Associated with grand Hollywood parties and gala evenings where diamond necklaces and opera gloves are essential, the strapless dress has long evoked an image of ultimate femininity. One cannot help but recall Marilyn Monroe in shocking pink in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Grace Kelly dressed in white in To Catch a Thief (1955), or Audrey Hepburn in a red Givenchy strapless gown in Funny Face (1957).
The American writer and feminist Susan Brownmiller explored the essence of femininity – a vast subject – in her book Femininity (1984). "Femininity, in essence, is a romantic sentiment, a nostalgic tradition of imposed limitations," particularly those imposed by clothing.
"Feminine clothing induces the body to strut about in small, restrained yet show-offy ways," she observed. "Feminine clothing produces its special feminine sounds: the staccato clickety-click of the heels, the musical jangle of bracelets, the soft rustle of silk, or, in an earlier era, the whisper of petticoats, the snap of a fan."
Often, the bustier is corseted. It clings to the body and constrains, or even sculpts, according to the prevailing standards, thanks to its intricate construction. "The quest for the perfect body in the perfect dress was contained in the quest for the perfect corset, which could uplift, augment or flatten the breasts, widen or narrow the hips, pinch or elongate the waist, sway the back, slope the shoulders and push in the stomach, in accordance with the fashion ideal of the time," wrote Brownmiller.
Yet, cinema and pop culture soon turned the bustier into a symbol of empowerment: in the cone-breasted Jean Paul Gaultier bustier, Madonna, as early as the 1990s, reminded the world that her body was a source of power, not just an object of seduction. After her came Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, often strapped into dazzling stage bustiers transformed into veritable armor.
Heir to the corset but stripped of its "disciplinary" function, the bustier remains a garment on the edge, wavering between constraint and freedom. By both framing and exposing the body, it also speaks to our era, when femininity still demands performance. But above all, it exemplifies the return of tailoring: garments with clean lines that offer structure to the wearer. On the autumn-winter 2025-2026 runways, the most minimalist versions stood out, often favoring the absence of straps.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.