Underwear as Outerwear

Vivienne Westwood created it first, Madonna made it famous and, like all things from the

eighties have a habit of doing (think Donald Trump), it’s come back, slinkier than ever.

The king of the underwear—or rather sheer outerwear—look is Jean Paul Gaultier, who designed what many call the “original” pointed bra for Madonna’s 1990 “Blonde Ambition Tour”. And this season, he wouldn’t let you forget that cultural contribution; plastic bras peeped out of strips of torn striped fabric in (sometimes too) complicated arrangements that made about as much sense as anything that has to do with Madonna ever does. For those wanting to star in their own burlesque act, Gaultier struck exactly the right tone.

However, the look doesn’t have to be overtly sexual; indeed, there’s something strangely innocent about a simple silk slip trimmed in lace. The key is, of course, to contrast the delicacy of the underwear fabric against something rough and unexpected, like a jean jacket or leather blazer.

Still, one must always take precautions with this style; though I’m sure our upstanding Princeton males will be more than delighted to see girls wearing black lace camisoles as tops, it might be slightly awkward to wear that to a professor’s office hours. For the Seinfeld fans out there, think Sue Ellen Mischke.