After every fashion week circuit, the trends start to seep through. This time around, for the autumn/winter season, stripes, yellow shades and neutral hues came through as key players alongside plenty of denim designs. However, one trend that truly caught our eye and seemed to transcend borders from London to Milan to Paris was sheer styling, with near-naked outfits and see-through fabrics becoming a fashion house favourite.

We’ve seen the transparent trend before, of course, with many a celebrity using see-through styling to make a statement red carpet moment and plenty of designers have added delicate designs to their runway collections. So, in terms of the fashion circuit, it isn’t really anything new. But this time around it was the number of looks that grabbed our attention: almost every big brand – including Saint Laurent, Valentino, Mugler and Chloé – sent sheer outfits down the catwalk.

To put it into more quantifiable measurements, fashion search engine Tagwalk shared that for autumn/winter 2024, 38% of the Valentino collection and 53% of the Chloé collection comprised of transparent touches. And looking to London, Simone Rocha, Eudon Choi, 16Arlington and David Koma were just a handful of designers that embraced see-through styles. And while the trend may look stunning on the runway, can we actually incorporate it into our everyday lives? Well, we’ve got a few hints and tricks that might help.

It may seem a little retro, but in true Y2K fashion, dresses over jeans are making a comeback and might be the perfect solution to see you into sheer styling. Stylist’s fashion director Lucy Reber suggests starting with your favourite pair of jeans or a washed-out wide-leg style to ensure you have the perfect base to start building from. Then, select a lightweight sheer slip dress or turn to exaggerated tulle to layer on top and you’ll have a dynamic outfit that’s both practical and fashionable without too much effort.

Of course, one of the key pulls of the sheer trend is its subtly sexy appeal, so if you’d rather not layer up underneath, lean into the look by accentuating your underwear. While this may not be entirely appropriate for, say, a strict office environment, it’s a statement-making style for drinks and dinner. To tiptoe into the trend, start with a sheer shirt layered over a lacy bra or, if you’re sold on a full see-through dress without baring full bum cheek, a sturdy pair of high-waisted knickers will truly shine. Plus, you can always use contrast colours to make your underlayers even more prominent. 

For those looking to test out the transparent look without the faff of finding jeans or matching underwear, tights and leggings become the perfect base layer. Simple and sleek, they’ll slot under any skirt or dress, making for a more modest outfit without overshadowing the sheer style. Plus, you can pull on a matching colour vest or top to cover up your top half as well. While we’d recommend basic black, nude options are also available to give the appearance of a barely-there outfit as we saw in Simone Rocha’s and Saint Laurent’s shows. 

Images: courtesy of brands