Weekly Style Highlight: Discarding the notion of the bare dress, Kendall Jenner advocates for undergarments serving as outer garments.
The front of Jenner's gown was split open at her right shoulder, revealing a similar-toned lingerie. This brief glimpse brought to mind another fashion statement of revealing attire: Lil' Kim's purple bejeweled jumpsuit at the VMAs two decades prior, where her left breast was nearly fully exposed due to an off-center cut, with only a matching purple pasty covering her nipple.
Jenner's Mugler moment marks a return to the trend of wearing lingerie as outerwear. At the Nensi Dojaka show in London recently, blazers were worn over bras with straps, while bustiers made of see-through fabric were paired with Capri trousers, functioning as going-out tops. Even on the runway, underwear was left uncovered at Erdem, breaking from the label's traditional preference for Coverage, popular among the British Royal Family and the Duchess of Cambridge herself. Dolce & Gabbana echoed this sentiment, showcasing corsets, garter belts, and Madonna-style cone bras during Milan Fashion Week. Florence Pugh even wore one of the label's risqué designs for her British Vogue cover shoot last week, displaying her black dress with puff shoulders that exposed her bra, resembling a bare-frontal frame.
This trend has not just limited itself to the catwalks, either. During her first "Short n' Sweet" tour performance on Monday, singer Sabrina Carpenter showcased a custom Victoria's Secret bodysuit and stockings, adorned with more than 150,000 crystals and taking over 140 hours to make. In a twist to the trend, YouTube star Jojo Siwa opted for a codpiece for her LadyGunn magazine cover shoot on Monday, embellished with flesh-tone gemstones.
The concept of flaunting underwear in public isn't a new one. Marie Antoinette pioneered this fashion transgression, posing for a portrait in a white muslin chemise-like gown, essentially her underwear, in 1783. The style gained popularity in the 1980s, courtesy of Anna Sui and her transformation of the babydoll slip dress from 1950s nightwear into 1980s party attire, as well as Jean-Paul Gautier's iconic cone-bra design.
Jenner has already demonstrated her dominance in the fashion of wearing lingerie as daily wear, opting for tights instead of trousers in 2022. With this trend on the rise, who knows what she'll bare next.
CNN Style serves as an official media partner for Paris Fashion Week. Check out all the coverage here
This trend of wearing lingerie as outerwear is seen not only on the runway but also in everyday fashion. For instance, Sabrina Carpenter performed in a custom Victoria's Secret bodysuit and stockings during her recent tour.
Fashion influencers like Jenner are contributing to the revival of Marie Antoinette's fashion transgression, where underwear is flaunted in public, showcasing their bold style and fashion sense.
