The New Era of Digital Dress-Up: How Roblox’s “Dress to Impress” Captivates a Generation

Once shaped by nostalgic browser games, Gen Z are now finding fashion-forward fun and creativity in Roblox’s latest hit, “Dress to Impress.”

In recent years, many female gamers have reminisced on their childhood memories of sites like GirlsGoGames and Disney’s Pixie Hollows, which have long passed their peak popularity and, in many cases, shut down. These sites introduced a whole generation of girls to the fun and creative world of fashion, dressing up characters for endless hours with tiny pixelated mini skirts and matching crop tops. After the death of Flash, worries for the future of accessible and free games for young girls rose. But thankfully, one of the biggest gaming sites from the golden era of browser games prevailed past all odds. Almost twenty years after its release, Roblox is helping today’s girls experience the thrill of putting together the perfect outfit- this time in competition with other players.

First published in October 2023, Dress to Impress is currently the most popular fashion game on Roblox with over three hundred thousand active users and almost two billion total visits. The concept is simple, a server of a maximum of 13 users is given a theme, and five minutes to create outfits revolving around said theme from a range of hairstyles, bottoms, tops, dresses and accessories. Then, each player models their look one by one and is rated on a scale of five stars by their fellow players. The top three players stand on a podium at the end, and there’s an intermission until the next round.

Gigi, the elusive creator behind the game, and the Dress to Impress team keep gameplay interesting by changing the aesthetics and adding side quests with every new update, encouraging a returning fanbase. Gigi has incorporated dozens of secret clothing items unlocked by cheat codes, and there’s even Dress to Impress lore, revolving around the one and only NPC, Lana the Nail Lady. Videos breaking down Lana’s eerie diary entries and ‘Target List’ visible within the game, as well as her creepy character tweets and YouTube videos, rack up tens of thousands of views- a testament to the intrigue surrounding this NPC.

Dress to Impress is not the first dress-up game on Roblox. Before its creation, games like Fashion Famous, Fashion Frenzy and Top Model followed a similar format and were extremely popular amongst users in their prime. Where Dress to Impress stands out is its numerous viral moments. The most subscribed Twitch streamer on the platform, Kai Cenet, along with big names like Caseoh and xQc have all streamed themselves playing this dress-up game, widening its appeal by introducing it to their predominantly teenage audiences. These clips have circulated across video-sharing platforms due to the novelty of adult men playing a game targeted at young girls and using words like “slay” and “serve” to describe the outfits they are creating. This, combined with the competitive element of the game makes the livestreams enjoyable for the streamers and viewers alike.

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Simultaneously, in the past few months Dress to Impress has boomed in popularity across short-form video platforms such as TikTok and YouTube Shorts, with creators and fans showing off their creative outfits and sharing tips and tricks. Although multiple sources report the majority of Roblox’s players as twelve years old and younger, Dress to Impress has attracted an older audience of young adults, influenced by both the creators playing the game on live streams and the nostalgia driven from indulging in such a simplistic, yet addictive premise. The cooperative element of Roblox servers makes Dress to Impress perfect for groups of friends looking for light competitive fun, from children to young adults.

The continued success of Roblox and games like Dress to Impress marks a triumph in the fight for accessible gaming for young girls. Roblox is available across devices and the majority of its games are free and user-friendly, creating an ideal atmosphere for children who are just getting into gaming. Its voice chat is age-restricted and the chat box is heavily moderated, keeping it safe for people of all ages to co-exist on millions of servers. As the prices for video games stay high and the general cost of living worldwide skyrockets, it’s refreshing to see younger Gen Z and Gen Alpha still have access to dress-up games that inspire creativity and innovation- just like the browser games their predecessors grew up on.