Who ever thought the trend for wearing underwear on the outside would be one of this season’s hottest trends? The last time we saw a shift towards lingerie as outerwear was in the 80’s and not much has changed since then in that this look can be very unforgiving. The key to creating a sexy, sultry and sassy look is to keep it subtle in terms of styling and colour (avoid red it’s too overtly sexy).

HOW TO PULL IT OFF?
The body beautiful will pull off cropped corset tops, suspenders, slip dresses and balconette bras but for most, layering, contrast and a bit of imagination will make it work. Think mixing girly, feminine lingerie with tougher fabrics such as leather or denim. Opt for lingerie in this season’s softer colour palette of neutral, pastel and honey tones and layer with a waistcoat or boyfriend blazer. If in doubt about revealing too much flesh, layer a top underneath or cover with a sheer blouse. Socks and tights also offer added coverage if slip dresses are your thing. Of all the looks to emerge around underwear as outerwear, exposed stay-ups and suspenders are without question the most risqué and difficult to pull off. Even Lady Gaga only barely manages it!

WHO’S DOING IT?
On the catwalk Galliano for Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander Wang, Dolce & Gabbana, Marc Jacobs and Bottega Venetta all channeled the trend to a certain extent. For us mere mortals, the highstreet has a great variety on offer with Topshop, New Look, Miss Selfridges and BT2’s are all paying homage.

WILL IT LAST?
Like most trends these days, its moment will be short lived. However unlike many other fashion fads, the beauty of buying nice lingerie is that ultimately it will never go out of fashion. The trend for wearing it on full display might wane but it will always remain fit for it’s original purpose – underwear!