125/ 7 (New) Ways I'm Wearing My Sheer Skirts Without Feeling Naked
What worked, what didn't + looks for everyday...even to the office!
Dear readers,
Recently on my Instagram, I posted a photo of me wearing Frankie Shop’s Peri skirt, which generated much interest for a newsletter on how to wear a sheer skirt without feeling naked.
Although the trend has been around for a couple of years, another fresh round has dropped for fall: I’ve seen this affordable Marks & Spencer organza number shared on socials, and over in the Tibi-sphere, the Artemis slip skirt has been a hot topic.
Over the past two years, I’ve relied chiefly on three solutions when styling sheer and mesh skirts: 1) over biker shorts, 2) over full length leggings, and 3) under a long-enough top.
For this newsletter I went back to drawing board and discovered seven more ways to style them!
But before I get to it, I have question for you: do you love the skirt or do you love the styling?
Perhaps like me, you love the diaphanous, delicate fabric, or maybe you like to play the femininity of it against other more masculine elements in your outfit. Cool, cool.
But, I also know that I’m so drawn to the sheer skirt because of how it’s usually styled on the runway and in editorials — that is, fully sheer with visible briefs as a pivotal styling element.
Raise your hand if this styling captured your imagination. Hi, *raises hand*. Now, raise your other hand if, no matter how compelling the overall look, walking out in public like this is simply a non-starter. *raises other hand*
I’ve learned that in order to make sheer skirts work for me, I need to feel like I’m wearing bottoms. That doesn’t necessarily mean I have to wear an actual bottom — a long shirt will do! But, I’ve discovered that the minimum length of said shirt needs to be the length of the shortest mini skirt I’d be comfortable wearing. Above that, I feel naked!!
What makes me feel naked may be different from what makes you feel naked. If you can go shorter and even all the way to wearing a brief, you have so many choices! If you want to go longer, don’t worry, I’ve got styling tricks for you, too.
For all my outfits, I’ll be styling the same Frankie Shop skirt (I’m wearing medium), starting with the most bare. Although I was sweating trying on some of these outfits (it’s still so warm here in Toronto!), most of the options can be worn with tights and tall boots and transition easily into fall/winter.
1) Tucking In A Long Enough Shirt
Sounds easy enough, right?
In theory, yes it is. But in practice, try finding a top that is both: 1) long enough, and 2) slim enough to tuck in without it getting super bunched up. Go have a look in your closet…I’ll wait.
This rugby top is on the longer side, but it’s still shorter than “the shortest mini skirt I’d be comfortable wearing.” Therefore, I felt naked.
So, I improvised: that last nude stripe of the top is actually a nude slip skirt disguised as a stripe. With those extra three inches of the slip skirt, I felt like I was wearing bottoms, and comfortable to walk out of the house.
(Let me know if you found a long-enough, slim-enough top!)
2) Over A Mini Dress
The “long-enough, slim-enough” top gave me another idea. A long, slim top is the equivalent of a slim knit sweater dress.
Below I’m wearing a long top by Australian label, Scanlan Theodore, that has been sitting in my giveaway pile for two years because it’s full of holes and I’m too lazy to fix it. But, it’s under 2) because you may have a dress of this shape and length hanging in your closet that you can wear under your skirt: