The Bare Necessities...

Ever since Madonna donned her Dolce and Gabbana cone bra, or Carrie Bradshaw swanned around NYC in what was debatably lingerie a lot of the time, the female nation (and of course male nation too) have been obsessed with lingerie on display! So it’s no wonder that Dior’s Couture and Summer Collections are influenced largely by the delicate design of lingerie.

The Dior Couture Show Winter 2009 was originally inspired by the old photographs of Christian Dior dressing his models in the traditional French salon, where he previewed the collection to his clients. This is where the half-dressed effect came about; the couture collection has flashes of corsets, stockings, bras and knickers, and although there is a distinct 1950s’ style to the clothing, he brings the exposing of garments through in a very contemporary way.

He also brought this lingerie inspiration through to his ready-to-wear Spring/Summer collection; it is in a much more subtle way, with delicate sheer fabrics, deep silks resembling nightwear slips and lots of lace.

Other designers were more suggestive in their influences, with corset detailing appearing on tops, sheer fabrics and laces adorning many outfits and subtle flashes of flesh. The short shorts or high waited pants returned to the catwalk too this season, showing that it’s not only Lady Gaga trumping this look!

Celebrities like Daisy Lowe, Sienna Miller and Taylor Momsen are the people leading this trend off the catwalk! Taylor Momsen’s style is very grungy/heroin chic and just like Blondie back in the ‘80s she is championing this half-dressed, rolled-out of bed look… whenever she is performing, she is wearing some sort of underwear as outerwear or vintage slip dress. Some celebrities who have been channeling this underwear outerwear look for the past few years in the worst possible way would be Jodie Marsh and Katie Price…whatever you do, do not copy their attempts!

So what about us real women…will I get sniggers and jeers if I go to my local pub in a cropped brasserie worn with my jeans, or my bra showing through a sheer top? Well I can assure you that, no, I didn’t walk out of my house in a bra. There is a very fine line between what is acceptable and what is not…looking like an extra from ‘Pretty Woman’ is not!!! However, there are ways for you to infuse this trend into your wardrobe. Try layering; wear a cropped brassiere like the ones available in Topshop under a sheer or lacy bra, or for those of you a little less adventurous, you can do this same look with a bodysuit under, so there is no flesh on display.

Go for a lacy body suit for extra lingerie effect! I have seen some gorgeous young girls doing the crop top style with high-waisted trousers, and hey if you have the body and confidence to do this, go for it! I don’t think I’ll be recommending wearing knickers out to anyone though…even former style-setter Sienna couldn’t get away with that look!