We may only be halfway through the decade, but I’m calling it now: the worst trend of the 2020s is the Plunging Sweetheart neckline.
This style attempts to combine multiple design elements, blending the sculptural curves of a sweetheart neckline with the dramatic dip of a deep plunge. The result? A neckline that wraps around the breasts in either contoured, wavy shapes or more rigid, geometric forms. Other names for the style include "cut out strapless neckline" and "contoured neckline."
While there are rare instances where the plunging sweetheart neckline works, it’s a notoriously difficult style to fit. Sweetheart necklines alone are tricky, adding a plunging element often makes matters worse. The result is a dress that frequently looks ill-fitted - like the wearer missed a crucial appointment with their tailor.
The plunging sweetheart neckline trend might aim for daring and elegant, but more often than not, it misses the mark entirely through poor fitting.
Part 1: The Beginning
The V-neckline and plunging necklines have been around since at least Egypt in 1450 B.C. (cite). The strapless dress with interior boning has been around since at least the 1930s (cite). The sweetheart neckline is harder to date as while their are painting with a slight curve on the bustline in Renaissance art, that could have been to show a woman's bust in a square neckline instead of proof of a clothing trend (cite). Instead, the common origin of the sweetheart neckline comes from the 1950s (cite).
Who was the first to launch the Plunging Sweetheart neckline? Well, this style has surely been around for awhile, it's not that original to take a dress from the 1950s and cut the neckline slightly deeper. Model Karen Mulder wore such a plunging neckline in a dress by Herve Leger for Fall Winter runway in 1993.
However, as the origin of the trend in the 2020s, the crown belongs to Anthony Vaccarello.
Anthony Vaccarello is a Belgian-Italian fashion designer. He has been the creative director of Yves Saint Laurent since 2016. YSL is a fascinating fashion house and I'm not going to get into the history right now, what's important is Vaccarello had been at YSL for a few years and wanted to make a signature and eye-catching look. To do that, in Spring/Summer 2020 runway show at Paris Fashion Week, he debuted many dresses with the plunging sweetheart neckline. This signature look really encapsulates his style of black dresses with aggressive lines and is a reference to older YSL sweetheart neckline dresses (example).
When Vaccarello was appointed to YSL in 2016, a commentor on Reddit wrote his designs are "limiting if you don't have the right body" (cite). I disagree. Fashion is for all body types - where what you want! But I do think clothes can be ill-fitting. The sweetheart plunge can work for everyone, if it's correctly tailored.
As a trend of the decade, I believe the first viral moment for the Plunging Sweetheart was in 2020 with Saint Laurent's "Saint Laurent Wool-Sablé Gown" for $4,590. Laia Magazine called it "the sexiest dress of the season" (cite). Countless influencers and models wore the dress, culminating in Olivia Rodrigo wearing the dress to the Opening Gala of the Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures. However, the dress looks poorly fitted on her and doesn't look as good as people who have the bust cups fully fit their chests.
Part 2: The Red-Carpet Trend
The plunging Sweetheart neckline made quite a few "worst dressed" lists with Carolina Herrera's red gowns for Meghan Markle and Tracee Ellis Ross. Neither dresses fit their wearers in the bust.
On the flip side, both Beyonce and Quinta Brunson look great in their plunging neckline dresses. Quinta's dress is custom made for her and the structure needed for these bodices works great in the velvet fabric.
Part 3: The Trickle Down
I'll skip the blue shirt speech from Devil Wears Prada speech, as well all know the runway looks eventually make it down to department stores and online fast fashion outlets. Even on some of these models, the dresses seem to be sliding downwards because they're not tailored for their body.
Pinko sells a red "evening midi dress with contoured neckline" for $340. Revolve sells the "Nookie Adorn Bodysuit" for $329 and it's in their top 40 bestsellers for strapless tops. Anthropologie sells the "Bardot Elvira Velvet Midi Dress" for $189. Nicholas the Label sells the "Tena Dress" for $495. Liv Foster sells the red "Plunging Midi Dress" at Bloomingdale's for $295.
What do y'all think of this dress style?
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