It is sheer style

SEE-THROUGH

Dressing seductively without revealing too much or looking tacky is an art. It is all in what you team your sheer clothing with, checks-out Ankita Sengupta.

It's fun, it's mysteriously restrained and sexy. But it is also tricky to get right. To say that sheer clothing is fashionable would be an understatement. They are not new to the fashion world but thanks to their versatility and to Bangalore's weather, sheer clothing continues to be in fashion this season.

The translucent nature of this clothing is what makes it interesting. They can be subtle enough for formal wear and sufficiently daring for club wear. But there has to be a balance, concealing too much can ruin the effect while revealing too much can end up looking tacky. Here’s how you can get it right:

Layer it

Since sheer blouses or skirts are translucent, layering is a good option. You can either wear something like a tank top beneath the blouse or pull up a blazer over it.

For a formal look, layering with neutral colours would be a good idea. You do not want to attract too much attention to what you are wearing beneath your sheer top so keep the slip simple and modest. Also be careful about the kind of lingerie you are wearing.

Colourful bra straps peeking out of the straps of the slips can end up making it look tacky and unacceptable at work. However, having said that, it does not mean that wearing sheer as a part of formal clothing will end up boring. You can play up with the colours. Team a tan sheer top with a black tank top.

Casuals

If you are at a semi-formal environment, you can be more adventurous and wear a racer back underneath. If the weather gets a little chilly, you can opt for a camisole instead of the tank top or the racer back. For a casual outing you can afford to be bold in your choice of slips. Try neon noodle-straps underneath sheer blouses of light, pastel shades.

You may also try wearing tube tops of colours that contrast with the blouse. But if tube tops are not your thing, you may try wearing a bralette instead. Not only is it fun and functional, it also takes away the need to wear a bra and a slip with the sheer top.

Sheer skirts

As for skirts, if it is a printed sheer, it'll be better to stick to a solid coloured skirt worn beneath. Make sure that the inner skirt is shorter in length than the sheer skirt and that it fits properly.

Incase of single coloured sheer skirts, you can experiment with different prints and colours for skirts to be worn underneath. Sheer skirts are fun to experiment with. You may do a-la-Priyanka-Chopra in Koffee with Karan and team up a short printed dress with a nude sheer skirt and a belt. But remember to keep the length of the skirt longer than the hemline of the dress.

Keep it loose

Fabrics used in sheer clothing are generally very delicate and so it should be worn loose. The sheer look is supposed to be feminine, floaty and relaxed so fitted sheer tops do not exactly fit the bill. Also, since layering is an essential part of most of the sheer looks, a loose top will give you a lot of room to play with what you want to wear underneath it.

Team it right

Wearing a printed slip or a skirt underneath a printed sheer clothing will look messy. So always go for solid colours to team with prints. Also since sheer garments are worn loose, make sure you wear it with other well-fitted pieces.

For example sheer blouses look great with skinny jeans an if you are opting for a sheer skirt, you may choose a body-hugging top to go with it. Sheer clothing is usually used as a statement piece so it is advisable to wear them one at a time. Hence, pairing a sheer skirt with a sheer blouse may not be a good idea.

Feel free to experiment

The fact that sheer is translucent and a lot of layers can be used with these garments, there is a big window open to experimentation. In case of sheer tops, you may experiment with what you wear as a slip. Instead of going for the usual noodle strap and racerbacks, try tops with different cuts like crop tops and tube tops. Also, most would play it safe with neutral colours but since you are playing with layers here, team a bright colour with a nude shade to pep it up.

Here are some other pointers to keep in mind while wearing sheer clothing:
n  Stay away from pointy accessories as they may poke holes into the sheer fabric.
n  Pay special attention to the lingerie you wear because even though you wear a slip, there are chances of the lingerie being seen.

n  All though the sheer blouses are to be worn loose, make sure that whatever you wear underneath - tank tops, noodle-straps, and the likes are well-fitted. Else the whole outfit may look baggy.