More than just clothes have been on display at Paris Fashion Week. On both the runways and in the front rows, designers and stylists have been dressing models and attendees in sheer styles, often eschewing any undergarments that would mask what’s underneath.
Kate Moss, a pioneer of the recent resurgence in sheer clothing, wore a completely sheer dress to the Saint Laurent show on Tuesday, covered only by a black blazer to match it. Other attendees at the show were even less covered, including Zoe Kravitz, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Amelia Gray Hamlin and Abbey Lee, all of whom wore some variation of unobscured sheer pieces.
Elsewhere at PFW, sheer looks could be seen on the runway at Chloe on Thursday, on Anya Taylor-Joy in the audience at Dior on Tuesday, and on Kendall Jenner when she arrived at the L’Oreal Paris show also on Tuesday.
While the sheer look may have shocked a few generations ago, what’s notable about this new iteration of see-through clothing is just how elegant it looks, according to stylist Tannya Bernadette Moore.
“It’s about women wanting the freedom to embrace their body,” she said. Fashion has been slowly moving back from the comfort-focused pandemic era toward a more elegant and opulent era of design. “In a time where fashion is heading toward being an art again, both designers and the women wearing the trend are enjoying this theme. There’s a juxtaposition in the sense that the sheer, almost nude, look comes off as elegant and glamorous in the way it is being worn.”
Sheer was a running trend throughout fashion month, not just in Paris. In Milan, celebrities like Dakota Johnson and Julia Garner wore sheer styles to the Gucci show. And at NYFW, sheer pieces were seen on the runways of Tibi, Khaite and Alaia.
But fashion experts say that the sheer look is one of those trends that’s much easier to pull off on a runway than IRL. Despite the embrace by luxury fashion brands, a general casualization of apparel over the decades and an increasingly strong “free the nipple” movement, it’s unlikely that people will wear a fishnet shirt to their office jobs, said Nguyen Tran, the founder and CEO of womenswear brand Le Reussi.
“While the sheer and risqué fashion trend thrives on the runway and red carpet, it’s unlikely to become a staple of mainstream everyday fashion, at least not immediately,” she said. “Cultural perspectives on modesty, self-expression and appropriateness in public settings play a significant role in how this trend will be received. While it’s gaining traction in fashion-forward circles, it may remain niche and occasion-specific, such as for high-end parties or fashion events.”
But as luxury experiences an ongoing squeeze, many brands are choosing to cater to their most affluent and valuable customers, the kinds of people who go to galas and fundraisers, rather than those working in a business-casual office. Sheer may be ideal for the more fashion-forward customer, but that’s increasingly who these luxury brands are targeting.
Seasonal trends are increasingly going extinct, as platforms like TikTok have pushed the speed of the trend cycle into overdrive. Sheer is a microtrend connected to a myriad of others happening at any one time, like boho chic and quiet luxury. Nina Vargas, a stylist and brand strategist who has worked with brands like Armani and Steve Madden, connected the rise of the sheer trend to another ongoing trend: the love for the ’90s and early 2000s.
“The last time we saw a trend this bold was during the late ‘90s to early 2000s, with the rise of the barely-there slip dresses and iconic exposed lingerie moments,” Vargas said. “Remember the ‘naked dress’ made famous by Carrie Bradshaw in ‘Sex and the City’? It was all about embracing minimalism with maximum impact, and this season, we’re seeing that same fearless energy come back.”
One byproduct of the rise to the sheer look: The industry is seeing growing demand for more full-coverage underwear that can be worn beneath transparent dresses. That’s been good for brands like Bloomers Intimates, an underwear brand that has taken notice of the sheer trend.
“We’re always working to make underwear and bralettes as beautiful and stylish as possible so they’re fashionable and something you’d want to show off,” said Noa Arias, co-founder of Bloomers Intimates. “There’s also the granny panties trend, which makes it possible to wear undies as outerwear without revealing everything, almost like very short shorts.”
