In the Summer of 2016, a chambray dress with a distinct ruffled off-the-shoulder element began popping up in several major retailers. Though its origins are unclear — Is Reformation to blame? Was it H&M? — Zara's affordable iteration seemed to be the one worn most frequently. Much like everyone else with eyes, comedian Lulu Krause [1] picked up on the dress's ubiquity and has been documenting its appearances ever since.
On Tumblr, Lulu uploads sightings of the blue dress [2] on her blog simply titled, "The Blue Off-The-Shoulder Dress From Zara." She also uploads the same pictures [3] to Facebook, where other users are able to share their own sightings in the comments. Lulu has since amassed over 30 pictures of the blue dress out in the wild.
In an interview with Refinery29, Lulu explained that she kept seeing the dress last year [4], however, she thought the trend would surely die this Summer. To her surprise, it was still going strong. "I wasn't actively searching for a project like this — the dress was popping up so frequently that it's almost like . . . it chose me," she said.
Lulu also admitted that she finds the dress to be flattering, but she personally didn't enjoy wearing it. She explained, "The reason I am so fascinated by this dress in particular is that it's remarkably constricting. A friend actually lent me the dress, and I took it for a test drive, which was as enlightening as it was entertaining. I'd say you lose around 80 percent of your mobility in it."
Though Lulu's blog has resurrected the conversation surrounding the dress, a viral Facebook thread [5] from 2016 first tackled the craze. The thread began with one picture and has since received hundreds of contributions over the course of a year. Ahead, see the dress's astonishing influence and browse several options if you're so inclined.
7 For All Mankind Off-the-Shoulder Dress
7 For All Mankind Off Shoulder Dress [7] ($199)
Boohoo Rachael Ruffle Chambray Dress
Boohoo Rachael Ruffle Chambray Dress [8] ($36)
Charlotte Russe Chambray Off-The-Shoulder Shift Dress
Charlotte Russe Chambray Off-The-Shoulder Shift Dress [9] ($20, originally $33)
BCBGeneration Embroidered Off-the-Shoulder Chambray Dress
BCBGeneration Embroidered Off-the-Shoulder Chambray Dress [10] ($89, originally $118)