Has sheer dressing finally removed the shock of unfiltered body exposure? Taking a look at recent red carpet and runway coverage, sheer trends are no longer confined to the boudoir. But as WWD has noted before, opaque sheer-to-sheerest dress, pant or top trends are not new to fashion.
In fact, sheer nylon fabrics began trickling into the market beginning in 1941, when a nylon woven dress described by WWD as a “filmy evening sheer” was introduced. The sheer marquisette called “Jeunesse” for evening and bridal gowns was exclusive to a single dressmaker at the time. A few months later, the first sheer nylon dress would be publicly displayed in New Orleans by Godchaux Clothing Co., the reaction was palpable. Layered sheers began to trickle into the market in the mid-’40s, continuing to trend on the runway.
Yves Saint Laurent, Madame Gres and Halston showed sheer layered looks in the ’70s and ’80s. While Jean Paul Gaultier, Tom Ford and others risked it all in the ’90s and continue today. The nude, barely-there, sheer-illusion or lack of fabric censoring may just signal an appreciation and acceptance of body politics so frequently discussed in fashion.
While the verdict is yet to be defined, here is a look at nude sheer dressing on the runway through the years.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Tony Palmieri Models Karen Bjornson, Connie Cook, Carla Araque, Nancy Grigor, and Pat Cleveland are among the model’s photographer in ombre chiffon dresses from Halston’s Spring 1979 Made-to-Order Collection.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Reginald Gray A model wears a bridal look from the Pierre Cardin Spring 1975 Couture Collection on January 1, 1975, in Paris, France.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Frederick’s of Hollywood 1973 lingerie fashion show.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Guy Marineau A model walks in the Madame Gres Spring 1977 Couture Runway Show on January 27, 1977, in Paris, France.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: John Bright Betsey Johnson Spring 1979 Ready to Wear
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: George Chinsee Model Kirsten Owen on the runway at Calvin Klein Collection Spring 1997 fashion show.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: John Aquino Model Angela Lindvall on the runway at Betsey Johnson Fall 1997 ready to wear fashion show.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni A model walks in the Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 1998 Menswear Collection Runway Show on June 30, 1997.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni A model on the runway at Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2003 fashion show in Paris.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model Shalom Harlow walks the runway in the Christian Dior Fall 1997 Couture Runway Show at the Bagatelle Gardens on July 8, 1997, in Paris, France.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Davide Maestri Model Carolyn Murphy on the runway at the Gucci Spring 1998 ready to wear fashion show.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Model Kate Moss on the runway at the Versace Spring 1997 ready to wear runway show in Milan.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Gucci Spring 1997 Ready to Wear Runway Show
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Davide Maestri Model Carmen Kass on the runway at the Gucci Spring 2002 ready to wear fashion show.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Models on the runway at Jean Paul Gaultier’s spring 2010 show.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Model on the runway at the Thierry Mugler Fall 2011 fashion show in Paris, France.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive A model on the runway at dW by Kanye West’s debut spring 2012 show at Lycee Henri IV.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive Models at Kanye West x Adidas Originals Yeezy Season 1 fall 2015 show at Skylight Clarkson Square.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: WWD Tom Ford Spring 2019 ready to wear runway show.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Dominique Maitre Iris Van Herpen Spring Summer 2017, haute couture runway show
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannonni Model on the runway at the Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2023 Couture Collection Fashion Show on July 5, 2023 in Paris,
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Kuba Dabrowski/WWD Backstage at Iris Van Herpen Haute Couture Fall 2018, photographed in Paris on July 2nd, 2018.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Dominique Maitre Model on the runway at Mugler Ready To Wear Spring 2024 on October 2, 2023 in Paris, France.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at the Blumarine Spring 2024 Ready To Wear Fashion Show on September 21, 2023 in Milan,
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at the Schiaparelli Fall 2023 Couture Collection Fashion Show on July 3, 2023 in Paris, France.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Swan Gallet/WWD Model on the runway at the Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture Fall 2024 show held on June 26, 2024 in Paris,
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at the Tom Ford Spring 2024 Ready To Wear Fashion Show on September 21, 2023 in Milan, Italy.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at Blumarine Fall 2023 Ready To Wear Fashion Show on February 23, 2023 in Milan, Italy.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at the Supriya Lele Spring 2024 Ready To Wear Fashion Show on September 18, 2023 in London, England.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at Saint Laurent RTW Fall 2024Ready to Wear Fashion Show on February 27, 2024 in Paris, France.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at Saint Laurent RTW Fall 2024Ready to Wear Fashion Show on February 27, 2024 in Paris, France.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at the Supriya Lele Spring 2024 Ready To Wear Fashion Show on September 18, 2023 in London, England.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at Saint Laurent RTW Fall 2024Ready to Wear Fashion Show on February 27, 2024 in Paris, France.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at Tom Ford RTW Fall 2024 Ready to Wear Fashion show held on February 22, 2024 in Milan, Italy.
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Sheer to Bare Fashion Runway Moments Through the Years
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Model on the runway at Saint Laurent RTW Fall 2024Ready to Wear Fashion Show on February 27, 2024 in Paris, France.
