the ’80s, the first heyday of the voluminous silhouette.) While the look still carries those connotations—prep is having a major fashion moment in 2024, after all—it’s shifting into something more feminine and refined.
Thanks to the rise of balletcore last year, fashion is still obsessing over dancer-esque motifs; bows, ballet flats, sheer layers, and drop-waist silhouettes reign supreme this year. Bubble dresses and skirts bridge the gap between that trend and the prep revival, making balloon hemlines feel lighter and chicer than ever before. (No offense to your prom dress.)
Styling bubble dresses takes very little effort, making this perhaps the easiest dress trend of the year. Midis and maxis call for your best sunglasses, some puffy metal earrings, and strappy heels or mesh flats. Mini balloon dresses, meanwhile, leave plenty of real estate open for statement jewelry, cowboy boots, or designer bags. If you go with a bubble skirt, try a tube top, T-shirt, or tank top. And the cloudlike silhouette is great for dressed-up events like summer weddings and birthdays; throw on a pair of slingback heels and sweep your hair into an updo before you head out.
Jump into summer’s most romantic trend with our edit of the very best bubble dresses and skirts below.
1. Best short bubble dresses
Back in the day, bubble skirts were about as short as possible; this crop of fresh options is exactly the same. We’ve noticed two distinct trends here: One camp features a fitted bodice with a puffy skirt, while the other consists of one chicly shapeless bubble. Both radiate main character energy, especially with a matching pair of shoes.
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2. Best long bubble dresses
If you’re not one to show quite so much skin (we get it), the same technique looks great on longer dresses too. Billowy skirts make these relatively simple dresses stand out in a sea of plainer options; we’d love to see any of these at a nice dinner, a wedding reception, or a backyard get-together. (Rosalía wore that exact white Paloma Wool gown, by the way.) Layer your pick with a blazer or cardigan to get plenty of wear into the colder months.
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3. Best bubble skirts
Bubble skirts are also very much part of the big balloon comeback, and they’re just as easy to dress up as they are to style down. Pair one with an eyelet blouse or asymmetrical top at work; for more casual occasions, they look great with baby tees and skinny sunglasses (the sunglass trend we’re seeing right now). You really can’t go wrong, especially if you join in on the white maxiskirt trend currently taking over our feeds.
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