Roman Originals Blog

Whilst some would argue that underwear belongs underneath your clothes and not on show, there has, over the last decade, been a constant theme of underwear inspired clothes that are both delicate, feminine and sexy. Back in the nineties, Jean Paul Gaultier designer that cone bra for Madonna for her Blond Ambition tour. There were various other designs by  Jean Paul Gaultier and many others which were inspired by lingerie including Calvin Klein’s delicate and minimalist slip dresses. Since 2008, these underwear inspired pieces have been beginning to make a come back with corsets, big knickers (worn as shorts) and delicate lacy camisole dresses being key features.

For spring summer 2010, there were plenty of catwalk collections joining in with this trend. At Bottega Veneta, a cream bustier with white edging along the seams, worn with cream cropped trousers and a cardigan. At John Paul Gaultier, Dolce & Gabbana and Dior corsets were all teamed with silky and Lacy lingerie pieces. At Chistopher Kane sheer layers revealed white bras and at Just Cavalli a pink satin bra was layered over a mesh vest. At Marc Jacobs a blue satin bra worn over the top of a jacket with a pair of knicker like shorts and a Loewe, a bright orange bra was worn with a neutral skirt and coat. Vintage lingerie was also a key inspiration at many of the shows with plenty of lace and nude, neutral tones.

There is no doubt about it the underwear trend is a bit risque and is designed to catch peoples attention and push boundaries. It is also very desirable in many ways including the way that it can enhance the shape and is very delicate and feminine. There are two main threads to this trend, the very fitted corset and bra style of clothes and the looser more romantic camisole and slip styles.

Whilst you may be thinking to yourself, there is no way that I would go outside the house with my undies on show, there are ways to wear this trend that don’t look trashy or cheap. Evening wear for example often has some corset shape to it. You can sometimes find very gorgeous camisole tops that are just too beautiful to wear underneath your clothes and would look great as everyday tops worn with jeans or under a suit jacket. There are also plenty of lace embellished camisole and vest tops that have the feel of a beautiful piece of lingerie but are not too revealing.

A few simple pieces of advice when wearing underwear as outerwear or underwear inspired pieces:

• Avoid see through clothes. This does not leave anything to the imagination!
• If a piece looks too much (or too little) on its own, try layering it under a shirt, jacket or over blouse.
• select what you wear carefully, it should be subtle, pretty and feminine rather than full on sexy.
• If in doubt, have a good look in the mirror or ask a friend to assess if it is suitable and tasteful.
• You can often get away with underwear inspired pieces more in the evening than daytime.