body-con: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowInformal, Fashion/Retail journalism, Marketing
Quick answer
What does “body-con” mean?
A style of clothing, especially dresses or skirts, that are tight-fitting and designed to closely follow and reveal the contours of the wearer's body.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A style of clothing, especially dresses or skirts, that are tight-fitting and designed to closely follow and reveal the contours of the wearer's body.
Can refer more broadly to any garment, fabric, or fashion trend characterized by a tight, form-revealing fit. Sometimes used as an adjective to describe such clothing (e.g., a body-con dress).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling is consistent. The term is understood in both varieties but is slightly more established in British fashion media.
Connotations
Similar connotations in both: stylish, revealing, figure-hugging. May carry a slight nuance of being 'trendy' or 'of-the-moment'.
Frequency
More frequent in UK fashion writing; in the US, 'bodycon' (without hyphen) is also common, and alternatives like 'form-fitting' or 'bandage dress' might be used in specific contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “body-con” in a Sentence
[body-con] + NOUN (e.g., body-con dress)a/an + [body-con] (as a noun)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “body-con” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- She chose a daring black body-con dress for the premiere.
- The body-con trend was huge in the early 2010s.
American English
- Her red body-con gown was the talk of the gala.
- That's a very body-con silhouette for a daytime event.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in fashion retail, e-commerce product descriptions, and marketing copy to describe a specific garment style.
Academic
Rare. Might appear in cultural studies, sociology, or fashion history papers discussing trends.
Everyday
Used in conversations about fashion, shopping, or describing what someone is wearing.
Technical
Used in fashion design and journalism to specify a cut and style intended to closely follow the body's contours.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “body-con”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “body-con”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “body-con”
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'This dress body-cons well').
- Misspelling as 'body-cone' or 'bodicon'.
- Overusing it to describe any tight clothing outside its specific fashion context.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an informal term primarily used in fashion, retail, and lifestyle contexts.
It is almost exclusively used for women's fashion. For men's tight-fitting clothing, terms like 'fitted', 'muscle-fit', or 'tailored' are more common.
All 'bandage' dresses are a type of body-con dress, specifically made from vertical strips of fabric resembling bandages. 'Body-con' is the broader category for any tight, contour-fitting garment.
'Body-con' (with hyphen) is the standard dictionary form, but 'bodycon' (as one word) is a very common variant in fashion writing, especially online. 'Body con' (as two words) is less common.
A style of clothing, especially dresses or skirts, that are tight-fitting and designed to closely follow and reveal the contours of the wearer's body.
Body-con: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbɒdi kɒn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbɑːdi kɑːn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms. Term is itself a specific fashion term.]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: BODY-CON = BODY CONTOUR. The clothing contours (CON) to your BODY.
Conceptual Metaphor
CLOTHING IS A SECOND SKIN.
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following contexts would the term 'body-con' be LEAST appropriate?