How To Wear the Underwear as Outerwear Trend

As Leandra Medine from the infamous blog Man Repeller said: ‘Lingerie is so in, it’s out!’.

Filtering down from the catwalk shows of Dolce and Gabbana, Stella McCartney, Dior and others, loyal lovers of marlies|dekkers will know that we too have been a supporter of this hot trend for over 15 years!

In the past couple of years, the underwear as outerwear trend has continued to pick up speed. We’ve seen stars like Rihanna, Victoria Beckham, Rita Ora and Lady Gaga (to name a small handful) continue to push the boundaries and showcase their own delectable lingerie collections.

To take this often risqué look from the runway and red carpet to your wardrobe, we have a few style suggestions – always ensuring that you are in control of just how much skin you dare to bare.

The Body Suit

One of the most versatile lingerie pieces you’ll ever purchase, a Body Suit can be combined with your whole wardrobe for all occasions. Whether you’re heading to the office, lunch with the girls or to drinks at a beach club take our style tips and wear your underwear as outerwear with confidence.

For a daytime office look, we suggest pairing one of our plunge balcony body suits with a pant or skirt suit, blazer and red lips. You’ll be controlling the boardroom in no time!

Lunch with the ladies? No problem! Match your body suit with a pair of straight-cut white pants, an open denim shirt and cute colourful clutch bag.

Summer nights spent sipping on cocktails gives you the opportunity to add a pair of leather shorts or a leather skirt and statement necklace to match your body suit. Not only will your ta-ta’s be firmly held in place whilst dancing, you’ll be the ‘coolest’ person at the club without the addition of extra layers of clothing. Add a slick white blazer for full effect.

The Bra

Exposing your bra isn’t often the most comfortable option for many women, but we say; don’t be afraid! There are many ways to style this piece of lingerie, depending on how much coverage you would like to have. The underwear as outerwear trend isn’t for the faint of heart, but we hope to convince you it’s definitely worth trying!

To start off slowly, we suggest adding a semi-sheer blouse over your gorgeous new bra. Not only will it feel like you’re more covered, but the effect won’t be as full-frontal. Get playful and choose lace or patterned blouses over a simpler, t-shirt style bra like our Signature Gloria. If the bra is detailed or embellished, go for a plain semi-sheer blouse.

For a casual and feminine first date look that will make your partner go ga-ga, combine your favourite black bra (we suggest the Signature Space Odyssey) with a high-waisted, flowy maxi skirt. This way you can adjust just how much midriff you want to expose. To add some height, go for a pair of wedges and complete the look with a pair of light necklaces and your favourite handbag.

The Bikini

Festivals are another great opportunity to express your individual creativity when it comes to this fashion trend. We love the idea of pairing your Holi Vintage bikini with a pair of high waisted denim shorts and a kimono wrap or waistcoat a la’ Kendall Jenner. Mix and match colours and patterns as you like – this is the occasion to go wild!

Now, with all of this information in hand, we can’t wait to see how you style your marlies|dekkers bras and bodies for the underwear as outerwear trend! Please tag us in your photos on Instagram using the hashtag #mdstyle – we just might repost your look!