New York Fashion Week’s latest runway offerings signal a pivotal shift in contemporary dressing: undergarments are no longer confined to the role of hidden base layers beneath traditional ready-to-wear pieces. Fresh on the heels of the runway and red carpet’s ongoing “no-pants” styling craze, the mainstream embrace of lingerie and swimwear as everyday daytime apparel has evolved from a niche gimmick into a credible fashion movement.
The spring-summer 2026 lineup drives this trend home across diverse designer aesthetics. Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors reimagine corporate tailoring by pairing structured classic suiting with exposed bra tops. Calvin Klein amplifies the concept with bold statement gowns engineered with woven underwear waistbands, leaning into overt intimate-apparel detailing. Sandy Liang takes a playful, feminine approach, crafting thigh-grazing minidresses accented with frilly lace and gingham panty motifs. Collectively, these runway looks confirm designers’ growing fascination with recontextualizing traditionally private, undergarment pieces as focal points of public attire.
This sartorial revolution is far less unexpected than it may seem. Fashion history has long rejected rigid modesty, with sheer, skin-baring silhouettes recurring across decades of runway collections. “Naked dresses” have remained a red-carpet staple for years, worn by A-list celebrities including Dakota Johnson and Margot Robbie in custom creations from Gucci and Armani Privé respectively, with Emily Ratajkowski widely credited for popularizing the sheer, minimal-coverage silhouette in mainstream culture. Where past iterations prioritized celebrating the human form through translucent fabrics, this season’s innovation reframes the narrative: the undergarments themselves are the central focus.
“We exist in a cultural moment obsessed with transparency, and fashion has translated this concept into literal wearable design,” explains David Thielebeule, fashion director at Bloomingdale’s. “Sheer organza skirts reveal brief silhouettes, lace-trimmed slips replace formal cocktail dresses, and structured sculptural bras stand confidently on their own beneath tailored suiting. The industry is collectively asserting that pieces once meant to stay hidden deserve their moment in the spotlight.”
The trend unfolded across NYFW’s full schedule, kicking off at Rachel Comey’s presentation. The brand showcased intentional exposed styling, pairing vibrant red undergarment bras with matching sheer button-downs and crinkled lightweight outer layers. Michael Kors expanded on the theme for warm-weather tailoring, integrating bikini-style bras into modern three-piece summer suits—a standout look brought to life by top model Amelia Gray Hamlin.
“Exposing undergarments can feel inherently chic and playful, while unlocking endless new styling possibilities,” Comey notes. “Whether outer layers are sheer, offering a subtle glimpse of undergarment proportions and textures, or whether the bra or bodysuit becomes the intentional centerpiece of an outfit, there is no rigid rule against elevating intimate wear to everyday statement pieces.”
Jonathan Simkhai reinterprets the trend with a gender-neutral, streetwear-infused lens, focusing on lower-body layering. His co-ed collection features low-slung board shorts that expose boxer waistbands, styled with coordinating swim tops or completely bare upper halves. The designer draws creative inspiration from Venice Beach’s skate and surf subcultures, as well as the iconic film Lords of Dogtown. “Visible boxer waistbands peeking over jeans and casual pants are a staple of that laid-back subcultural aesthetic,” Simkhai explains. “It felt like a natural, authentic fit for the mood of this collection.”
Across contemporary ready-to-wear labels, designers are refining the underwear-as-outerwear concept for commercial, everyday wear. Joseph Altuzarra revisits his signature sensual design language, crafting tailored blazers layered over subtly exposed bra tops. Maria McManus integrates visible bralette detailing beneath her staple barn jackets, while emerging brand Ashlyn makes a memorable NYFW debut with a cohesive look pairing delicate bralettes with voluminous ruffled skirts.
Even newcomer Nicholas Aburn, presenting his debut collection for Area, embraced the movement. Model Colin Jones walked the runway in a deconstructed monochromatic T-shirt bra top paired with cargo capris. Aburn’s design inspiration stems from casual street style: basketball court culture, where men drape removed shirts around their necks. He extended the theme throughout the line, embedding bra clasps into hoodies and jackets to infuse understated, subtle sensuality into everyday casual apparel.
Calvin Klein’s SS26 presentation delivered the trend’s most sensational iterations, elevating undergarment motifs to full-look statement design. Beyond its signature waistband-detailed gown, the brand debuted logo-embellished long johns with integrated Y-front briefs, alongside custom sunglasses crafted from the same elastic waistband material as its runway dresses. Sandy Liang followed with a whimsical feminine counterpart, designing minidresses adorned with gingham and satin panty detailing, plus layered ensembles featuring green bra tops, mini skirts, and lace long-sleeve capri sets.
Closing NYFW’s runway lineup, Kallmeyer offered the trend’s most polished, wearable interpretation. The label styled crocheted bra tops with relaxed cream tailored trousers and pinstriped blazers for refined daytime elegance, reworking the same silhouette with voluminous bubble-hem maxi skirts and soft cardigans for evening sophistication.
As the spring-summer 2026 season takes shape, one trend is undeniable: undergarments have stepped out of the shadows to dominate contemporary fashion. While designers vary in how overtly they embrace the underwear-as-ready-to-wear movement, the core takeaway is a fundamental shift in styling philosophy. “The first step is to abandon the traditional definition of these pieces as merely ‘underwear,’” Comey advises. “That narrow label limits how we wear and perceive them. If you want to style a bra as a top or undergarments as standalone bottoms, there is every reason to embrace it fully.”
