It is possible that we are witnessing a tongue in cheek redefinition of what is and isn’t appropriate outerwear (at least in Hollywood). It wouldn’t be the first time. Tees weren’t always the acceptable go to we know them as today. “A T shirt, until the early 20th century, was effectively a piece of underwear,” says Dr. Shaun Cole, an associate professor of fashion at Southampton University. “There are cultural moments when these things change.” Cole has researched the ever changing cultural norms and visibility around underwear, specifically among men. Over the years underwear has gained visibility through the rising prominence and sway of intimates advertising (Calvin Klein ads in the ’80s being a key watershed moment and, later, Victoria’s Secret shows), the adoption of sagging amongst communities of color, and queer image making. He argues that a series of factors could be behind fashion shedding pants entirely this go around.
“By revealing underwear in the way Thom Browne has played with jockstraps and Miu Miu created these kinds of ostentatious women’s knickers— maybe it’s not necessarily an overt stand, but it certainly can be read as a reflection on the idea of gendered bodies,” he says. “One of the places we often think about gendered bodies is with the genitals, and while we’re not exposing them, we are doing what fashion historian Valerie Steele calls, ‘hinting at what is hidden.’” Either way, the look has certainly resonated with users on social media. Paris based TikTok user Marie Gaguech replicated Miu Miu’s panty centric look with her own at home version, asking her followers what they thought. She overwhelmingly received more meaningful feedback than jeers or hard nos. One person responded, “I think if the tights are all clear without the line, or throughout with a pattern it could be better.” Speaking to Vogue over email, Gaguech, 24, says she does like the visual aesthetics of exposed underwear. But she worries about the varied, complicated responses such a look might elicit out and about. “I would love to wear it outside, but even with a coat I don’t know if I would feel 100 percent comfortable,” she says.
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