Hailey Bieber Brought Back the '00s Whale Tail Trend in Her Bold AF Cutout Dress

One, two, three, four, five...no, that's not a backward New Year's Eve countdown, that's how many cutouts Hailey Bieber rocked on her little black dress as she rang in the start of 2023. But before we deep-dive into Mrs. Bieber's NYE 'fit, let's take a walk down 2022's memory lane, shall we?

Despite multiple days where Hailey chose to forego pants entirely (same, TBH), her 2022-style moments were ones for the books. The model showed a strong preference for slinky, sexy dresses that ranged from babydoll frocks to sheer, floor-skimming gowns like this strapless "naked" dress and this sophisticated, sheer bodycon number. And let's not forget Hailey's cutout dress while smizing for her Internet-breaking photo with Selena Gomez. On casual days, Hails favored the supermodel-approved, viral UGG boots and workout 'fits to match bestie, Kendall Jenner.

Keeping her fabulous year of fashion in mind, it was only right that Hailey pulled out all the stops for New Year's Eve — and pull out the stops she did. The model wore a classic black mini dress that hit right above mid-thigh in a tight, bodycon style. Thin straps held up the bandeau-style front of Hailey's LBD, accentuated by a large cutout that showed off her strong abs, and sheer black stockings covered her legs for additional warmth.

Hailey's Instagram story snap proved that her look served party in the front *and* party in the back as multiple daring cutouts slashed across the back of her mini dress. The lowest cutouts intersected to create the shape of an exposed thong (a.k.a the whale tail effect), a celeb-loved look that dominated the early 2000s and is revving up to return in ~full force~ once again.

The model styled her hair into a ballerina bun with a single, face-framing strand left out of the updo, and wore hammered gold earrings on her lobes. But Mrs. Bieber's most surprising accessory was undoubtedly a pair of fluffy, comfy pink boots with tassels to dance the night away in, revealed in a video she included in her photo dump. Same, girl.

Shop our favorite Hailey-inspired LBD's below. 🖤

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