You think you have seen all the trends come and go, but then one more slinks into the mix and quietly takes you by surprise. This is precisely what has happened with the sheer trend—I have taken note of the rise in the use of this fabric in both decades past and recent years, but this summer season, it has not only dominated the catwalk, but street style and celebrity red carpet looks too. My Instagram feed is also awash with transparent, organza and gauze-like fashion pieces which make you double-take, as they have a barely there quality.
Sophie Robyn Watson wears a sheer skirt from Rise & Fall, a layered white tank top, black leather jacket from Whistles and mesh ballet flats from Dear Frances .
I recently gave the look a spin myself, pairing an oyster-white organza midi skirt from home-grown brand Rise & Fall with barely there mesh flats from indie shoe label Dear Frances. I team these with a double-layered white tank top, trusty Whistles leather jacket, plus a vintage Fendi bag, SandraAlexandra necklace and some retro-feel frames. The toughness of the jacket, plus the hardware of the bag and necklace, give way to the airy lightness of the skirt and shoes—a delicate balance of hard and soft, which is my nod to 90s minimalism, but with a bit of modern-day styling.
So, let’s take a deep dive into the elusive trend, where I will reveal all, noting who has worn it, who is designing it, and how to style it out in 2025.
The Sheer Trend Origins
When you think of the sheer clothing trend, it is easy to go back to fashion’s most revered era—the 1990s. This decade was a hotbed of new and exciting fashion moments, subcultures and ideas, and the catwalk was the key indicator changing tastes in clothing, style and attitude. Arguably, the key fashion moments that came out of this decade were pared-back minimalism, thanks to Helmut Lang and Calvin Klein, grunge sensibilities (courtesy of Marc Jacobs at Perry Ellis), and lastly, opulent theatricality and sex appeal, courtesy of the likes of Versace, Tom Ford at Gucci, John Galliano at Dior, and not forgettting, Alexander McQueen and Thierry Mugler.
English supermodel Kate Moss wearing a diaphanous silver dress at the Elite Model Agency party for the Look of the Year Contest at the Hilton Hotel, London, September 1993. Getty.
One of the most iconic images from this decade, however, is a simple ensemble worn by British supermodel Kate Moss. In 1993, she donned a silver see-through spaghetti strap slip dress to an Elite Model Agency party, wearing nothing else but a pair of black bikini-style briefs, flat thonged flip-flop sandals, minimal make-up and hair pulled back in a simple functional up-do. This look set the tone for the era, and its legacy has endured today. Designers such as Khaite, The Row and TOTEME now write from a similar, androgenous, ‘quiet luxury’ playbook, hinting at a kind of simple glamour that requires stripping back your look to its core, and not overdoing it on accessories or accoutrements.
