Sheer styles are nothing new, but this season at New York Fashion Week, many labels reinvented the ongoing trend, leaving little to the imagination with fabrics like organza, nylon and lace.
From Ralph Lauren‘s boho revival — via crochet — to Grace Ling’s sultry suiting, WWD recaps 10 of the best sheer looks at NYFW.
Ralph Lauren
For proof that the sheer trend has gone mainstream, look no further than Ralph Lauren. The heritage label showed several see-through styles for spring 2025, catering to the boho resurgence with a mix of crochet and lace tops, dresses, skirts, shorts and blouses.
Khaite
Catherine Holstein’s latest collection is one of her best to date, per WWD’s West Coast executive editor, Booth Moore. “Expanding on the commercial success of her dreamy organza dresses, [Holstein] went wild with sheer looks and layering, creating what may be the first major spring trend — sheer organza pants,” reads her review of Khaite’s spring 2025 collection.
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Holstein sent multiple sheer silhouettes down the runway, including dresses, button-ups and loose knits, though her organza pants are a notable highlight: those looking to dip their feet into the sheer trend might find inspiration in Khaite’s pairing of transparent trousers with a more modest staple, the oversize blazer.
Jason Wu
Inspired by the works of artist Tong Yang-Tze, Wu channeled her abstract aesthetic in the form of “edgy layered, asymmetric cuts,” wrote WWD’s women’s fashion market editor, Emily Mercer. This included sheer styles such as oversize blouses, skirts and flowy trousers, emboldening wearers to experiment with sheer on sheer looks.
Alaïa
Pieter Mulier’s ode to American sportswear took shape in easy, breezy pants featuring sheer peplum and billowing caged silhouettes. The designer also nodded to Halston’s penchant for flowing fabrics, pairing a transparent hooded top with the aforementioned skirted trousers.
Christian Siriano
Christian Siriano’s eveningwear take on the sheer trend incorporated leather and lace. The designer’s cutout ballgowns and cropped co-ords, according to WWD’s senior fashion Market Editor, Accessories, Thomas Waller, evoked a “romantic dark fantasy.”
“I really wanted people to feel like they’re transported into this kind of storybook dream world,” Siriano said backstage.
Brandon Maxwell
Brandon Maxwell debuted several lightweight designs during his spring 2025 presentation, offering sheer viscose knits and bedazzled nylon skirts, styled layered and low-slung.
Grace Ling
Grace Ling put a sultry spin on suiting, sending sheer blazers, button-ups, trousers and capris down the runway during her spring 2025 presentation. The designer’s “primitive chic” aesthetic translated into “singed or scorched” details, per Moore.
Tory Burch
“It’s all about movement and form,” Burch told Moore of her spring 2025 collection, which spotlights fashion trends like texture, sportswear and naturally, sheer fabrics. The designer’s ruffled statement blouses add a retro twist to the transparent trend, and when paired with Burch’s sleek high-waisted trousers, make sheer seem a little more sophisticated.
LaQuan Smith
This season, designer LaQuan Smith was inspired by “the palettes of wildlife” — case in point: earthy browns, khakis and yellows. Smith, known for his couture clubwear, experimented with varied iterations of sheer, from snakeskin prints to neon organzas. The trench coat above, for example could be layered for a peekaboo effect, or worn solo for a more sultry look.
“Smith continued to evolve his core design codes for spring, bringing a fresh perspective to a range of categories and types of clients,” explained WWD’s Senior Reporter, Men’s and Accessories, Layla Ilchi.
Luar
Luar’s Raul López put a punk rock twist on sheer, melding all-black looks with organza corsetry, tailoring and dramatic outerwear. “Sensual, sexy and interesting ideas on proportion are core themes to Lopez’s DNA,” wrote Waller, noting the presence of “linebacker shoulders” on see-through button-ups, coats and minidresses.
