The wardrobe malfunction has played a major role in catapulting Hollywood figures to front page news. But as antiquated as the historical criticisms have been around visible underwear, fashion has always viewed them differently. Over the years, we’ve seen “exposure” become a major trend, whether in the form of Y2K g-strings, Miu Miu-style boxers or sheer everything, choosing to bare all is stock standard in fashion.
But in Cannes, celebrity guests are bringing back a look that we haven’t seen get this much attention since Lindsay Lohan’s stint as Cady Heron in Mean Girls almost two decades ago: the exposed bra.
To clarify, we’re not talking about bras-as-tops — that’s been well done. Instead, we’re referring to necklines that have the top of a bra peeking out over a strapless dress.
A cousin of the whale tail (exposed G-string) look, peek-a-boo bras are a little more tongue-in-cheek than the obvious bras-as-shirts look, almost appearing as a design fault or sizing error when it’s really just intentional. And as is generally the case with distressed or unconventional clothing, the more intentional you can make it look, the cooler these design quirks become.
With the French film festival inviting only the most daring of fashions, from Bella Hadid’s iconic Schiaparelli moment to Rihanna in a Dior bridal look, where better to debut a risqué trend?
Credit where credit is due, the first to take on the look in Cannes was Euphoria‘s Sydney Sweeney, who was papped exiting the Hôtel Martinez in a slinky blue Miu Miu slip, which featured a darker satin blue bra layered underneath.
While Sweeney’s look consisted of two separate pieces, two other starlets opted for built-in bras.
On the red carpet for her upcoming film, Asteroid City, Scarlett Johansson wore a pink Prada column dress with a playful neckline that boasted an exposed bra effect thanks to a contrasting white embellished “bra” inner layer. And she wasn’t alone in her thinking, as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley also rocked the look at the same premiere.
Deviating from the Miuccia Prada train, though, the Rose Inc. founder wore a dress by Kim Jones from the Fendi Spring/Summer 2023 couture collection. Like Johansson’s dress, the neckline features an added bra-like layer peeping out. Only, Huntington-Whiteley’s “bra” was bedazzled.
Three spotting in three days tells us one thing: this is only the beginning of the trend, which is sure to become ubiquitous further south of the globe in no time.
As far as wearing it on the streets? Though it isn’t for the faint of heart, the exposed bra reminds us of the role fashion has always had in rejecting the conventional and reclaiming our control over our bodies. And in 2023, it’s exactly the kind of absurd fun we should all be having with our personal style.
