What it is:

If there was one fashion garment that has really held its ground over the last few seasons it was none other than the panty. Starting with a splash in Miu Miu’s AW23 show, and later infiltrating the collections of other designers for SS24, panties have been everywhere. And the styling variations are surprisingly vast. The piece can be worn as a visible underlayer for sheer clothing, peeking out over waistbands or as the sole pant choice itself, with all options being entirely visible in the most recent runway season.

Why you’ll want it:

The rise of the panty can be attributed to the ever-favoured lingerie-as-outerwear trend that regularly sweeps the fashion world, and has recently seen an evolution as designers and brands begin to steer towards body positive designs that allow women to take control of their own bodies. This has allowed panties to no longer be defined solely as items that should be hidden away, and instead see them become a widely-accepted wardrobe staple that bends to the wearer’s desires – allowing them to reclaim their own femininity.

Where we’ve seen it:

As aforementioned, the panty could be seen on an array of runways for SS24. In many cases, the garment was utilised under sheer overlays, including lace dresses – as seen at Simone Rocha, Erdem and Carolina Herrera – or chiffon-like materials – present at Patrick McDowell, Coperni and Givenchy. In other collections, the panty was spotted as an added detail to statement pants. While the piece was subtly visible behind Diesel’s highly popular, leather logo belt, a similarly branded design peeked out of a pair of heavily embellished jeans at Versace. Bottega Veneta, Acne Studios and Luar, among many others, however, opted to let the panty speak for itself, styling the piece as a standalone garment with tops that completed the look in either a casual or elegant way.

How to style it:

As is now evident, the panty currently has a stronghold on fashion, seeing its evolution steer it in a multitude of different styling directions. Taking cues from designers, the piece is likely to be most popular among consumers as an underlayer to a sheer dress. For this, a high-waisted iteration of the design can bring a vintage-inspired element to the look, with a matching bralet helping to tie the outfit together. Alternatively, for those a little more daring in their approach, high waisted panties can also be suitable alone, paired with oversized shirts or a flashy top for an effortless nighttime look.

Panties are the unlikely hero to the SS24 wardrobe, coming in hot from the previous season to only grow in popularity and status among the fashion crowd. Straying far and wide from the days where undergarments were subject to cover ups, now this lingerie piece is getting some fresh air, out in the open for all those looking to reclaim their body.