4 Ways To Wear The Naked Dress Trend IRL

While naked dresses have been around since the ‘60s, right now we are living in the golden age of the see-through clothing trend. From Nensi Dojaka’s signature bodycon gowns and Tory Burch’s elegantly sheer separates to heritage houses like Prada, Saint Laurent, and Chanel offering elevated takes on the barely-there frock, the Spring 2023 runways were all about the return of the naked dress.

But while previously, the see-through dress trend seemed too daring to pull off by anyone who wasn’t an A-list celebrity (see: Cher, Rihanna, and Beyoncé), the red carpet staple has now made its way to street style and the shelves of mainstream stores everywhere. So much so that even the risk-averse minimalist in me was suddenly keen on testing out the trend in time for the holidays. 

From pairing a completely transparent dress with a pantsuit to wearing a lace catsuit under a menswear-inspired blazer, in the last few weeks, I have worn the look everywhere from work to a holiday party. The takeaway? It’s more wearable IRL than the red carpet looks have led us to believe.

If you’re still unsure of how to wear the risque look without looking, well, completely naked, ahead, four ways to style the naked dress trend — with links to shop the products.

How To Style A Naked Dress: Over Underwear

This is the celebrity-approved way of wearing a naked dress. To feel more covered up, opt for a full-torso bustier and an uber-high-waisted brief or a boy short. Once you feel more comfortable with the look, you can swap the top and granny panties for a bra and low-rise underwear — or, if you are feeling more adventurous, a thong à la Zoë Kravitz at the 2022 Met Gala.

How To Style A Naked Dress: Over A Slip Dress

The easiest way to style a naked dress, this one calls for a nightslip or a tube dress to wear underneath. In addition to being foolproof, this technique is also the most comfortable as it prevents the skin from coming into contact with sequins or crystals which often adorn the festive look. 

* While this exact dress, from Camille Charrière’s collaboration with Mango, is sold out, there is a similar version in beige.

How To Style A Naked Dress: Underneath A Blazer

This trend isn’t just reserved for dresses. To emulate the see-through style without losing the comfort factor of pants, consider a lace jumpsuit or trousers which you can wear underneath an oversized blazer. 

How To Style A Naked Dress: Over Pants

The return of the dress-over-pants trend arrived just in time to get in on the naked dressing fun. Take it a step further into workwear fashion territory by pairing a sheer dress with a pantsuit. Tip: To let the look shine, choose a vest over a full-sleeve blazer.

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How Luar’s Ana Bag Won 2022

Ever since Luar debuted its signature Ana bag last year, it’s hard to miss it. Known for its structured circular straps and square box, the bag counts Dua Lipa, Troye Sivan and Julia Fox as fans, and earned designer Raúl López — a Dominican-American creative from New York’s Williamsburg neighborhood, who co-founded the cult favorite Hood By Air in 2005 — the trophy for American Accessories Designer of the Year at the 2022 CFDA Awards. Amid a saturated landscape, the handbag has managed to evolve past its cult following to the mass market in 2022, securing a spot as one of the biggest items of the year. 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 27: Dua Lipa is seen on September 27, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

It all started back in 2021, when Luar debuted the Ana bag during the brand’s spring 2022 show – titled “Teteo” after the Dominican slang word that means “hangout” – his first after a three-season break. Weeks later, Dua Lipa was first spotted wearing the Ana, pairing it with a micro mini skirt and lacy top on the streets of New York City, exuding the on-the-go nature of the bag. “I wanted to make a bag that could carry literally everything, but also be taken from day to night,” López told W Magazine in 2021 about the bag, which is named after key women in his life. Soon after, the headlines followed: Highsnobiety wondered if it’d be the new Telfar, while Paper called it the “new it-accessory.” Since then, the brand has dropped larger iterations of the Ana bag, debuting new colorways and prints and showcasing them on viral campaigns, including the brand’s immersive digital takeover of the famous Prada store installation in Marfa, Texas, as well as collaborations and exclusive drops with the likes of Opening Ceremony, Highsnobiety and Bergdorf Goodman. Most recently, Luar dropped an exclusive tiger print version of the Ana bag on Gucci Vault, the Italian house’s digital marketplace. 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 10: A guest wears a white embroidered ruffled long puffy sleeves / midi dress, silver chain bracelets, a black shiny leather handbag from Luar, outside Tibi , during New York Fashion Week, on September 10, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

It’s hard to not be impressed by the feats accomplished by López. In the span of three seasons, Luar has catapulted itself to the top, and while the brand’s clothing — think bold leather coats, oversized pinstripe suits, and asymmetrical skirts — have also aided its rise, the Ana bag remains the protagonist in this Cinderella story. “There’s not another bag on the market like his Ana bag,” wrote designer Telfar Clemens in a blurb about López for Time’s 100 Next list for 2022, which featured a photo of the designer holding a multitude of mini Ana bags. 

Amid a year of increased interest in affordable luxury — largely due to a rise in cost of living and often extortionate designer prices (see: Chanel’s price hikes) — Luar’s Ana bag entered a disruptive landscape that has seen BIPOC designers dominate the under $500 market for a while now. Beyond Telfar’s tote bags, designers like Brandon Blackwood — a nominee in this year’s American Accessories Designer of the Year — and Antoine Manning with his Atlanta-based brand Homage Year have skyrocketed in popularity and sales, thanks to their affordable handbags. And Luar’s approach toward relatable luxury is right in line with this phenomenon: “The Ana is for everyone. It’s not just a specific person or a specific demographic. I tell people, ‘Luar is for the culture. It’s for everyone,’” López told W Magazine in 2021.  

It seems everyone is finally catching on, and they’re just getting started. 

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