The 19 Best Tube Tops and Dresses for Perfecting This Warm-Weather Trend

The perfect summer party look, in my humble opinion.

Lena Mahfouf wears gold large earrings, a black embossed striped pattern / shoulder-off / long slit / split dress, black shiny strappy leather small heels sandals , outside the COS show, on April 26, 2023 in Paris, France.
(Image credit: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

I like to think of myself as someone who will try any trend once. I’ve considered swapping out my gold necklaces for silver jewelry, for example, and I’m always down to take a new trending summer color for a spin. But there are some summer fashion trends that I’m more wary of than others, and the tube dress/tube top trend is one of them. Sure, I wore them when I was a teen, but could they really work in my adult wardrobe? 

The answer, in short: yes! Both tube tops and tube dresses have come a long way since I was in high school. And no, this isn’t just me feeding into the 2000s fashion revival that seems to be everywhere right now. This is me, standing (writing?) in front of you, asking you to take a chance on a shockingly wearable summer dress trend. 

“Tube tops and dresses, especially in the seamless stretch, puckered poplins, seersuckers, or other casual materials, feel like a natural trend flow for the season and as an evolution from the structured tailored corsets of fall and winter,” says trend forecaster and founder of JMR Trend + Creative Jessica Richards. 

To that end, tube tops and tube dresses were all over the Spring/Summer 2023 runways. Sergio Hudson showed neon-hued ruched versions at his show, while Stella McCartney showed black versions with asymmetrical hemlines. The slinky silhouette was also spotted at brands like Ann Demeulemeester and Khaite, in leather and sheer sequins respectively.

models walking the runways at Khaite; Sergio Hudson; Stella McCartney

(Image credit: Khaite; Sergio Hudson; Stella McCartney)

If you’re nervous about styling your tube top or dress in a way that feels elevated, consider pairing it with pieces that have more volume, like high-waisted trousers or skirts. “Extra points for adding an oversized statement belt for even more size interest,” Richards says. I personally treat tube tops in particular in the same way I would a spaghetti strap tank top: as a base layer to be layered over in the daytime and then worn alone as a sexier, going-out top at night. Tube dresses follow a similar route. I'm much more likely to put a tube dress on under a cropped summer sweater or denim jacket than to wear it on its own, although it would work just as well with a slew of silver jewelry pieces. Many of the pieces are cropped, but not so much so that your belly wouldn't be covered with a pair of high-waisted pants or skirts. 

Tube dresses are also easy to accessorize, and are smart all-occasion pieces to keep on hand. Strappy sandals, a delicate clutch bag, and pared-back jewelry elevate it to the cocktail-party level. 

The Best Tube Tops and Dresses

Best Tube Tops

Best Tube Dresses

Meet The Experts

Jessica Richards
Jessica Richards

Jessica Richards is a trend forecaster, style storyteller, and founder of JMR Trend + Creative, whose synergistic focus inspires what is now and next. With an extensive background in forecasting, concepts, and design for major North American retailers, she brings a forward-thinking yet commercial and brand-right viability to projects across the fashion and wellness

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Julia Marzovilla
Fashion E-Commerce Editor

Julia Marzovilla is the Fashion E-Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she reviews the latest launches from fashion and beauty brands, finds the best on-sale items around the internet, and interviews experts to find the best products in any category to share with her readers. She also creates shopping guides that span every vertical on the site as an expert in everything from the best laptop bags to the best laser hair removal devices.

In her near decade of experience, Julia has both written for several top outlets in the E-Commerce space and worked at major fashion labels. Prior to joining the Marie Claire team, she contributed similar shopping stories to sites such as Bustle, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Who What Wear, and worked as the Trending Fashion and News Writer STYLECASTER. You can find her across the internet at @JuliaMarzovilla. In real life, you can find her creating shopping guides for her friends, cooking or baking in her too-small kitchen, or buying tickets for the next time Harry Styles is in town.

Julia has a Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Journalism from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. She lives in New York City, her hometown.