Sheer Genius: How To Take The Trend From The Catwalk To Your Closet

Every season, a standout trend emerges on the runways and for fall/winter 2026, it was all about sheer. In New York, London, Milan and Paris, designers turned to statement-making see-through fabrics, from revealing lace at Saint Laurent and Valentino Garavani, diaphanous silk at Khaite and Chloé, to transparent plastic at Tom Ford. And despite the fact that sheer silhouettes aren’t necessarily the easiest to style, these collections have left us all with a desire for a mesh bodysuit and tulle midi skirt in our wardrobes – call it sheer genius, if you will.

How much we should reveal or conceal our bodies has always been up for debate, and the most intriguing designers played with the dichotomy of dressing. For his final collection at Alaïa, Pieter Mulier stripped everything back, presenting a series of ’90s-inspired bodycon dresses and minimal accessories that paid homage to Azzedine Alaïa’s era-defining designs. A simple yet effective second-skin silhouette, the jersey maxi dress from the runway has strategically placed sheer paneling that rises high on the legs without revealing too much. Consider it for a glamorous rooftop party – it’s a new take on the ‘naked’ dress that’s surprisingly covered up.

In clear contrast, at Tom Ford, Haider Ackermann showed full transparency on the runway. Trench coats, tailored jackets and knee-length skirts crafted in glass-effect plastic exposed the layers of clothing underneath. The skirts were paired with lace and tulle mini dresses, monogrammed tights and thigh-grazing shirts in a voyeuristic state of dress and undress – a look recreated by Charlize Theron during press tour for The Odyssey, no less. If you too want to style a sheer skirt like the fashion set, clever proportions, strategic layering and the right underpinnings are key to making this trend work off the runway. Valentino Garavani and Saint Laurent show us how it’s done: layers of lace and high-waisted briefs provide just enough coverage, while statement outerwear or mega earrings gives the eye somewhere else to look.

While sheer styles are often considered seductive, the collections of Khaite, Chloé and Pauline Dujancourt were a return to romance. The swathes of silk and chiffon seen across these shows leaned into the ethereal beauty of diaphanous dressing, recalling the gauzy muslins of Ancient Greece and the weightless cotton gowns of the late 18th century. Gemma Chan mastered sheer’s romantic side in an organza dress with a black slip underneath at our Khaite event in Florence’s Villa San Michele. Mimic her smart styling with the New York label’s ‘Briar’ blouse layered over a camisole for added opacity. Worn with leather pants and heels, it’s an elegant look for a candle-lit dinner in the city.

If you’re still not convinced by sheer silhouettes, try incorporating this trend into your accessories rotation instead. During his five-year tenure at Alaïa, Mulier made mesh footwear something of his signature. The now-iconic fishnet ballet flats are a bestseller season after season, and for fall/winter he’s designed a transparent mesh pump that we’re just as obsessed with. Alternatively, Gianvito Rossi and Saint Laurent have transparent pumps that look like they’re barely there, leaving the focus firmly on your outfit. Finally, Sophie Buhai and Alaïa offer the ultimate finishing touch with silk-organza scrunchie and a glass cuff that speak to the trend without revealing anything at all.