There was once a time when bras were treated as a secret—smooth, skin-toned padding meant to be hidden away under layers of clothing. Visible bra straps almost felt like a betrayal, an acknowledgment that something so taboo lies just beneath the surface.
Today, however, bras have never been more intentionally visible: Charli xcx’s Music, Fashion, Film era pairs satin and lace push-ups and balconettes with tough leather and distressed denim, while up-and-comer Adéla offered an unsubtle flash of neon pink lace under a sheer toffee bodysuit. Anya Taylor-Joy, meanwhile, paired a vibrant purple bra with an unbuttoned pea-green cardigan, and Sabrina Carpenter stopped into a Paris restaurant, her oversized button-up left partially open to reveal a white lace balconette.
“I think part of it is this constant recycling to your youth culture,” says stylist Kat Typaldos, who cites Courtney Love, Gwen Stefani, and Madonna—all pioneers of lingerie dressing—as her early style inspirations. “And, of course, the Carrie Bradshaw of it all.” As the ’90s and early aughts remain steadfast sartorial reference points, it’s no surprise that the same people keep appearing on the moodboard. But, as Typaldos posits, “how are you updating it or modernizing it?”
Sex and the City, 2002.
Bill Davila
Madonna in Jean Paul Gaultier at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.
Dave Hogan/Getty Images
Now, the generation that went to No Doubt concerts and was hypnotized by Erin Brockovich’s cherry red bra straps is all grown up. “There’s a generation that grew up seeing lingerie integrated into fashion rather than hidden beneath it, and they approach it with much less hesitation,” says Jennifer Zuccarini, founder and CEO of lingerie company Fleur Du Mal.
But, like with all recycled trends, the celebrity set leading the charge is taking things a step further. Now, the bra is the outfit. “The most interesting thing about the way artists like Charli xcx wear lingerie isn’t that it’s revealing, it’s that it feels completely unprecious,” Zuccarini says. “She’ll pair a silk, embroidered bra with baggy jeans, leather, or an oversized jacket, and suddenly it feels effortless rather than overtly sexy.”
Adéla in Fleur du Mal.
XPOS
Rosalìa in Yasmina Atta.
TheStewartofNY
