SHEER BRILLIANCE: LINGERIE GOES FROM THE HOUSE TO THE STREET

Lingerie is the final barrier separating the viewer’s eye from the naked body beneath- revealing bits and pieces of what it hides, and generating plenty of curiosity along the way. Yes, lingerie today is quite provocative indeed, but it didn’t start out that way.

Currently on display at The Museum at FIT is Exposed: A History of Lingerie, which shows a retrospective of lingerie beginning with its functional origins, and ending with a 2014 bra and panty set from La Perla. The exhibit is interesting not only in that it shows the foundations garments that created the best-known silhouettes of the last 200 years, but also how much these garments have influenced contemporary designers of today and the fashionistas who take these styles to the street.

What began as a way to protect outer garments in the days before washing machines, while also adding warmth to one’s daily ensemble, evolved into meticulously crafted and highly decorated undergarments whose main function was to shape a woman’s body while also highlighting it as an object of desire.

While certain soft lingeries like tea gowns, dressing gowns, and variations on the kimono became acceptable to wear in the presence of guests inside your home, none of these soft pieces, nor their hard counterparts (i.e. brassieres, corsets) would ever be worn outside. Like a beautifully wrapped present, a woman in hard lingerie was generally a gift only received by her husband.

Why put all of this effort into creating beautiful garments, when they’ll only be seen by such a small audience? This question seemed to be answered by the explosion of lingerie onto the scene during the 1980’s. Need we mention Madonna and Jean Paul Gaultier? While the original idea behind wearing lingerie in public may have been to shock the system and break a taboo, it gave way to many other designers following suit, redefining what we think of as public vs. private when it comes to fashion.

While we have witnessed the thong over legging craze of the 80’s, the bare midriff of the 90’s, and the slip dress of the 2000’s, our present decade brings something much more alluring to the table, with the all-out embrace of sheer.

Next time you’re looking to throw something sexy into your wardrobe, you could choose something from designers influenced by lingerie like J Mendel, D&G, or Valentino, but why not consider a specialist, like Agent Provocateur, Wolford, or La Perla? These stars of today’s lingerie design market have no doubt benefited from the trend, incorporating special edition pieces and complete ensembles into their collections, intended for street-wear and special occasions.

 

If showing too much skin makes you shy away from this trend, just try layering it on! The lingerie trend of today isn’t limited to beautiful bras and underwear under sheer slips, dresses, and pants, it also includes silk kimonos, opaque fabrics and other pieces with greater coverage- more than anything, it’s about attitude.

From either end of the spectrum, and when styled correctly, this trend can make you look polished, sexy and fashion-forward. And from what we’ve seen so far from the fall 2014 couture shows, this trend is here to stay. 

 

Article by Amelia Whitworth for FashionIQ