Monday, February 08, 2010

Active Wear From The Bedroom

It seems as though edgy has found a new name for itself this season: Raunchy. Every season we itch to see what’s next, and it never surprises up that what we end up seeing are the same trends from previous eras only more extreme and recently more bedazzled. This spring I was surprised to say that the glitter is gone and has been replaced with sheer fabrics, silk and bottomless one pieces. If sex was still even an ounce taboo, fashion designers have definitely contributed to the demise of that.

"Ou sont mes pantalons?"
When I first saw “day lingerie” on the runways of Givenchy, Alexander Wang, D&G and even our own Jason Meyers, I couldn’t help imagining myself rolling out of bed, throwing on a cardigan and heading off to work. As fantastic as that sounds, I don’t think the general public would appreciate it. Seeing these very sexy trends on the runway and in editorial spreads is an absolute dream. The idea of a nylon body suit with feathers covering all the right places or a leather corset wrapped over short nude dress is extremely intriguing, and who doesn’t secretly love the thought of looking like a Parisienne mistress. But how realistic is it really?

I then began thinking as a buyer. If I worked for a trendy suburban store, how would I react to these risqué trends? How could I convince a sixteen-year old girl in a city like Oakville to buy a pantless bodysuit or a slinky silk dress with a lace trim? Its easy to say that stores such as American Apparel and H&M could sell these items because they are low priced and considered a “fast fashion”, but to any other retailer, bodysuits and day lingerie are really every buyers nightmare.

Not For Sale
So how can we wear these risqué trends without looking like ladies of the night? Bodysuits and corsets are quite easy to master. Bodysuits are great for anything that is fitted, for example a pencil skirt or a pair of high or low waisted jeans and the proper accessories. Sheer blouses have the most simple solution: a tank top. You will lose the effect of the shirt this way, but again you can play around with accessories to make it work. If you have the courage to sport the sheer blouse with just a bra underneath, accessorize enough that you do not draw too much attention to what’s under the blouse but so you also don’t take away from the effect. A long multi-chained necklace would work best. When wearing a silk and lace trimmed dress, no matter how you wear it the “lingerie” look to it will always be quite obvious. Pairing the dress up with a casual blazer and a great pair of wedges will give the dress a more flirty summer look.

Ga-Ga-Oh-La-La
So for how much longer will we be seeing these revealing looks? As long as we have celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Beyonce and Katy Perry baring it all and taking risks with their clothing designers will continue to keep the “spark” going.

No comments: