Naked Beauty

This winter has forced us all to cover ourselves as much as possible: snow, rain and wind won the fashion battle demanding us to live almost constantly in turtle-neck sweaters, oversized coats and thigh-high boots. Even our hands couldn’t escape the cold, so they were clad in lovely leather gloves. Don’t get me wrong–I adore winter. I love taking Christmas jumpers out of the wardrobe and I feel comfortable wearing a light leather jacket under my coat. But after eight long months of intense cold, the only thing we all need is to get out of our padded jeans and enjoy wearing a skirt with no wool tights.
During summer, exposing skin is not only easy but essential, especially when the weather gets so hot and humid that you can’t go out for a walk before 8:00 PM. This year though, the necessity to wear little fabric was made far more interesting than usual by many a fashion designer, who proposed alternative ways to get uncovered without having to show up at parties in bikini. The areas of the body that are going to be exposed this summer are not only unexpected, but also incredibly brilliant in their effort to balance out decorum and exhibition.
In this sense, the undoubted protagonist of last year has been the midriff: you see it everywhere, from the catwalk to the red carpet, and obviously in the streets. Crop tops have made their way into our closets as if we were still in the ’90s. This time though, rather than display our belly button “Beyoncé style,” it’s the space right above that will see the sun. It doesn’t matter whether the top is tight or loose – the crop top adds that bit of youthful gaiety to any look, and the clear imprint of summer.

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Alexander Wang S/S 2014

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Antonio Marras S/S 2014

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Narciso Rodriguez S/S 2014

Lately it seems like both designers and street style have been drawing great inspiration from the 90s. The last element to be introduced into the catwalk during S/S ’14 was the bare shoulder. One, not two, to induce a mysterious feeling of sexiness where an exposed collarbone or a bare shoulder blade is at the centre of attention. If adorned, like Christopher Kane did with his embellished sweater, it can easily become the unexpected focus of an otherwise pared down look.

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Christopher Kane S/S 2014

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Isabel Marant S/S 2014

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Chanel S/S 2014

There are some designers instead, who have been playing with the way men look at women. Keeping the chest completely covered, they moved the spotlight onto an overlooked erogenous zone that makes the exposé trend feel like the most elegant of all: the lower back. Wearing a dress with a plunging neckline that leaves your back completely bare has always been considered not only appealing but also unexplainably chic. Imagine now to be wearing a Chanel vest that covers you from the neck right down to the edge of the shoulder blades, leaving the rest of the back completely naked but for a delicate string of pearls. You could hardly look or feel more graceful!

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Chanel bare lower back at the S/S 2014 show

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Emma Watson in Dior

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Sofia Sanche Barrenechea in an interview with Porter Magazine

In spite of this trend’s exquisiteness, which comes as a surprise as it involves uncovered skin, exposing parts of your body does not always involve cut-outs. See-through tops are a great alternative, although they might not necessarily be more subtle than a bare shoulder. The most daring ladies can even go as far as to invest in a see-through skirt, like the lovely lace pencil skirt from Burberry in pastel colours. Just make sure to wear it with high-waist matching underwear and a dainty pair of stilettos for a sophisticate modern look.

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Burberry Prorsum S/S 2014 lace skirt

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Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2014

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Alexander Wang S/S 2014

Written by: Alice Demurtas

Photo Sourceshttp://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2014/ready-to-wear/alexander-wang
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2014/ready-to-wear/antonio-marras here
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2014/ready-to-wear/narciso-rodriguez
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2014/ready-to-wear/christopher-kane
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2014/ready-to-wear/isabel-marant
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2014/ready-to-wear/chanel
http://www.instyle.co.uk/fashion/news/emma-watson-makes-a-bold-fashion-statement-on-the-golden-globes-2014-red-carpet
http://valeriyagusyeva.tumblr.com/
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2014/ready-to-wear/burberry-prorsum
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2014/ready-to-wear/dolce-and-gabbana

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