There’s no doubt that sheer is having a moment—spotted in all its see-through glory most recently and notably at the Met Gala on Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian and Joan Smalls (to name just a few), the trend has permeated the industry so thoroughly that a frock of this nature has even acquired its own moniker: the naked dress.
Not just reserved for couture confections that walk the carpet, the revealing mode du jour has also seen an uptake in press appearances and regular looks-about-town on fashionable A-listers which can only mean one thing: The style will soon (if it hasn’t already) trickle down to the masses, leaving us to deal with an army of half-naked fashion girls roaming the streets.
Cara Delevingne, Poppy Delevingne and Kim Kardashian sporting the see-through trend. Photos: Getty Images
The thing is—this trend hasn't been adopted (solely, anyway) by the bottom-feeding, attention-seeking starlets who use their look as a means to stir up self-inflicted controversy. Rather, women highly regarded in the fashion industry (think: the Cara's, Poppy's and Kim K's of the world) are boldly experimenting with this trend to varying degrees, giving it a certain level of sartorial legitimacy that the former would not. At once feminist and empowering ("it's my body and I'll dress how I want") yet aggressively progressive (do we then stop at nothing but thongs and pasties to constitute a valid outfit?), the look is certainly polarizing and raises relevant questions about what is tasteful in this day and age. As we've previously waxed poetic on the topic of controversial outfitting, we support and applaud the notion that we are free to dress as we please, but still admit that looks such as Jessica Stam's, for example, manage to shock us ever so slightly. Furthermore, though a blouse may possess many nuances of a demure garment, perhaps one that completely reveals your underpinnings deserves thoughtful consideration with regard to the time and place for wear.
We want to hear from you—how sheer is too sheer? Share your opinions with us on Twitter at @thezoereport.
