Sheer Madness

Looking through New York Fashion Week S/S 2012 shows, a trend that I noticed a lot (and quite enjoyed) was the utilization of sheer fabrics.

Whether it be a racy sheer top, panelling in dresses that was very much less than opaque, or sheer layers flowing over other fabric, there was a lot of this stuff. It's actually a look that I've been noticing on the streets for awhile now, but designers are keeping it on-trend.

Take a look at how some of NYFW's designers used sheer materials this fall:

To see how these runway looks can translate to streetwear, I have a few photos from fashion week that I shot of some sheer tops:

That's my roommate, Laura, with her cool sheer top that she bought when her and I went on a little shopping spree at the boutiques on 9th street.

Some other lovely ladies throughout New York:

Now for other sheer street style [that's probably shot much more eloquently], I've turned to The Sartorialist and StreetPeeper:

That dress is so beautiful!

Sheer garments were once deemed inappropriate and even tacky looking, but if made right (that's the first step!) and styled well, they can be quite elegant.

In Trendspotting class we've talked a bit about sex appeal and desensitization; if designers keep showcasing the same body part in the same way, sex appeal is going to dull down and eventually desensitize the opposite sex to this body part.

By switching up what to expose, designers keep things fresh. I think sheerness is actually quite clever because it is an exposure of a body part, but without completely baring it to the world. It's almost sneaky if you think about it.

I've even been participating in this one, not gonna lie.

For my shape, the best way to style this sheer lace crop top was with something high waisted. Those shorts are from Topshop, they actually belong to one of my good friends from back home who accidentally left them here when visiting for fashion week.

If you can style this "sneaky" sheerness, go for it!

Cheers!