Sheer Brilliance

As I was sifting through the Spring/Summer 2011 trends for my magazine article (thank you for your suggestions!), I came across a trend that I had noticed somewhat unconsciously, but had never thought it would end up being the next big thing.  I think the two photos of Abbey Lee Kershaw below say it all:

If there's one daring piece that you're going to be buying for Spring 2011, it's the sheer maxi skirt or dress.  When done properly, it's a sweet concoction of flirtatious modesty.  You're covering up your legs...but at the same time, you're flaunting them.

But is it ever a difficult trend to pull off!  That's not to say it hasn't been done well before, but I don't quite like how the sheer maxi skirt can sometimes break the clean lines of an otherwise long and lean silhouette, and at times give an almost skeletal look.  Also, I think this goes without saying, but you definitely need to have nicely toned legs for this trend.  Here's a look at how it was done on the runways:

Givenchy Pre-Fall 2011

Alberta Ferretti Spring 2011 RTW

Rag & Bone Spring 2011 RTW

To me, Alberta Ferretti is the one to follow if you do take a shot at this trend.  Having a bit of print to lessen the impact of transparency, and an overall slim silhouette is a good way to take on this sheer trend.  Rag & Bone also proves that you don't have to go all the way; semi-transparent skirts work just as well, while Givenchy caters to the more daring among us (and has been doing so for the past couple of collections).  Even though I won't be trying this trend out anytime soon, it sure is a fun one.

Image Source: Abbey1, Abbey 2, Street Style, Style.com