The Return of the Bandage Dress: Affordable Alternatives to House of CB
- kaelynnwilkesss
- Jun 9
- 2 min read
House of CB recently relaunched their iconic bandage dresses at a steep $209 price tag, the internet is buzzing with nostalgia and sticker shock. Once a symbol of 2010s It-Girl glam, the bandage dress is returning from its clubland reign with a vengeance. But here’s the catch: you don’t need to spend designer coin to look like you just stepped out of the VIP section.
Let’s dive into the history of this ultra-snatched silhouette, the best secondhand search terms, and alternative brands that serve the same sculpted fantasy—for less.
The History of the Bandage Dress: From Couture to Club Icon
The bandage dress was first made famous by Hervé Léger, a French designer who debuted the style in the late 1980s. The dress wasn’t named for medical gauze—it was a reference to how the thick, stretchy fabric clung to the body like a second skin, smoothing curves and creating a high-impact hourglass silhouette.
Léger’s designs became synonymous with supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell. But it wasn’t until the early 2000s and 2010s that the bandage dress hit its peak in pop culture, thanks to red carpet appearances on stars like Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, and Beyoncé.
The style faded as looser silhouettes took over—but fashion, as always, is cyclical.
House of CB’s Relaunch: Glamour with a High Price Tag
House of CB, a UK-based brand that built its empire on Kardashian-adjacent bodycon dresses, has reintroduced the bandage dress in a revamped form: more colors, strategic cutouts, and elevated detailing. But the new versions come with a hefty price—$209 for a single dress.
While House of CB has undeniably upgraded the quality (thicker knits, inner boning, etc.), you don’t have to pay luxury prices to get the same body-sculpting effect.
Brands That Nail the Bandage Look (Without the Designer Tag)
If you want the snatched waist, lifted bust, and sculpted hips look of a bandage dress, consider these brands that serve similar styles—often at a fraction of the cost:
Bebe
BCBG
Venus
Herve Lerge
Express
Guess
French Connection
Secondhand Shopping Guide: Keywords to Use
If you want to score a bandage dress secondhand—whether it's vintage Hervé Léger or a House of CB dupe—use these keywords on platforms like Poshmark, Depop, eBay, and Mercari:
Search Terms:
Bandage Dress
Sculpting dress
Structured dress
Tummy control dress
Secondhand Listings:
Final Thoughts: Bandage Dresses Are a Power Move
Bandage dresses aren’t just a trend—they’re a statement. They say “I walk into the room and own it.” Whether you’re buying new or hunting vintage, the key is in the fit, the confidence, and the styling.
Want to save money while staying snatched? Go secondhand, and let the dress do the talking.
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