Sheer’s a Lady
One of my favourite fabrics is silk chiffon – I am unfailingly drawn to it when I see it hanging from a rack. It has such a beautiful texture and drape, and flutters so prettily in the wind. And of course it allows the skin to gleam through alluringly. Sheer can be sweet, or it can be sexy, but how does a Lady do sheer? Here is a crash course in pictures.
Sheer can be sweet, or it can be sexy, but how does a Lady do sheer?
The secret is undergarments with the appropriate amount of coverage, naturally, and judicious layering. One can add layer upon layer of pretty nothings, a bit like a layer cake … or pass the parcel, which can be particularly entertaining when undressing for someone else. Dance of the Seven Veils anyone?
Now, we are long past the days of Carrie and her visible bras. It’s not only passé, but it’s too obvious and tacky. Especially don’t try it at the office. In fact, depending on how conservative your office is, with the correct amount of coverage beneath a sheer shirt, for example, you can even carry it off there. A fitted camisole is good so as not to ruin the line and throw off the illusory effect of the sheer top, and it’s best to match the camisole to the overall tone of the shirt. Skin tone under light hues or patterned fabric, or another matching colour that complements the pattern, and black under black or other dark colours.
I adored the fabric of this cute little star-printed black chiffon tiered dress, but the tiny slip provided with it was appalling. It is far too short and looks utterly ridiculous under such a long dress. The vintage slip with its longer length looks much more the thing. It could even be a trifle longer.
By the way, both blouse and dress looked far more intriguing with buttons done up all the way – I’m already revealing quite a bit of flesh so leaving the buttons undone as I might with their opaque counterparts just looks too much. Also, the delicate nature of the chiffon made the collars flop in an unattractive way. I’d answer done up or down on a case by case basis though.
Click through to Fashionising for their comprehensive report on sheer for Spring 2013, and their pretty (and pretty daring) picks from the runway.