You know that moment in ACOTAR when Feyre first dresses up for Tamlin? Or the first time Hawke sees Poppy in red? Every pants-wearing, ass-kicking Romantasy heroine seems to encounter a moment where dressing up is essential to the plot. And when her love interest sees her, he’s always shocked into google-eyed submission.
There’s something so magical about these dress-up moments and the way they can heat up a romance by allowing the characters to see each other in a whole new light.
But did you know sci-fi romance heroines get their own fair share of She’s All That moments, too? And sometimes, their futuristic dresses are even more epic than the best the fashionable Fae have to offer.
The following are some of my faves:
#1: The Rainbow Dress Moment in Eclipse the Moon by Jessie Mihalik
In Eclipse the Moon, rainbow-haired hacker Kee agrees to model in a fashion show in order to gain access the bad guys’ suspected target.
She wears a floaty, glowing gown that changes colour as she moves. I love that the gown is powered by her movement, so that it’s not weighted down by any kind of battery. And even more, I love how jealous Kee’s love interest Varro gets when Kee dances with the prince as part of the show.
#2: Skyla’s Slow Dance With Hinata in Umbra: Sentient Stars
In Umbra by Amber Toro, smuggler Skyla and rule-following commander Hinata have been dancing around their mutual attraction for 3/4 of the book when they’re forced to dress up for a mission at a gangster’s nightclub.
Skyla doffs her usual flight suit for a dress of shimmering liquid crystals, and she and Hinata end up getting up close and personal while scoping out the club from the dance floor.
#3: Gemma’s Silk Gown At the Auction Concert in A Symphony of Starlight
Yes, this is my book. But I had to include it because this is genuinely one of my all time favourite bad-ass-girl-in-a-dress moments.
When cyberpunk space princess/musician Gemma is forced to dress in a silk gown and play a violin solo in an auction for her life, she not only finds a way to thwart the bad guys, but she also uses the dresses slit and the stiletto heels she’s wearing to cause her kidnappers as much suffering as possible, too.
And best of all, she’s wearing the gown when her love interest–who’s only ever seen her in combat boots–bursts in to rescue her and they share a long awaited kiss.
I haven’t reviewed my own book on this site of course, but you can see customer reviews and read a sample here!
If you love these dress moments and must have more, here are some more Sci-fi romantasy books with dress up scenes. I haven’t yet read Memory Lost or The Goddess Games, but they sure look amazing! You can check out my review of The Stars Between Us here.
This article is part of my Romantasy Tropes in Sci Fi Romance series. If you enjoyed the recs in this article, you’ll probably also love the recs in Popular Romantasy Tropes in Sci Fi Romance: Court Intrigue!
If you could dress up as any romantasy character in her coolest ballgown, what would it be? Let me know in the comments!
