Originally published in WSJ Heard on the Runway
Filed under: Fashion / New York Fashion Week / Trend Watch
When the weather warms up again, it will be fashionable for women to wear panties as outerwear if some of the industry's greatest minds are betting correctly.
Designers picked up and modified Martin Margiela's 2007 thought experiment on clothing that toyed with exposure. One year later, Marc Jacobs and Chloe presented sheer clothes that revealed the garments beneath; this motif was later echoed in the Spring 2009 collections of Erin Fetherston, Prada and Luella.
Stars with fashion-forward radar noticed -- and possibly contributed -- to the trend. In 2005, Madonna donned micro-briefs to promote her album "Confessions on the Dancefloor." In 2007, Sienna Miller borrowed Edie Sedgwick's iconic look (sweater, tights and leotard) while promoting her Sedgwick bio-pic "Factory Girl." Lady Gaga all but established her fashion cred by swanning about in leotards starting in 2007. Just this month, Beyonce and her back-up dancers shimmied onto the Video Music Awards stage in spangly leotards and tights.
Does the trend, er, have legs?
