Everyone's Wearing... Optical Illusion Dresses
Think the stars have amazing figures? It might all be down to the dress they're wearing
Rex FeaturesChrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen worked a new version of the optical illusion dress this week with a floatier black gown complete with illusion white panel detailing.
PA PhotosJessica Lowndes
The optical illusion trend doesn’t just apply to dresses as former 90210 actress Jessica Lowndes proves in this structured top and tailored trousers ensemble. The sheer cut out detailing of the top does just the same job as those cleverly paneled dresses, too.
PA PhotosCoco Rocha
We spied Coco Rocha looking incredible on the f-row at Julien Macdonald's show during LFW. Sporting an optical illusion dress and a fabulous statement neck piece, all of a sudden our boots and biker combo seemed a little bit underdressed. They don't call her a supermodel for nothing.
Rex FeaturesRosario Dawson
For the Gimme Shelter New York premiere in January 2014, actress Rosario Dawson chose a monochrome dress, complete with a figure-enhancing illusion waist. Eye-catching indeed.
PA PhotosKate Moss
Kate Moss might not look like she needs to create an optical illusion of any kind but even she has given the trend a go. She wore this creation by pal Stella McCartney to the designer’s London Fashion Week dinner.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesYasmin Le Bon
At the same event, Yasmin Le Bon wore a long version of the eye-tricking gown.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesKate Winslet
Kate Winslet made a triumphant appearance at the Venice Film Festival in this optical illusion Stella McCartney dress. The cunning black side panels took “optical” inches off her waist and gave increased her cup size, all in the blink of an eye. Want an hour glass figure? It’s easy with this dress!
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Xposuresphotos.comJessica Wright
TOWIE star Jessica Wright followed Kate Winslet’s example and poured her curves into this Stella McCartney bandage dress.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesJennifer Aniston
Even Jennifer Aniston sometimes resorts to an optical illusion dress! The signer swapped her usual black for this monochrome zig-zag dress, tricking the eye and creating a sensation.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Dionne Bromfield
The cleverly-cut panels on Dionne Bromfield’s dress sculpted her figure, giving the singer some very feminine curves.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
PA PhotosRosie Huntington-Whiteley
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley proved that it wasn’t designer threads that create an optical illusion. The model wore this Autograph for M&S in Paris, emphasising her already-stunning body.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
PA PhotosLouise Redknapp
Following on from Kate Winslet’s triumph in Venice, Louise Redknapp wore a blue version of that Stella McCartney dress to the GQ Awards. Again, the top emphasises her bust but, this time, there’s velvet on the lower panel.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesVictoria Beckham
But Kate Winslet wasn't the first to try an optical illusion dress. Always ahead when there’s a trend involved, Victoria Beckham made herself look even thinner back in 2009 when she wore this £2,500 Alexander McQueen dress for dinner with David in Milan. The dizzying design gives the impression of a thin waist but it expands around the bust and hips to also make the wearer look voluptuous.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesGwyneth Paltrow
The cut-away sides and graduated colour of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Versace Atelier dress from November 2010 complement each other perfectly. The actress’ exposed skin gives her figure more shape and the fading colour makes her look even taller.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesOlivia Wilde
Another Stella McCartney creation, this time from 2009. The spiral effect draws attention to Olivia Wilde’s skinny waist and its expanding panels are carefully placed to simultaneously preserve the actress’ modesty and give her a flattering silhouette.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
PA PhotosWhitney Port
Illusion outfits don’t have to be dramatic. Whitney Port fooled the eye with a single purple strip of fabric that made her waist look even tinier than it already is. Nice touch, Whitney!
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesKylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue might be little but she isn’t worried of trying out big ideas when it comes to fashion. The singer’s Op Art leather dress, which she wore at a party to celebrate her Aphrodite tour in June, broadened her shoulders, before drawing the eye in to her tiny waist.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
PA PhotosJennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson complemented her dramatic weight loss in March by wearing this figure-hugging zig-zag-design dress, which was sequinned to add shimmer.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesBritney Spears
Britney Spears’ “maze effect” dress from Hervé Léger by Max Azria reminds us that optical illusion dresses can be bright as well as slimming.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
paKeira Knightley
Keira Knightley is known for her boyish frame so the subtle pearl panels on this Chanel Couture dress give her hips some extra width, while the capped sleeves and cobweb pearls soften her shoulders.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesHeidi Klum
Heidi Klum’s just about the last person who needs help to make her figure look amazing, but the model also jumped on the bandwagon with this trend. This panelled LBD lengthened her already-considerable legs thanks to a natty beige panel around the waist.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
PA PhotosLiv Tyler
Liv Tyler combined the optical illusion trend with some chic colour-blocking in June, wearing another version of pal Stella McCartney’s clever creation.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
PA PhotosKate Winslet
Kate Winslet’s a bit of a fan of optical illusion dresses, apparently. Back in March, she dabbled in the trend by wearing another Stella McCartney outfit, which had an asymmetric curve on one side and again highlighted her waist and bust.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesDoutzen Kroes
A slightly different version of Stella McCartney’s polka dot dress. This one, which Doutzen Kroes wore in September 2011, had more pronounced sheer panels that emphasised her hips and bust.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesRihanna
Trust Rihanna to be bang on trend. The songstress wore this sheer lace dress back in 2010 on a trip to London. Note how the nude panels around the stomach and shoulders highlight her bust.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesKeri Hilson
If you want to lengthen your legs, then take a leaf out of Keri Hilson’s book and opt for a horizontal black strip high up on your waist. The houndstooth design further deceives the eye and adds curves to Keri’s figure.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesKim Kardashian
If you’ve got curves like Kim Kardashian, why not make the most of them? The reality TV star donned this lace-overlay dress from Herve Leger by Max Azria in June 2011 - and made all the men in the room go weak at the knees.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesGinnifer Goodwin
Ginnifer Goodwin’s Hervé Léger by Max Azria dress might be skin-tight and unforgiving, but the houndstooth pattern confuses the eye and takes inches off her already-tiny waist.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesJessica Szohr
Jessica Szohr gave her Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively a run for her money in the curve stakes in this turquoise Hervé Léger by Max Azria bandage dress. The body-con effect skimmed over her hips while the plunging neckline emphasised her cleavage.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesAgyness Deyn
The media dubbed Agyness Deyn’s swirling black and white maxi the “don’t adjust your set” dress after she wore it to an awards ceremony in 2008. But there’s more to this look than just an unusual design. The upward-facing curves simulate a bigger bust and the downward ones emphasise the hips.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesLouise Redknapp
Louise Redknapp’s certainly a fan of illusionwear. At Elton John’s 2010 White Tie And Tiara ball, the presenter wore an unusual, sculpted gown, which accentuated her figure via the subtle use of a criss-cross design.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesVanessa Williams
Ugly Betty star Vanessa Williams donned this eye-cheating dress by Alexander McQueen in February 2010. The not-so-subtle 'V's start at the widest point of her hips and bust and pull them in to the centre of the dress, minimising them at the same time.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesCamilla Belle
Optical illusion dresses don’t always have to be skin-tight. Camilla Belle’s Alexander McQueen gown has a V-shaped neckline but flared skirt to make the most of the body’s natural shape.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesCate Blanchett
Always willing to try something a little experimental, Cate Blanchett’s bell-shaped Alexander McQueen dress added a more womanly shape to the actress’ sleek physique.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesSadie Frost
Sadie Frost’s 2008 outfit is so much more than a just another LBD. The lace overlay curves at the side to give the actress more shape in the right place!
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesFergie
Bondage and optical illusion might not seem like natural trend buddies but Fergie’s Hervé Léger by Max Azria dress at the 2011 Billboard Awards gave the singer a buxom shape.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesMary J Blige
There’s a lot going on with Mary J Blige’s outfit – but that’s the whole point! This bandage dress tricks the eye with its combination of cut-outs and houndstooth check, making the singer look more streamlined.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesKhloe Kardashian
The tribal print on this Alexander McQueen dress had a more important purpose than just looking good. Note how its cross-over design shapes Khloe Kardashian’s figure and makes it look more like an hourglass.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesGwyneth Paltrow
Look a little closer and you’ll see there’s much more to Gwyneth Paltrow’s lingerie dress than meets the eye. This Antonio Berardi dress was worn by the actress back in 2008 when she was promoting her movie Two Lovers, and the black lace front panels have the effect of pulling in the eyes so the wearer looks slighter, while still sexy.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
Rex FeaturesKeira Knightley
Keira Knightley's Mary Katrantzou dress was even more complicated than it first looked. The floral design around the neck emphasised her shoulders, while the Egyptian pattern on the waist was an inspired attempt to cinch it in. Pretty and effective.
One dress, two celebs – but Who Wore It Best?
