Invisible Leggings Enter Wardrobes of Women With Taste
Shirt by Chanel, shoes by Jimmy Choo, sunglasses by Dior, and leggings by Nature. - photo by Annie Dimitras
Jessi Carr
Runways all over Summer New York Fashion Week have been flooded with the hottest new trend in summer wear: invisible leggings.
Models from top design houses Chanel, Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier sported the trend, and the fashion was echoed by numerous other up-and-coming designers. The leggings were used to accessorize a diverse array of styles, ranging from the classic little black dress to the trendy tunic, with the idea of “less is more” as the common factor amongst them all. While the press couldn’t get enough of this hip new style, the surprisingly-not-dead Donatella Versace summed it up best: “It’s summer, it’s sheer, it’s chic, it’s fabulous!”
This is the next natural step in the evolution of leggings, which have been on the rise amongst the college crowd ever since the mid-2000s. What first started as a sensible way to wear skirts and dresses in the winter time quickly morphed into a war of neon and spandex-clad fashionistas who expanded the trend to include legging’s cousins: tights and legwarmers.
How much will this latest trend set you back? Gucci prices theirs at $300 a pair, while Yves St. Laurent offers both shaved leg and stubbly leg varieties for about $275 each. However, for the financially challenged college student, American Apparel, the Mecca for all legging-wearing hipsters, is offering their own for only $19.
Need some ideas on how to work this latest fad? Remeber the possibilities are nearly endless: This versatile summer look can easily be worn from a fun day at the beach to a flirty night out. Simply pick out your favorite shirt-dress (remember: the shorter the better), cinch a braided belt around your waist, put on your brand-new leggings, and accessorize with some jeweled flats, chunky jewelry, and oversized sunglasses. And remember, with this look it’s best to wear a tiny thong, or better yet, nothing at all. Panty lines are just so trashy.


