Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Daily Dress: D&G's Granny Panty Looks

In keeping with this morning's post, today's Daily Dress is more about what goes underneath a frock, rather than the frock itself. Besides perhaps Lady Gaga, no one has done more than Dolce and Gabbana to try to make granny panties cool. For the last two seasons, the designers have featured sheer dresses with 50s-inspired lingerie peeking out.

Personally, I rather like the effect. I don't think I would wear it myself (actually, I'm positive I wouldn't wear it myself), but there's something interesting about the concept of these ensembles.
After all, it takes a lot of work, construction-wise, to make a lace dress that is so perfectly finished that the seams can be on display like this. How did they set in those sleeves, I wonder? And finish the waistline seam?
That's what makes these designs so beautiful, I think. Besides the lingerie being lovely in a retro way, the dresses themselves are a paradox of transparency. They're sheer, and yet they hide the inner workings of their own construction.

Do you remember Gretchen Jones wearing a similar get-up on the Project Runway finale? The result isn't quite as shocking as you might expect, but it would still take some major guts to wear.

10 comments:

  1. can i just say that i am loving the additional element these daily dress posts bring to your already fantastic blog :)

    on the very large pants as visible topic, while i quite like these pics where they're delicately showing through an over layer, its a bit of a bug bear for me that certain popstars seem to have given up on wearing the bottom half of an outfit - giant pants as outwear do not an outfit make!!

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  2. It does look a little like a ballet cut leotard in some instances. When I first started reading this post I was instantly reminded of Gretchen's Wool Granny Panties from the season 8 finale. I think the amazing sheerness of the dresses would be better displayed over a nude body suit or lining. I wouldn't wear the look ever ever, but I think it does make a good show!

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  3. I don't like the effect. I'll bet that to be in the room with the models is even more intrusive and awkward. And for an ordinary woman? Impossible.

    I remember a celebrity photographer who was discussing covering the red carpet and how there were so many women with thin dresses that revealed their underwear (not deliberately, as here). He thought they looked "nasty."

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  4. I want to second the I love the daily dress posts and how you use them to tie together themes on your blog. It's very nice.

    Those dresses are lovely, especially the black. But, this trend is one, like yesterday's silk jumpsuit thing, that I think is strictly for the Uber-fashionable and the Celebrity -- as Rachel said "it makes a good show". When regular people going about their business, even if it's at a party or night event, do this kind of thing, it's just not good. Not good.

    Perhaps coincidentally, I saw an adult woman of a certain age today in a grocery store wearing a t-shirt and opaque black pantyhose. Not leggings. Pantyhose. Through which you could see her not-black-probably-white underpants.

    I'm pretty sure she wasn't trying to participate in a this fashion trend, and yet, I can't help but wonder if the culture of semi-exposed underpants mood helped her look in the mirror when she went out and say "well, you know, I don't have any actual leggings, but these opaque pantyhose are basically leggings; I can sort of see my underpants through the back, but that's cool these days, right?"

    I actually hope that she just forgot to put a skirt on, because I think that would be more understandable.

    Just thought I'd share that little tidbit.

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  5. I also want to thank you for the addition of the daily dress and its' link to your current topic. You have a fantastic insight for writing, sewing and fashion. It is a joy to read your blog!

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  6. I also remember Sarah Jessics Parker wearing something similar at some awards a few years back, and being highly criticized... I like the looks, though.

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  7. The second and third dresses are just lovely! The first, white lace one leaves alot to be desired. I like the effect of the lace over the underthings, but I'm not a fan of the cut of the dress overall.

    Gorgeous post, as always xo

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  8. Even though I am a "ordinary woman", I'm going to rock this look this summer. I think it's cute as long as you do it right, and I'm not going to let the people that can't do it but try ruin it for me. And atelierflou, all the models I worked with thought nothing of running around naked, so I doubt they would feel awkward in this outfit. It's just fashion, for as seriously as I take that, I don't take it seriously.

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  9. I love the look--I don't think I've seen anything like it before. It's refreshing and carries both a sense of humor and cool. I love that it's leg-, rather than boob-focused. However, I don't think I could pull it off. My legs just aren't good enough.

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  10. I really love this look - but I'm not sure I could pull it off. I don't think it's necessarily to do with body shape, but more that it's a look that requires oodles of confidence, and I don't think I would have that. Without the confidence, wearing something like this would just look awkward (as with most clothes really). Maybe with something not quite as sheer on top for me.

    I like that with these looks, there's actually very little on display - it's not much more than short shorts, and a lot less than say a halter or bikini top - and of course, it's a lovely retro-style silhouette too.

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Thanks for your comments; I read each and every one! xo Gertie

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