by Hitting the farmer’s market to pick flowers or meeting your friends at a fancy restaurant sans pants is probably the premise of many people’s worst nightmare. But thanks to the unwavering influence of the Jenner sisters and the fortunes of TikTok’s trend cycle, forgoing pants in favor of sheer tights is the latest trend pushing the needle on the adage less is more.
So why are stylish girls like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner ditching pants in favor of sheer tights?
The look made its way into the mainstream during Bottega Vennetta’s Spring 2023 ready-to-wear show in September. The runway model walked the runway in a knit sweater, sheer black tights and a pair of slingback heels.
While sending a model down the runway seemingly underdressed, it was model and 818 founder Kendall Jenner’s influence that brought the look to For You Pages (FYP) everywhere.
Jenner was spotted with the exact same look in November as she left a photo shoot in LA.
Not to be outdone, her sister Kylie Jenner wore a similar take on the look back in September during Paris Fashion Week at the Loewe Spring/Summer 2023 show.
The combination of the Jenner sisters’ propensity for virality and the insatiable pursuit of the next big thing on TikTok has resulted in a hodgepodge of users giving their opinion on the no-pants trend.
“I saw Kendall for the first time and I was like, ‘Whoa,'” Stephanie Koutsoukos, a 27-year-old content creator and fan of the body-baring trend, tells Yahoo Life. “I was like, ‘Oh, that looks cool.’ And so I thought, I’m just going to try this for my events tonight.”
Koutsoukos, who lives in New York and has nearly 25,000 TikTok followers, opted to style the look with a Fendi swimsuit, an oversized blazer and black high heels. Her January styling video garnered over 4 million views and more than 500,000 likes.
Risky looks of this caliber aren’t Koutsoukos’ signature style, but she hoped the bold ensemble would reactivate her creative juices.
“I’m definitely more into classic pieces, but I was just kind of in a rut, so I decided to branch out and try this one,” she says.
And because she works in the content creation space, bold looks are the norm.
“People said it looked great, but [I was at] a flu event. And it seems to me that in New York, at least, people go all out in their suits at these events,” he explains.
As to be expected, she got some weird looks from people as she snapped pictures before heading out for the night.
“When we were shooting [photos] in Grand Central Station, we got a few stares. No one said anything, but there were definitely people staring at us,” Koutsoukos says.
However, Koutsoukos is planning different ways to style the look.
“I’d probably do all black and then a really oversized tan blazer to balance it out, but I’d do it again,” she says. “I was feeling super confident.”
As the trend has caught on, others keep trying it out and showcasing it on social media. Sandra Damian wanted to contribute hers to the barely-there outfit, but she wasn’t sure if it would work on her body type.
“I hadn’t yet seen anyone try the one that had a curvier body like me,” Damian, a California-based content creator, tells Yahoo Life. “I thought, ‘OK, everyone I see wearing this trend has a very distinctive look, and I don’t really fit into that look. So let’s see how that would work with someone who was a fuller, curvier figure.”
Damian shared the look on TikTok, asking, “Is she fit or is she just skinny?”
While Damian ultimately loved the trend with just the right style, in terms of fit, he says it’s a tough step.
“Would I wear it again? Probably not. I understand why some people like it because it’s different than all the baggy clothes people wear nowadays. But is it practical? Not for me,” she says.
While it’s one thing for a trend to take off on TikTok, the jury is out yet on whether or not it will catch on with the general public.
Sierra Mayhew, fashion editor at Who What Wear, says it’s more likely to serve as a starting point for similar but less daring looks.
“Trends are a great way to get an overview of what people will be wearing,” Mayhew tells Yahoo Life. “I think people are going to wear short skirts and tights and this trend is a more dramatic way to do that.”
However, he doesn’t see it catching on for those outside the celebrity and influencer space.
“When it comes out to the regular everyday consumer, it will be more of something that will inspire them to put on a pair of pantyhose and a Daisy Duke micro miniskirt or short shorts,” says Mayhew.
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