No pants, no problem?
Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid and more stars and fashion notables seem to think so. They’re kickstarting a Gen Z fashion trend of leaving the house in just pantyhose or underwear—no outerwear required. Sound risky? It’s just the latest way for this generation to take creative clothing liberties to rebel.
“Fashion is just expressing what’s happening broadly in culture,” says longtime culture business journalist Christina Binkley. “We are in an era of rule-breaking.”
That’s why it seems like the runways, red carpets, and sidewalks are seeing fewer pants than ever before.
What is the ‘no pants’ trend?
It could mean a few different fashion choices, but it boils down to a lingerie-inspired outfit. Some go out wearing tights as pants (remember the fuss a few years ago about wearing leggings as pants?), men’s briefs with nothing else on top (see: Hadid), or a bodysuit as a complete outfit.
We have Fashion Week and famous models to thank for this look reaching the common people. Designers like Bottega, Miu Miu and Burberry came up with different versions of pantsless looks, and so it was only a matter of time before fashion influencers like Kardashian-Jenners, Hadids and Julia Fox made fashion the hottest since Barbiecore.
“If you did it in the office, it’s the stuff of nightmares,” jokes Binkley. But while it’s a decidedly NSFW fashion trend, it’s not terribly indecent by fashion world standards.
“In many of these cases, they’re no more revealing than they would be if they were in a bathing suit,” adds Binkley. “It seems a little shocking to those of us who aren’t used to seeing this, but they are just rules that someone made up at some point.”
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From ditching bras to going pantsless: Gen Z is just the latest generation to rebel through fashion
The “no pants” trend isn’t just for Gen Z—everyone from Kim Kardashian to Taylor Swift to Tessa Thomson to Rita Ora are getting in on it. But the non-celebrities who adopt it are younger, and fashion experts say it’s a brand for this generation, which has experimented with going braless.
“We’re known for taking things to the next level in every industry,” says Aiyana Ishmael, an editorial assistant at Teen Vogue and a self-proclaimed “older generation Z.” “That’s why Gen Z likes trends like this: because we think, ‘OK, this sounds insane and I like the idea of hanging on to this insanity.’ … It looks so different and probably something that feels rebellious.
Breaking the rules isn’t exactly a new concept in fashion. The sexual revolution of the 70s spawned braless looks that went in and out of fashion.
As the creators of Gen Z culture, the oldest of whom are now in their 20s, look to make their mark, they face something their fashion predecessors did not: the fleeting, saturated, and competitive nature of the internet. .
The ability to constantly update our timelines means we’re always asking “What’s the next big thing? What’s the next viral moment?” says Ishmael.
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Do you dare to try the trend without pants?
For non-celebrities looking to get in on the trend, there’s a time and a place.
Ishmael recently dressed as Bella Hadid for a week as a project for Teen Vogue, which included recreating Hadid’s famous men’s underwear for a day at the office.
“I was laughing with my co-workers, like, ‘Oh my god, I hope nobody taller sees me while I’m walking around in these tiny shorts,'” jokes Ishmael. “I think it’s definitely tricky when you’re not a celebrity, but definitely something you can still explore if you want to.”
This fashion experimentation is best saved for a night out, she notes. For more inspiration, check out the celebrities who rock this trend the most. Ishmael points to Fox as a fashion influencer to embody confidence.
“Her style is so unabashedly herself,” says Ishmael. “She’s very stubborn and even though (what she’s saying) isn’t true, she feels very sure of herself. Whenever she’s wearing the craziest things…she seems so honest and true to herself, which is the key to wearing anything As long as you own it, that’s really what holds the garment together.
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