SHEER AUDACITY
Making sense of this winter’s sheer trend
Words
KATE FINNIGAN
Thoughts on the sheer trend? I know, I know, it’s understandable if the words have you mentally reaching for a long, thick dressing gown and experiencing an immediate desire to hibernate. The sheer sheerness we’ve been exposed to of late, on the catwalk and the red carpet, well, it’s been a lot.
Even the idea of sheer tights is a chilling enough prospect for some women and if that someone is you, I judge you not. In your opaques and floor-length velvet, I know that you are in for an exceedingly merry and warm party season this year and on some occasions I will be joining you. Nevertheless, should you be feeling tempted to try something new, but have firmly dismissed the idea of anything ‘see-through’, as we once would have called it, I urge you to think again. Here’s why.
Light, semi-transparent fabrics are not the sole property of the honed, toned celebrity. Neither do they have to mean X-ray levels of visibility, your every vital organ on display for the inspection of your colleagues at the office Christmas party. Sheer does not have to be attention-seeking. It does not have to be distracting. It doesn’t have to be restricted to night time. But it can be stylish, versatile and, yes, I am being serious, comfortable.
Perhaps it helps if we begin to think of sheer in a different way; not as exposing something but, rather, adding something. Beautiful sheer fabrics like tulle, lace and organza have been long deployed in clothing to bring lightness or flou, as the Parisian ateliers call it, to a silhouette. Flou, in couture terms, is the soft dressmaking technique that uses light, ethereal fabrics. Flou describes feminine styles that are hazy, floaty, flirty and flowing. Most of us like a bit of that once in a while, am I right?
If the answer to that is a resounding or even a tentative yes, let me bring more good news. These same effects can be achieved just as well when worn over layers of other less transparent materials. Like your social media settings, sheer can be adjusted to varying levels of privacy, depending on your preferences.
Hush’s Claudia lace skirt in navy has a detachable lining so you can choose the effect you wish to create. Without the slip, it can be worn, like the Zuri black organza skirt, over wide or narrow black tailored trousers and a T-shirt, slinky camisole or a crisp white shirt – privacy settings still firmly on and you look like a central European film star in a Prada campaign. Win-win. A more street-style look can be achieved by throwing the Lizzie sheer maxi dress over slouchy jeans and a sporty bra top or vest. While something like the Havana shirt in bright magenta or black, worn with trousers or jeans, will bring you up to date with no fear of wardrobe malfunctions, thanks to its careful placement of front pockets. With so many options to add that feeling of lightness and flou for day and night this winter, it’s very clear: there’s no need to fear the sheer.
Kate Finnigan writes about fashion, design and culture. She is associate editor at The Gentlewoman and contributing editor at the Financial Times’ HTSI magazine.