Through countless trends, the slip dress has remained one of the fashion world’s most uncontentious pieces—having made its way onto the style sets biggest players for decades, unfazed by what’s in and out that season.
Today, the iconic staple is still one of the most versatile and reinvented garments ever and one that continues to transcends seasons, with its layering capabilities and potentials for dressing up and down unrivalled among other items of clothing.
Some slip dresses are so iconic you can think of them without hesitation—Winona Ryder in velvet purple and Kate Moss in silky Versace among the ones going down in fashion history.
Below, a visual history of the iconic slip dress over the years.
The ’50s
Marilyn Monroe, 1952
Marilyn Monroe, 1952
The ’60s
Italian actress Virna Lisi, 1960
American actress Stella Stevens, 1965
The ’70s
Actress Ann-Margret, 1972
Beverly Johnson, 1974
The ’80s
A model wears a pink bias-cut slip dress, 1982
Farrah Fawcett as Barbara Hutton, 1987
Model Fabienne Terwinghe, 1989
The ’90s
Winona Ryder, 1993
Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, 1993
Kate Moss, 1994
Naomi Campbell, 1995
Sarah Jessica-Parker, 1995
Drew Barrymore, 1995
Caroline Bessette, 1996
Gwyneth Paltrow, 1996
Model Elaine Irwin at Gianni Versace, 1996
Iman, 1996
Sarah Jessica Parker, 1997
Angelina Jolie, 1997
The ’00s
Kate Hudson, 2001
Elizabeth Hurley, 2002
Jennifer Aniston, 2004
Jennifer Lopez, 2005
The 2010s
Kendall Jenner, 2019
Lily Aldrige, 2019
Jeanne Damas, 2019
Gigi Hadid, 2019
The 2020s
Olivia Rodrigo, 2022
Florence Pugh, 2022
Kim Kardashian, 2023
Lila Moss, 2023.
The Best Slip Dresses To Buy In 2023
Indi Strappy Maxi Dress, $330, from Bec and Bridge
Reimagine Dress, $550, from Viktoria & Woods
Nolana Midi Dress, $850, from Camilla and Marc