BEIJING, April 4 -- Why should lingerie only be worn for a late-night rendezvous for only men to see? Now it's time to show off the fancy undergarments for everyone to see. Delicate lace, feminine satin and sheer chiffon? Lingerie-inspired garments are prevailing on the spring/summer 2010 runways.
Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier, Stella McCartney, Vera Wang and especially Christian Dior have presented lingerie-inspired clothes, encouraging girls to wear underwear as outwear to demonstrate a sleek, sexy femininity.
"This trend has been in the works for a few years, but this season it certainly seems to be flourishing," said Miumiu Zheng, senior fashion editor at Elle China magazine.
"Worn the right way, lingerie can be super feminine and fun. For example, a silk robe can be worn as a dress, and leather corsets are layered over shirts and even coats."
For ladies who are too shy to wear their bras and corsets on the outside, you can start off by wearing sheer tops. "This way you won't feel completely naked but still get to show your underwear," she suggested.
Or you can always invest in bras featuring interesting straps. "More and more Chinese girls are willing to show off their bra straps nowadays," she said. "It is sexy when people can peep at a bit of lingerie from the outside."
Porsha Sun, product manager of Triumph China, agreed. "Innovative, fun straps are a big trend," she said.
"It is the easiest way for ladies to carry out the 'lingerie as outwear' trend this season without being too bold and revealing."
The German lingerie manufacturer recently held its spring/summer 2010 fashion show along the beach in Shimei Bay, Hainan Island. Inspired by the movie "Alice in Wonderland," the gala event showcased the latest collection in a fairytale-like setting.
Pastel colors are very popular this season, complemented by traditional undergarment colors such as black and pink.
Some corsets and bras feature interesting straps of various sizes made of delicate laces, smooth satin and sultry velvet.
Some straps are not only removable but also multi-functional, able to be adjusted to both the crisscross style and the one-strap halter to become part of the outfit.
According to Sun, another big trend in lingerie is the use of high-tech materials.
The "memory cushion bra" on display at the fashion show, for example, is made of special malleable texture designed to fit the wearer better time after time.
Smart and comfortable, the intelligent push-up bra's unique recovery function allows it to retain its original shape every time after wearing.
"Asian women are very different from Western women in terms of body measurements and shapes," she pointed out.
"Push-up bras are especially popular with Asian women since they help us build a more curvy body line."
