November 12th, 2009
Underwear as Outerwear: Sequined and beaded bras from Forever 21
Confession: these items were actually reported to us by a reader, whose name we’ve lost, so if that was you, thank you!
If these bras had been intended to be worn as lingerie, we wouldn’t have given them a second thought. Well, other than to think, “Ooh, someone’s clothes are going to get really badly snagged on those things!” But the thing is, these AREN’T lingerie, are they? No, in the current, “Let’s all dress like Lady Gaga” fashion climate, these are supposed to be worn exactly as they are: or possibly with a nice lace bodysuit over the top of them.
This offers further proof that the late “noughties” will be one of those fashion eras we’ll all look back on and say, “Oh my God, what was I THINKING? I went out in public in my UNDERWEAR!” Well, you might. We won’t, because we’ll be slapping these, and all further examples of the Underwear as Outerwear trend straight into fashion jail. Bail is set at $17.18, payable to Forever 21.
I would LOVE these as a lingerie, I mean, lingerie in its traditional way of wearing, no matter how impractical they might be…
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See now I’d like the black one teamed with an underbust corset as I go to burlesque and goth clubs. I think they’re really pretty (and a hell of a lot cheaper than Topshop ones).
I can live with them being worn as clubwear or part of a stage costume.
Hehe…I would wear them as lingerie too. They are so cute and sassy. But as outerwear?? In public?? NO WAY!!! Not even at a club.
i can totally see these at a club, with a low cut boyfriend blazer or a baggy tank over top.
So early 90s Kylie…
The “tradition” of underwear as outerwear stretches back at least to the late eighteenth century, when the chemise dress came into fashion. Marie Antoinette horribly shocked the conservative by being painted in what was, essentially, her slip.
I hope I don’t see people wearing these without anything else on! But they might be really pretty as lingerie, or maybe sewn onto other clothes or something so they just look like a decorative bodice instead of bras?
I had one of these – I bought it in 1992. Admittedly mine was slightly longer, more of a sequinned bodice rather than bra alone. I wore it under a man style blazer, and it was my ticket into nightclubs as I was underage at the time. Ahh. Good times
Sorry! I am also in support of these. I’m thinking of when I wear a fitted button-up black or white shirt on Friday or Saturday night with the top buttons undone– so that just the top of a cute bra peeks out. These are perfect for that
Now you can prance around in your skivvies AND be in vogue. How fantastic is that? I’m a little jealous because men cannot get away with that, whereas women can. I have been grappling with myself (schizophrenia) about this lingerie as outerwear fashion trend that has been with us for a while (thank you Courtney Love). The look recently hit a fever pitch since it was prevalent on so many runways during the Spring ‘10 shows. The prudish side of me questions whether this overt sexuality in fashion is partly to blame for the dramatic rise in sexual assaults over the past decade. The fashionista side of me says that lingerie has been influencing fashion since the 1920’s and that I should get over myself. I mean…what?!?
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