Naked fashion cannot be ignored. From the red carpet through to every day looks, sheer is fashion's sexiest moment right now.
Naked fashion cannot be ignored. It’s everywhere from the red carper through to slightly more muted incarnations on the streets.
But it’s there, and it’s gathering momentum in tandem with the body positivity and free the nipple movements, carried by the unstoppable forward motion of social media and attention spotlighting.
The trend is not new, however, but it was once the reserve of paparazzi and celebrity only.
Cher’s barely-there Bob Mackie gowns from the seventies and eighties started it all while Madonna pushed boundaries in the early nineties when she donned a Jean Paul Gaultier number not much more than a sculpted bra.
Elizabeth Hurley’s famous safety-pin Versace dress in 1994 set off another wave of skin-baring fashion and made going commando, or without underwear, hip.
Jennifer Lopez’s jungle-green Versace dress in 2000 went so viral that it inspired Google to create its entire image search function.
Pushing boundaries
Today, Sydney Sweeney, Paris Hilton, Sabrina Carpenter, Margot Robbie, Dakota Johnson, Kristen Bell, Tyla, Julia Fox, Zoë Kravitz, Madison Beer, Chrissy Teigen, Zendaya and many others have been walking carpets in dresses that reveal much more than they hide.
Lace, mesh, diamanté netting, crystal-covered nude fabric illusions, and high-slit skirts that show the hip and hint at nothing beneath have been Hollywood staples.
Naked fashion is here to stay for some time to come, and it’s quickly finding its feet in everyday fashion, too.
Designer Heidi du Toit of Hollywood Costumes said sheer dressing is less about shock and more about how people see themselves today.
“It comes from confidence culture and the impact of social media. Celebrities want to feel sexy, empowered and visually unforgettable,” she said.
“But even the strongest red carpet still keeps the essential areas covered. It is about illusion, artistry and balance, not going fully bare.”
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She said the secret lies in subtlety.
“In streetwear, people prefer sheer panels or layered transparency while still keeping the breasts and bottom covered. It becomes suggestive rather than exposed, which is where real style lives,” she said.
Layering is the bridge between bravery and comfort.
“Nude-toned underwear, slips, bralettes and clever cut-outs allow you to show a little bit of flesh without revealing everything. It keeps the look bold but still tasteful,” she said.
Bold and tasteful look
Tanya Nel of Raggle Taggle Gypsy suggested the trend has grown because culture has been moving in that direction for years.
“There has been a big push towards body positivity,” she said. “People are playing with the idea of exposing themselves more. Sheer creates an illusion of being exposed while still feeling safe.”
She said practical dressing is about choosing which half of the body to focus on.
“You are either wearing something sheer on top and solid on the bottom or the other way around. That is how it translates from red carpet to everyday wardrobes,” she said.
Festival fashion, Nel noted, is where the trend roosts.
“Women will literally just wear nipple caps at festivals, and underneath they are wearing bikini bottoms or a G-string,” she said. “Men keep it simple with sheer tops or textured fabrics that give the same idea.”
Ashwin Daniels of The Fix said festival culture, especially events like Coachella, helped revive the naked aesthetic for a new generation.
“Soft femininity has been a key trend and sheer fabrics are part of that,” he said. “You saw a lot of sheer layer dressing at Coachella. People wore bikinis under sheer maxi dresses or sheer skirts. It is an easy trend to adopt, especially outdoors.”
He added that people are mixing the softness of sheer with the grit of denim to keep the look grounded.
“Chiffon, lace and organza are styled with oversized jeans or denim shorts. It gives contrast,” he said.
He also sees sheer skirts worn with oversized shirts or blazers to make the look daytime-friendly. “You get the sheer moment from the knee up without feeling fully exposed,” he said.
Get the look without overexposure
Activewear and shapewear also propagate the trend, but in a different way.
Here, it is about silhouette and reducing aesthetic bumps, visible lines, and indentations.
Khloé Kardashian said she skips underwear when she is in activewear, saying it feels better and gives a cleaner line. Sister Kim has said much the same over the years, admitting she was “a non-underwear kind of girl for a long time” before creating her own solution through SKIMS.
The brand’s shapewear, dipped-front thongs, and workout range are all built around the same idea: comfort, confidence, and a look that appears commando.
Nel said that comfortable fabric for a naked look is a must.
“Mesh can be scratchy if it is cheap. People want soft, stretchy fabric so they feel good in it,” she said. But sheer is not going anywhere, irrespective. Dut Toit said that it’s here to stay.
“The future is not about going more naked. It is about smarter layering, stronger structure and sophisticated transparency,” she said.
