9 years ago by
When Brie talked to me about doing a fashion story about sheers, I thought it was a great idea, even more so that it’s an opportunity to talk to you about the work of two girls we really love at the Studio – Whitney and Paloma. They created a great brand of underwear together called Valentine – so it was perfectly fitting to photograph them in their element.
We decided on the outfits together, and they shot the series with Erik while I was in Cannes.
Then, this morning? When I was looking at the photos, I realized that…
1/ Playing with sheers is really beautiful, and I totally want to wear a skirt like Whitney’s with a pair of big black panties.
2/ Even though you can wear things like that and be totally fine walking down the street in New York, that’s definitely not the case all over the world. When I lived in Marseilles, just wearing a tiny pair of heels was enough to get way too much bad cat calls on the street… I remember a few experiences that were really not cool.
And, since it’s the time of year when we’re seriously starting to want to wear as little as possible, I’m really curious to see what you think…
What is it like where you live? Could you wear clothes like this and go out in the street?
Translated by Andrea Perdue
Thank you to The Standard Hotel, High Line.
On Whitney: Top, Adam Lippes; Skirt, Michael Kors; Shoes, Bionda Castana; Bra & Brief, Valentine / On Paloma: Dress, Zara; Shoes, Dolce & Gabbana; Bra, Valentine; Brief, Commando.
On Whitney: Dress, Proenza Schouler; Shoes, Superga; Sunglasses, Illesteva; Bra & Brief, Valentine / On Paloma: Top, Elizabeth & James; Sunglasses, Illesteva; Skirt, Elizabeth & James; Shoes, Proenza Schouler; Bra, Valentine.
Sheer is a beautiful and elegant trend! I can’t love more all these photographs and looks!
http://heelsandpeplum.com/
I love wearing sheers- they’re such an easy way to add texture to your layering. Like a sheer black silk singlet, with maybe a cashmere knit, and leather. Perfection! But where I live is not super fashion aware like New York, and my friends aren’t really into it, so it would definitely raise some eyebrows if I wore only a bra underneath! So I always wear my sheers with a camisole. Plus, they’re so light for summer, it’s such an easy way to add interest to an outfit whilst still feeling like you’re not wearing much at all :)
Tu ri-go-les? Nulle part en France tu peux porter ça dans la rue, à part dans les parages immédiats de la plage.
La robe blanche est très jolie.
Hey Garance!
Pssss ici à Miami tout est permis!
Plus tu es trash plus ça semble cool…. Triste et pas cool du tout! Et Memorial weekend is around the corner….OMG!!!
http://www.blushandbeyond.com/skincare/the-only-serum-you-need-this-summer/
xo
Alix
The Standard, hôtel officiel du studio Garance Doré ! ;)
La vue est chouette en tout cas !
Comme tu dois bien t’en douter, à Paris, on est victime de harcèlement de rue au quotidien, donc c’est vraiment impossible de s’habiller comme ça. Si j’adore ma ville c’est vraiment cette liberté qui me manque comparé à des villes comme New York ou Singapour où l’on peut s’habiller comme on le veut. Bon pur la jupe totalement transparente je trouve ça quand même provocant et too much !
Je pense que ça dépend du lieu et du moment.
Pour le soir en plein été (sauf si tu habites au fin fond de la Creuse) sans aucun problème, la journée c’est plus compliqué mise à part la silhouette chemisier à pois plus jupe crayon qui est assez sophistiquée.
Amélie
https://charlesrayandcoco.wordpress.com/
…pas vraiment a Vienne, en Autriche :-)
Beautiful pics!!
Passa a trovarmi VeryFP
Euh pas vraiment non, même à Paris ! :-) J’ai la robe blanche, par ex, et je là porte avec une mini sous robe qui arrive en haut des cuisses. Maintenant je cherche une jupe longue en voile que je porterai avec un long top…
http://www.mode9.fr
Effectivement les photos sont vraiment jolies et donnent envie de faire pareil. Je me vois bien telle une Beyonce déambuler dans la rue sur un fond sonore de Dangerously in love. La culotte taille haute qu’on entrevoirait sous le tissu vaporeux d’une jupe transparente…Mais tout comme toi j’éclate ma bulle rapidement car je n’ai pas encore le courage de le faire à Paris. On est pas assez ouvert. Les français ont encore du mal à associer un corps dénudé avec l’élégance…Apres je dirais aussi que tout dépend aussi du degré de transparence. Je trouverai l’occasion de le faire!
http://www.mlle-lovemuggen.com
These clothes are beautiful and sexy, without being vulgar. Sadly, I would not be able to wear them in the streets. To a party – maybe, but only if accompanied by my husband, in order to avoid sleazy remarks by a cab driver (for example). I wore a sheer, long skirt to my prom, years and years ago, though :) I love sheers – they are very feminine and they look great on women of all sizes. It’s just a question of not overdoing it in order not to steer to the trashy / garish side. But with the clothes from the photos, that would be a very difficult job, because they are all very classy.
Bonjour Garance, je confirme : Marseille est “étriquée” côté vetements. A moins d’être dotée d’un esprit totalement libre et faire abstraction des remarques désobligeantes, moqueuses, misogynes et jalouses. Mais c’est fatigant voire usant à la fin de la journee.
ah oui c’est possible – dans mon salon- si je ne sors pas de chez moi ;)
Ouf j’habite en Suisse et c’est complètement impossible ! Un chemisier un peu transparent là oui mais sinon pas du tout !Et encore je pourrais pas le mettre au boulot… Il y a tellement de chose que j’adore et que je n’ose pas mettre ! C’est dommage, même des talons trop hauts ou trop flashy font que tu te retrouves à ton inssu la lady gaga de la place !
Mais c’est magnifique, j’adore la robe grise… Pour l’été à la plage !
Je vais organiser un voyage à New York l’année prochaine, j’ai beaucoup voyagé mais pas encore été à New York.. Cette ville me donne vraiment envie !
It’s probably possible here in MI, but I’d get a few stares for sure. The only problem’s that my boyfriend won’t go along with me since he’d think it’s not appropriate, and I won’t feel comfortable walking like this alone ;-)
http://www.lerablogs.com/
I think it is really beautiful, but it is definitely not suited for Seattle. After being cat-called numerous times on my walk to work this morning (I’m wearing a sailor stripe top and a black skirt), I don’t think something like this would fly. But I love the freedom and movement of the pieces.
I currently live in Nashville, down here, you definitely can’t go out in a sheer dress like the one she is wearing. However, you might be able to pull off a sheer top, as a matter of fact am wearing a dark grey one from American Apparel as it is going to be in the 80s today.
These looks and models are gorgeous – and thank you for this topic! I grew up in an American suburb in Massachusetts where I attended a small school from kintergarden- 8th grade where I was very, cruelly bullied for the things I chose to wear. (Vintage jewelry, vintage headscarves etc.) In high school around 2007/2008 we began to see vintage become more vogue and being different was good – so I even had a bully formally apologize and tell me she envied my resilience to be be different (!!!) that was amazing. I still, and always have wanted to be in New York City for this reason.
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com
I could definitely see some London Shoreditch girls wearing this walking down the Brick Lane market on a Sunday morning!!!
No one would care a less…!
Her crocher dress is amazing, it is so original :)
Bisous from France,
Sand.
http://www.taimemdoe-fashionblog.com
http://photosfrench.blogspot.fr
Dutch men do not catcall or whistle at women, they really are among the most liberated on the planet. But if you were to go out on the street in Rotterdam in that skirt everyone, and I mean e-ver-y-one, would think you were barking. Barking mad.
The two dresses would work at a beach cafe, but not too many other places.
Haha, true that! Well said.
C’est magnifique, ca me fait penser à des photos de jupes en dentelles de couleur que Scott a faites à Milan récemment, y’a aussi des Italiennes qui osent !
Mais en réalité je vois pas trop où porter un bas transparent est d’une part toléré, et où d’autre part tu ne te ferais pas harceler… (Marseille rien que le fait d’être du sexe féminin sans être accompagnée d’un sexe masculin suffit à te faire emmerder…) Ca serait plus simple de faire la liste d’où on peut porter ça plutôt que celle où on ne peut pas malheureusement. :(
I wore a very sheer dress to a party in London. Got looked at but could still hold a serious conversation and not feel inappropriate. Same dress worn to a party in Paris didn’t go down so well, ended up having to cover up with a shawl! Here in Mallorca, where I now live, have not seen any sheer but certainly seen some really trashy dressing so vulgar that the sheer clothes you show here would look demure in comparaison! The question is, do I want the whole world to see my knickers? When I wore my sheer dress which was black I wore black tights, no knickers, so one saw the shape of my body but no details except on top! Don’t wear sheer anymore now that I’ve passed 60, except at the beach. I would go for it Garance before it gets too late and totally inappropriate!
I love the idea of sheer clothes, the fabric is usually light and allows a gust of summer breeze to past by! However my challenge with it is what do you wear under it? Simply bra and underwear? and what type? The same goes to tops/dresses that have a low back or straps….I’m always clueless to what kind of bra to wear? (or no bra at all??! Not there yet haha)
Love the idea, but the practicality of it remains a barrier for me before I take the leap.
Oh yes. Not sure if it’s a California thing or just an 80’s thing, haha, but wearing colorful, playful bras and underwear ender semi-sheer T-shirts and whatever is pretty acceptable and stylish. I always equate it with wearing your bikini all day, which I often do! Sometimes a triangle bikini top looks better than anything!
Interesting post.
Maybe on a beach. Or looks for other fashion bloggers.
– A.
Ah bah tiens, je me suis faite traitée de salope à Paris dans le 18ème y’a quelques jours, parce que je portais un mini short… avec des collants opaques et des loafers Repetto vernies ! On a connu plus provocant… J’habite en Angleterre et si je sortais habillée comme ça ici, je passerais pour une sainte ni touche.
Les photos sont sublimes !
Ben c’est sûr que je ne m’habillerais pas comme ça dans la journée (j’habite Paris 20) mais plus par ce que j’aurais peur d’être trop habillée (note le paradoxe!!) par contre pour une soirée entre amis pas de soucis pour moi je trouve ça gypse chic, particulièrement la jupe noire…
Bisouxxxxx
jeannezam.eu
Ta question n’a rien d’anodin, Garance. Je pense que tu souhaitais, sans avoir l’air d’y toucher parler de ce sujet que toutes les femmes connaissent bien: le sexisme au quotidien. On sait bien que, peu importe la tenue, il suffit d’être une femme pour avoir des commentaires désobligeant et plus si affinités. C’est hélas le lot quotidien de beaucoup d’entre nous. Mon parcours personnel, Marseille de Belsunce à la Gare pour aller bosser, pas besoin de culotte noire en vue pour être traitée de s— à 8 heures du mat’- Par contre, je trouve Vienne et Zurich plutot relax. Singapour, je confirme, le paradis de la fille nue sous ses vetements, j’ai trainée à minuit en top destructuré blanc (il y a des designers trés doués la bas) sans faire battre un cil aux males du coin. Enfin, bon, vive les fringues transparentes et la libérté de marcher dans la rue dedans!
Ive been a fan of this sheer trend for a while but Ive always thought it looks great on photos but daring in real life. For some reason the bottom sheer is tricky or taboo for me and sheer top is not. Sheer bottom feels naked, somehow. i have not seen this trend of sheer skirts on the streets of Tallinn. Either, so it could be a thing for Estonian girls as well, not just me :)
really love the sheer trend when it’s done right. all these looks are great
http://hashtagliz.com
il y a 2 ou 3 ans j’avais trouver chez Cos une jupe noire transparente mais mois que celle de la photo avec un short opaque intégré que je porte plusieurs fois chaque été depuis : même en habitant une petite ville (Rambouillet) et même à 50 ans je me fais siffler mais je m’en fiche : ma jupe est trop belle!!!! donc OSE
Beautiful styling captured perfectly! I love sheer when styled well and even though it wouldn’t stop me from wearing sheer pieces, without doubt, the conventional attitude of the people in my small town would probably freak! I mean you should of seen the faces when I once ventured out in black ripped leggings back in 2009 ( sounds bad I know but once balanced with an oversized knit & scarf, it was weirdly okay, though I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t believe me ;D) it was like the worst had happened!
Inspiring post as always,
Daniella xox
Je trouve la jupe noire tres belle mais dans mon “neck of the woods” ce serait impossible a porter.
What gorgeous images and I am completely obsessed with the first look…stunning!
I love the looks a lot. I have some sheer pieces that I love but every time I try to wear them, I feel self conscious. Here in Montreal, you can wear these for sure , I feel that you can wear anything you like and nobody looks at you.
super modern, confident and mature stylings and perfect pictures, but sadly not wearable in the Streets of Munich.
I’m addicted to the sheer trend during summer and that black skirt is totally on my must-haves list!
http://fashion-soup.com/
You could wear sheer in Stockholm, but there are not many days that are warm enough. The clothing you show here are pretty covering and widely cut so it is not vulgar. The panties under the black skirt are less appropriate though; they should preferably be more of a boy short model not to make it uncomfortable or embarassing for others to see. The thing is: we need to show respect for others’ feelings. As a nice, considerate fellow human being you don’t want to make it awkward or embarrassing for others. I know we should be free to wear whatever, but I must confess that a man without at least a t-shirt on in town would be embarrassing to see…or a man with sheer pants and his underwear fully visible…I would have a difficult time knowing where to look because I wouldn’t want to be seen as a pervert. Even the most liberal countries have social codes; in the western world you cover your body on the streets but can wear a tiny bikini/swimpants on the beach, you are intimate behind closed doors, you lock the door to the bathroom etc. Of course you can push those boundaries – but be ready to get negative reactions…and what you mainly come off as is a less considerate person…
With that said – catcalls are brutally disrespectful and break all social conventions. You do NOT treat humans as animals! Not in any way. Ever. If someone catcalls me I give them the finger or tell them off like dogs “no, bad boy!” or ask them if that is how their mother taught them and that she would be ashamed to hear them treat other women as animals or that maybe someone else at this moment is doing the same thing to their mother or sister.
I suppose I could, but why on earth would I want to? I wouldn’t feel comfortable, I wouldn’t feel protected, and I wouldn’t feel cool. There are so many other, classier ways to dress, whether you want to show off your body or not. Outside of fashion shoots or perhaps the beach, sheer would equal “desperate for attention” in all the contexts I can think of. Sorry :-)
All the best from Denmark
I live in the North of Germany. 5 ºC this morning. Sheer is not an option. Sigh!
xx,
E.
http://www.theslowpace.com
Totalament d’accord avec Clotilde : aucune chance de pouvoir porter ça en ville en France ! Sauf peut-être la robe blanche, en pensant bien ses dessous, parce que c’est visuellement plus couvrant.
évidemment à Lille ce serait impossible. Mais je pense que plus que le machisme (réel par ailleurs), c’est plus les conventions qui jouent : on ne montre pas son corps en ville. ça ferait aussi désordre si un homme mettait un pantalon transparent et dévoilait son slip …
à la plage pas de problème, en ville on garde une certaine tenue (et honnêtement je trouve ça plutôt bien …)
That navy dotted shirt is to die for!
Ana
http://www.champagegirlsabouttown.co.uk
Sûrement pas. En France c’est impossible… Mais c’est très beau, j’aime beaucoup le débardeur quant à la jupe je trouve ça carrément trop transparent. Ce que j’aime surtout c’est le détail du joli soutien-gorge visible à l’échancrure, c’est très féminin.
In Australia sheer is big and many girl wear it. We have the right weather and it’s been a big trend the last six or seven years here. I love sheer things and I think like most fashion statements it comes down to what YOU feel comfortable in, and the way YOU carry yourself. Some people would die to wear a mini skirt, some think maxis are dowdy, everyone has different levels. For me I get cat called as much in sheer as anything else here in Australia. Being cat called is so rarely about what your wearing but much more about being visibly feminine. I don’t wear sheer for the attention, I think that’s silly. Who gets dressed for attention? I wear whatever I think is beautiful. For me that’s about texture, colour, comfort. Sheer is a great way to play with proportion if you are petite like me.
I love sheer clothing and sometimes I sneak a floral bra under my linen t-shirt. No one has ever said anything to me. My guess is that they are embarrassed for me, not knowing my look was intentional. I live in a rather conservative area that is not especially fashion forward.
Oooooooooh non ! pas possible de porter une robe transparente malgré des sous-vêtements bien couvrants..
Je n’ose même pas y penser….
:-)
Love this shoot – it has such a fun, happy vibe about it! I especially like how you’ve captured sheer here – it’s not in your face and trashy.
I live In Mumbai, India and in the summer when it gets really hot, all I want to wear is sheer to nothing :) But, given the conservative nature of where I live, I get away with a sheer tunic or shirt, in a super fine cotton, once in awhile and that’s only when I know I’m not going to be around lots of people. I couldn’t wear these outfits and walk down the street here – don’t want to begin to think about what would happen!
Love, love, love sheer layering pieces!
We use them all the time with our handbeaded overlays. Sheer foundations with sheer handbeaded overlays….tres sexy!
http://thedecohaus.com/
Ca fait plusieurs années que je vis à Madrid et ici, pas de soucis! Surtout au niveau des longueurs. Au plus c’est mini, au mieux c’est:-) Parfois, les filles recoivent quelques remarques mais c’est rarement vulgaires et ca n’embête personne.
J’avoue que c’est tout de même agréable, venant de Bruxelles où c’est encore pire que Paris!
awesome designs, you are looking awesome.
http://indianstylestealer.weebly.com/
Sigh. If I had those perfect legs I would be walking around town in nothing but the undies, forget clothing, even sheers.
I live in Portland OR and the women here love the sheer trend, myself included! Anyone on a tight budget like myself, should check out H&M they are coming out with a bunch of really cute sheer outfits.
Ok j’arrive à NY ^^ sérieusement j’adore les jeux de transparence et je suis d’accord, cette jupe noire serait géniale avec une culotte taille haute en dessous. Mais bon en effet dans la rue ça va être compliqué … C’est le genre de truc que je mettrais au boulot, mais on peut pas se téléporter. Je suis en Auvergne, mais même à Paris je crois que ça serait pas évident de porter ça. Dommage :(
https://whiteandpinkpeony.wordpress.com/
A nice bra underneath a sheer blouse is totally fine but i would imagine that underwear underneath a sheer skirt would provoke too much attention.. unless we’re in a beach town.
J’adore les trois tenues et je pense avoir un faible pour celle à crochet gris.
Très bel article encore une fois. Je suis une grande fan de ton blog. Il m’inspire jour après jour.
Bises
http://www.elygypset.fr
I have to agree with two other of the previous comments: in S. California it’s a common styling option to wear sheer with a bikini top or gorgeous lace bra underneath. This may be harder to wear convincingly in the daytime and easier for evenings.
Age may be an issue too, though chic women like Carine Roitfeld easily carry the look into their sixties. I think it really comes down to one’s lifestyle and personal style – if you can carry off the look and feel comfortable doing so then it’s undoubtedly stylish and modern.
http://www.beastofstyle.com
I’ve lived in NYC for the past 8 years and have always worn sheer tops. So far, none of the places I’ve lived differ too greatly from each other so changing attire hasn’t been a thing. But come to think about it, I wore a sheer shirt on a 3rd date once and the guy must of thought I wore it for him. I dress for myself, so it is helpful hearing you say that in Marseilles a heel would gather tons of unwanted attention.