Hello everyone! I hope you are all fine! Throughout this very blog, we have presented many Ecce Homo fashion guides with lots of ideas and recommendations on how to upgrade your everyday style just by following a few tips. One of the most-read articles was our guide on color-blocking where, after a short introduction into color theory, the history and the psychology of colors, we provided our readers with a complete user-friendly guide on how to create the perfect color-blocking look. In what follows we delve a bit deeper into the fashion world by tracking down the so-called No Pants Trend, a trend that seems to be everywhere in the past year or so, on social media, fashion blogs, and runways! At first glance, the No Pants Trend seems a bit over-the-top, a statement look only a couple of celebrities could pull off or at least a few daring fashionistas among us. The technical difficulty of bringing together a look that creates the illusion of wearing no pants and the revealing or even provocative effect it gives off are among the reasons many of us are quite hesitant to give it a shot. After all, it is a look for special occasions, such as a glamorous event, an intriguing date, or a crazy night out, but with the right styling, you can also rock a casual no-pants look!
Three initial points are to be made here before going any further. First of all, everybody and every body looks great in such an outfit. In fact, giving it a shot is a way of reappropriating the trend that has been associated so far with ‘perfect’ ‘female’ bodies, either skinny models or curvy celebrities, like the Kardashians. Furthermore, it could be an empowering queer feminist experience thanks to the no-pants effect it creates. If many of us have been taught to be ashamed of our queer bodies or our bodies have been objectified by others, changing the rules of this game of revelation and concealment in our favor could feel liberating and sexy, empowering without being somatophobic or sex-negative. Finally, for those of you who fear becoming fashion victims just by following a style that currently trends, let me say that the No Pants Trend has been around at least since the 50s. The recent resurgence of interest in this trend is just but another reiteration of a style that has never really been out of fashion. After all, fashion’s temporality is circular!
To be completely honest, queers have a long history of wearing undergarments as outwear, a powerful political statement! Just bring to mind a Pride Parade or a queer club or even a scroll on LGBTIQA+ dating apps. Underwear is literally everywhere in our cultural and community spaces, indispensable pieces of clothing both in intimate moments and in public. One of the organizing principles of the hetero-patriarchal society that queers put into question is the private–public divide that permeates all the aspects of our lives by designating what is proper and ‘appropriate’ in each of these two separate realms. By wearing our undergarments inside out, we subvert the understanding of sexuality as a private matter, one that should be closeted itself, and we bring forth sexuality as something not only personal but also highly political. Another aspect of the feminist motto, ‘the personal is political’, that comes into view in instances when one asks, ‘What is the appropriate look for this occasion or what is an appropriate look to begin with?’. Queers by choosing an in-appropriate look where underwear is used as outwear blur this distinction between the private and the public, the frivolous and the serious, the sexual and non-sexual, the apolitical and the political. That's why what we jokingly call fashion police many times translates to a very real form of sexual oppression, a policing of one’s body and gender performativity.
Beyond the LGBTIQA+ community, the No Pant Trend can be thought of as a part of a fashion continuum that is as mundane as fashion itself in its functional aspect. Many of the items one can find in an e-shop trading undergarments could easily pass as outwear under certain circumstances and in specific settings. The example that comes to mind here is a t-shirt or a bralette, a tank top or a biker’s that serve this double purpose, both as underwear and outwear. This is usually the case for all those environments where intense physical exercise takes place, like the gym or the yoga, Pilates, or dance class. It is no coincidence that in these places, the line between the private and the public gets blurred, and the self is presented mostly as a bodily one. Here it seems that practicality trumps the somatophobia, the fear of the body as lived, of hetero-patriarchy. Another expression of this fashion spectrum is all those instances where a bra or an undergarment is intentionally worn in such a way as to be visible beneath the clothes, a teasing touch of sexiness or a playful subversion of the inside/out binary that governs the fashion industry and our sense of clothing.
Having said that, let’s take a look at the history of the famous No Pants Trend, a look you can pull off by using some of Ecce Homo’s undergarments. Let me begin by saying that his look has been in fashion since 2023 with lots of fashion influencers being spotted rocking a style without their pants or skirts on, among whom Kylie Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Hailey Bieber. However, according to Vogue, this look has been around at least since the 50s as dancewear and had again its moment the following decade thanks to Edie Sedgwick, Andy Warhol’s muse, who was photographed this way back in 1965. This look was a craze in the 80s thanks to the aerobic mania of the decade, with stars like Jane Fonda taking a bodysuit and leotards to a whole new level! The 90s saw the entry of the No Pants Trend into haute couture by the fashion houses of Chanel, McQueen, and Dior, leaving this way behind its association with dance and sports. Fast-forward to 2023 when Bottega Veneta’s spring collection brought this look back and major brands followed suit such as Valentino and Raf Simmons. Here are some tips on how to style a No Pant Trend look:
There are many underwear brands, like Ecce Homo, that offer top-quality and well-designed undergarments or swimsuit bottoms that one can use to style a No Pants look very easily and at a low cost!
Try on some men’s undergarments, like a pair of boxers or tighty-whities, over your underwear to make the look edgier without sacrificing your privacy. In this case, thick white socks, UGG-style boots, or chunky shoes could make all the difference!
If none of the above works for you, just put on some super mini skirt or shorts totally covered by a long top. Remember that the whole point is to create the illusion of no pants, not to wear literally none! This way you might feel more comfortable and secure as well!
To create this sought-after illusion play with the volumes! The stark contrast between the tiny bottoms and the oversized tops can go a long way!
Naked legs and nude (on your skin tone) or black tights are a yes! Leotards and colorful or thick black tights are a big no because they make your legs look too dressed!
When it comes to the tops, consider wearing a cropped sweater, a bomber jacket, or a long blazer!
Take a good look at Ecce Homo’s collections and you will find many affordable undergarments perfect for a no-pants look!
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