Olivia Wilde Proves the Sheer Trend Is Here to Stay
Oh, you thought sheer fabric was a trend destined to dissipate soon? Oh no, my darling. On the first day of Paris Fashion Week, Saint Laurent said semi-transparent is not only here to stay, it is practically a spiritual experience. Not only was that evidenced by the number of naked dresses that went down the runway, but by the way the front row dressed as well—including Olivia Wilde’s very revealing top.
The 39-year-old director and actress arrived at the brand’s fall 2024 presentation in a sheer bodysuit that left little to the imagination. That was tucked into a slate-gray pencil skirt, with the ensemble finished off by a coordinating belt, gloves, shoes, and sunglasses, plus one chunky gold choker necklace. Wilde is no stranger to the sheer trend. A Dior dress she wore to the 2022 People’s Choice Awards ended up having to be blurred by censors when she appeared on screen. This sheer moment, however, was particularly apt. The collection presented by YSL creative director Anthony Vaccarello was all about sheer.
“Transparency—a Saint Laurent signature—is re-read, minimizing the distance between garment and skin so the two effectively meld and fabric evaporates like mist,” read the show notes. “Evoking the indelible ‘naked’ gown worn for her last public appearance by Marilyn Monroe—a frequent reference for the maison—an unsettling ambivalence cuts through the looks. Puncturing the propriety of feminine artifice, ephemeral lightness turns out to be an illusion: can purity be provocative?”
Vaccarello also positioned the use of sheer fabric as both an ode to the confidence of the ideal Saint Laurent woman and a play on the idea that clothes themselves are disappearing from the center of the fashion world.
Of course, designers have long used daringly sheer fabrics on the runway. But celebrities and clients usually opted for more modest materials, or a bit of layering underneath, for public events. That’s changed in recent years, as stars of all sorts have dared to bare a bit more on the red carpet.
Indeed, Wilde wasn’t the only front-row guest doing her best to “free the nipple,” Instagram be damned. Model and socialite Georgia May Jagger wore an outfit almost identical to Wilde’s, albeit with a slightly different color pattern and texture.
Elsa Hosk went for boardroom sheer, layering a transparent top under a coat.
Lest you think the invite said “No Bra, No Service,” however, several guests did attend the show in clothes that provided full coverage. In fact, Kate Moss, arguably the mother of the modern naked dress trend, went the complete opposite direction by opting instead for a full faux-fur coat.
