Magic Underwear: 5 Ways to Wear Lingerie As Outerwear

A couple of years back, “underwear as outerwear” was a huge trend. It was in every woman’s magazine on the shelf and seen on half the female celebrity population.
Trends come and go and this certainly isn’t a new one any more, it’s definitely still popular.
Wearing your lingerie for all to see takes some careful thought. There’s a fine line between classy and tacky, and it takes a certain attitude to make your bra-on-show look seem intentional and not like an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction.
If you love the trend as much as I do but aren’t sure where to start, here are 5 subtle ways to mix lingerie into your look…

Illusion Hosiery

Celebrities such as Rihanna and Taylor Momsen have often been seen teaming ultra-miniskirts with visible stockings and suspenders, but if you’re not daring enough to do the same, a great alternative is illusion hosiery.
House of Holland is credited as making faux-suspender tights so popular, which are tights with printed stocking-and-suspender designs that look just like the real thing from a distance but offer full coverage just like any pair of tights.

Sheer Tops

A really subtle way to let your lingerie show is to pick out slightly sheer fabrics to wear over the top. If you’ve got a truly eye-catching bra that deserves to be seen, instead of covering it up completely pop a light-weight chiffon or lace blouse over the top.
This way, you can vary how much your bra is seen by how sheer your top is, and also how patterned. Just be sure the bra you’re wearing is opaque so it’s just your lingerie that on show!

Harnesses

Bondage-inspired lingerie has been a popular trend for the last couple of seasons, and lingerie harnesses are simply perfect for layering with your outerwear. I love the Hopeless Lingerie harnesses which can be layered over a top or dress as well as worn as lingerie.
The Esty Lingerie choker straps attach to your bra and look great when left visible thanks to a V-shaped or strapless neckline.

Bodysuits

Bodysuits are a great lingerie-meets-outerwear garment – usually made of lace or another sheer fabric, they make great lingerie but can also be layered over a plain camisole top and worn as outerwear, tucked into a pencil skirt or a pair of high-waisted trousers.
Unlike camisoles designed for outerwear, bodysuits tend to have a more delicate appearance associated with lingerie which makes them a really pretty choice, perfect for eveningwear.

Corsets

Last but not least, corsets are usually worn as lingerie garments nowadays but they were popular as outerwear in the past. With a small number of exceptions, corsets are opaque and offer a lot of coverage, so they’re a great introduction to underwear-as-outerwear for those who aren’t daring enough to have their bra or hosiery on show.