Chain Bras and Other Trends

By Sharmin Musca, Personal Stylist on June 30, 2016 in Other

So chain bras are officially a ‘thing’. And all it took was for Bella Hadid to take this questionable trend on a test drive at the recent Coachella Music Festival. I guess it’s not so surprising that for any trend to catch on with the masses a fleeting wear by an It Girl is enough. But a bra made of metal, really? It’s just a bunch of chains pieced together into the shape of a bra – except of course you don’t actually wear a bra with it.

I have seen some dubious trends over the past year or so, from mini ‘mini’ bags so small you could barely fit in a credit card and lipstick, to practical-but-unpleasant-looking chunky flatforms, not to mention the very unflattering boiler suit. And let’s not forget Marc Jacobs’ version of the already ugly orthopaedic clogs and the recent overdose of 90s throwback fashion. Now, thanks to social media, we can add one more puzzler to the mix.

Produced by both underwear brands and jewellery makers, this bling-meets-lingerie accessory is particularly perplexing, given that it doesn’t actually function like a normal bra. There’s no padding, no hook-and-eye closure, and it definitely does not smooth out your breasts or hold them in place.

I’m all for undergarments that are meant to be seen (who doesn’t love a lace bralette peeking out from a low-cut tank?), but it’s hard to find anything appealing about the idea of cold, hard metal rubbing against your boobs all day.

If you’re game enough to give that a try, then maybe one of these ‘how-the-hell-do-I-wear-that’ layering trends could also be an experiment for you…

1. Try wearing a dress over your pants. This challenging trend relies totally on proportion – your dress can’t be too long or too short.

2. A strapless top over a button down shirt. Donning a bustier over a shirt requires some thought. Try a white oxford as a base and contrast with a bold coloured or black strapless top.

3. Layering a skirt over a dress. Also tricky, but try using a coloured or printed slit style skirt – the colour adds interest and the slit will still show off your dress underneath.

On the streets this month I found:

Want the way you dress to create the right impression? Contact Sharmin Musca, Image Consultant, on 0405 518 155 or sharmin@imageconcepts.com.au.