Wearing underwear as outerwear or lingerie dressing was seen on nearly every spring 2023 runway. Appearing again for spring and resort 2024. Here is everything to know about the history of the trend…
The history
Underwear as outerwear is having a moment right now, becoming a backbone to many celebrity wardrobes and runway shows. However, like all fashion movements, this trend is simply the evolution of past stylings returning to popularity.
One of the earlier examples of this dates back to the Middle Ages. A codpiece was a detachable flap that attached to the crotch of a man’s trousers. They were used by aristocratic figures and were made mandatory in 1463 by Edward IV. Whilst designed for discretion, codpieces quickly became used as a provocative fashion statement to accentuate genitalia.
In 1783, Vigée Le Brun’s portrait of Marie Antoinette in a muslin chemise was removed from an exhibition. Openly exposing underwear at the time was shocking and the painting was considered too saucy.
Perhaps the most famous example of underwear as outerwear was the rise of flapper dresses in the 1920s. We now associate this style of dress with the decade, but at the time it was scandalous. The dresses resembled teddies and marked the new age of liberation and frivolity.
It might be surprising to know that once upon a time even the humble T-Shirt, a staple in so many of our wardrobes, was considered an undergarment and designed to be worn under button-downs. That was until Hollywood heartthrobs Marlon Brando and James Dean, relinquished the button-down to wear just a fitted tee in A Streetcar Named Desire (1950) and Rebel Without A Cause (1955). The trend took off with rebellious teens emulating the look as a political statement. Fashion historian Einav Rabinovitch-Fox spoke of the significance of this saying; “the t-shirt also moved from being a masculine wear to unisex. This is significant, as underwear is often very gendered, so by making it visible, you can also change its gender association.”
The sexual liberation of the 60s pushed boundaries further and became a pivotal point for the trend. Vivienne Westwood revived Victorian garments such as the corset with an edgy design. The style was mostly worn in punk and goth subcultures but eventually became a favourite to the masses and is still very much worn today.
It’s impossible to write about the evolution of underwear as outerwear without mentioning the emergence of the pop star in the 80s. Especially Madonna, whose iconic cone bra, designed by Jean Paul Gaultier and worn during her Blond Ambition tour, was a cultural reset.
In the 90s, the trend made its way to royalty. Princess Diana, forever a style icon, could arguably be credited with popularising the classic slip dress after she wore one to the Met Gala in 1996. A big move, especially for royalty, as these garments were typically reserved for nightwear.
Also, in the ’90s, whale tales were born. Both Jean Paul Gaultier’s and Tom Ford’s Gucci spring 1997 runway shows put thongs and cheek-baring looks on display. This coincides with the popularity of low-rise jeans and boxer underwear peeking over baggy jeans. A trend that many credits as having originated in the prison system, where belts are forbidden.
Underwear as outerwear today
Now we reach today, where there is a whole new obsession with wearing underwear as outerwear. Rabinovitch-Fox tributes this to a post-pandemic world, “Similar things happened in the 1920s, after the flu pandemic of 1918, when clothing became light and loose, almost wanting to discard heavy fashions that can be health hazards and make it difficult to breathe.”
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There’s also the rise of Bridgerton which has seen corsets pop up everywhere and of course, we cannot forget the influence of the runways. For spring 2023 Versace showed lace bralettes and thigh-high stockings. More recently, Alberta Ferretti and Roberto Cavalli’s sheer gowns were standouts from the Resort 2024 collections. Not to mention, celebrities from Kendall Jenner to Bella Hadid who’ve been seen sporting the ‘no pants’ trend.
READ MORE: Trend Alert: Pants Are Out!
Wearing underwear as outerwear is a cycle that started hundreds of years ago and proves that fashion rules are meant to be broken. So, whether it is a corset top, whale tail, or a slip dress, embrace this trend, as it is back and better than ever.