Remember those sheer, layered dresses from the late 90s?

July 30, 2015 3:44 PM

Around 1996 I bought a dress from a mall store (Express or similar). It was short-sleeved, ankle-length, comprised of two or more layers of sheer, silky, solid-colored pastel fabric, and the style was that you would knot or tie up the top layer to reveal some of the bottom layer underneath. I can't seem to find a picture of it anywhere online - can anyone find an image of one of these dresses?
posted by piers to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (8 answers total)

Like this?
posted by warriorqueen at 4:12 PM on July 30, 2015 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks! that's on the right track, but these dresses, all the layers were the same length - no buttons, etc. - and you'd pick up the top layer and tie it in a knot, at hip height or lower. Ah, the 90s...
posted by piers at 4:14 PM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

Where were you located? I wonder if it was a regional thing, because while I remember wearing dresses in the 90s with multilayered sheers I don't remember anything where it was the style to knot it up to different lengths. I only remember tying knots in the corners of my t-shirts.
posted by MsMolly at 4:28 PM on July 30, 2015 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: I was in Los Angeles - and I definitely remember doing the t-shirt thing, too. Knots, or using those plastic clips.
posted by piers at 4:30 PM on July 30, 2015

Would "bias cut" help your search? Bias-cut dresses were very big at Express in the late 90s, though I remember more floral prints than solids.
posted by jaguar at 5:48 PM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

Maybe like this "vintage 90s" dress on Etsy?

(I was in high school in 1996 but I don't recall the style you're describing, with the knotted skirt layer, so I'm taking a guess.)
posted by snowmentality at 6:29 PM on July 30, 2015 [1 favorite]

I don't have any photos, but I do remember doing just this with that type of dress. It was definitely a thing at high school.

T-shirts as well, yep.

Oregon, 1990s. Looking to be a West Coast thing from responses here.
posted by MarionnetteFilleDeChaussette at 8:07 AM on July 31, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks, guys! This is the closest I've come so far, though mine was a pale blue/lavender, and this doesn't show it tied up. "Bias-cut" and "overlay" were both great search terms, though.
posted by piers at 11:07 AM on July 31, 2015