Top 10 trends: # 2

# 2: SheerTranslucence was the order of the day at many shows this season. This time around, we evolve past the tarty late-90s exposure of undergarments towards a more architectural layering aesthetic. The fabrics are no longer paper thin and sleek, but gauzy and textural.

TO PULL IT OFF: Layer long over short, slinky over structured, light over heavy; keep the colours in the same palette for more polish. It’s very easy for sheers to look trashy, so try to create visual interest rather than titillation.

Sheer ruffles from Giambattista Valli

Sheer was the last look out at Hermès. Notably, this was the only sheer piece in the collection.

This is a great example of contrasting textures from Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent: the softness of the fabric against the architecture of the necklace.

The perennial innovator, Gareth Pugh showed layers of shutter-like sheer fabric. While this is an extreme example, consider a top or skirt rendered in this manner.