The Sheer Skirt Trend Is Naked Dressing at Its Most Wearable

Being transparent isn't for the faint of heart. In an emotional sense, it's tough to bare it all and make yourself vulnerable and exposed. In terms of personal style, it's somewhat of the same—only instead of honest declarations and secrets revealed, see-through fabrics provide a peek at the real you. 2024's sheer skirt trend, however, suggests that transparency doesn't have to be a nerve-wracking challenge that saps all your courage. It's more a matter of strategic styling, really, and it's one fashion has seen before.

Kate Moss's slinky slip in 1993 spawned an early naked dress movement, the effects of which are still visible today (Miley Cyrus’ Grammys chain dress, Rihanna wearing 230,000 Swarovski crystals and nothing else to the 2014 CFDA Awards, the list goes on). Rewinding the fashion clock back even further, French women popularized the semi-transparent robe en chemise at the turn of the nineteenth century. Marie Antoinette, ever the incendiary figure, caused quite the stir with her gossamer gowns.

2024's sheer trend differs by focusing specifically on skirts and making room for nuance, which isn't always the case with bare-it-all trends. What you see isn't necessarily what you get—and the Spring/Summer 2024 runways made that clear.

At Prada, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simmons unveiled extraordinarily crafted chiffons: airy pencil skirts in a deep merlot, dotted with black and white circles and crystallized with shiny swirls. Per the show notes, the "collection proposes an absolute freedom of the body expressed in lightweight dresses in floaty fabrics." The styling was especially liberated: A fine navy midi skirt with a fringed blouse and khaki utility jacket was a textbook example of Mrs. Prada's wonderfully weird, devil-may-care approach.

Givenchy's showing doubled as a celebration of chiffon, meanwhile, featuring translucent skirts in hand-painted floral prints and wrap-around sarong silhouettes. At Altuzarra, ultra-fine midi skirts were styled with cozy knits, while Erdem coupled lace bottoms with colorful leather jackets.

Really, there is no style rubric to abide by with a sheer skirt. This is a spring trend that encourages a rogue imagination—which is why it's so divine. "They're almost like a blank canvas: there are endless ways to style them, especially if you opt for something simpler," the celebrity styling duo Danielle O'Connell and Alix Gropper tell Marie Claire.

There is, of course, the matter of what's below. "Something super important to keep in mind when styling a sheer skirt is what you're putting underneath; the undergarments should be a seamless extension of the skirt and blend right in," the stylists add, shouting out Commando's Classic Control Thong as a go-to. But as for what's above your bottoms, that's where you can really play.

To open your mind to a new way of naked dressing, find an assortment of sheer skirts seen on Spring/Summer 2024's runways below. They offer a few suggestions for stepping out as your transparent self, ranging from the full frontal to the subtly see-through.

Diaphanous Drama

Lightweight gauzy skirts proliferated in collections by Peter Do, Prada, Dior, Altuzarra, and Ermanno Scervino, to name a few. Their stylings were relatively simple—see Altuzarra's ribbed sweater and Dior's cinched-in blazer. The sheer fact (hah!) that the bottoms are see-through was enough as is.

"It’s exciting to have a new variation of bottoms trending and to have an option outside of just jeans and trousers," O’Connell and Gropper remark. The duo floats the idea of styling a chiffon midi with a chunky turtleneck or a basic button-down shirt and your best loafers.

See-Through Prints

If a fully transparent style is a bit too bold for you, a printed skirt provides more coverage. Givenchy's flower motifs and Carolina Herrera and Erdem's lace are prime examples of using a pattern to make the sheer style look, well, less sheer.

As for styling, O’Connell and Gropper encourage a clash of grunge and girlish aesthetics: "We’d put an edgier spin on it to give a feminine-meets-masculine feel, starting with an oversized vintage tee and leather jacket, then paired with scrunched socks, and a pair of sneakers."

Bare It All—But With Flash

Double down on the translucent skirt's main character energy by adding some sparkle into the mix. Seen in action at No.21, Proenza Schouler, and Dries Van Noten, embellishments create a luminescence that kicks the trend up several notches.

O'Connell and Gropper admit they're partial to sequined skirts, shouting out Miu Miu's Crystal Low Waist Tube Skirt as "the epitome of 'cool girl'" styling. Whether you get your hands on Miu Miu's or not, the styling duo advises pairing a high-shine skirt with more casual separates. "To give the skirt another life, we would also style it with a simple white tank top (pro tip: boys XL Hanes tanks!) and a black oversized blazer."

Protective Panels

For those intrigued by transparency but perhaps not yet at the stage of a full nude illusion, a pre-layered option is a less risky choice. Sandy Liang and Sacai sent out styles with built-in minis, for instance, while Carven strategically layered a long-line tunic underneath their skirt.

With a layered skirt, which does most of the outfit's heavy lifting, O’Connell and Gropper advise you to keep the rest of your look relatively simple. A heel and a cropped cardigan or a boot and leather jacket are all they say you need.

Meet the Fashion Experts

Alix Gropper

Alix Gropper is part of the celebrity styling duo, Danielle and Alix, based in NYC and LA. They specialize in styling red carpet and special events, street style looks, editorial shoots, and brand campaigns. Their clients include Lindsey Lohan, Ellie Thumann, Paige Desorbo and Maria Zhang.

Danielle O’Connell

Danielle O’Connell is part of the celebrity styling duo, Danielle and Alix, based in NYC and LA. They specialize in styling red carpet and special events, street style looks, editorial shoots, and brand campaigns. Their clients include Lindsey Lohan, Ellie Thumann, Paige Desorbo and Maria Zhang.