The Try On #5: Cut It Out ✂️
Four items to inspire you to dress like a sexy unfinished puzzle.
The Try On is a bi-monthly edition of The Changing Room newsletter where I explore trends and aesthetics through a list of curated items sitting in my wishlist.
Trends come and go, but sexy never goes out of style — if anything, it just gets reimagined over time. Right now, I feel like there’s several sexy dressing revolutions happening. Some are taking the form of the flirty coquette style, featuring romantic lingerie, silk slip dresses and corsets, while others are leaning into a grungier, smudged eyeshadow aesthetic with a call-back to indie-sleaze.
But my favorite one right now is the continuous rise of subversive sexy, brought on largely by the trends of subversive basics — which are basic pieces reimagined to look fresh, edgy and surprising by simply removing parts of the garment. Trend researcher Agustina Panzoni describes it perfectly as basics that “rebel up to the point of losing their utility.”
These intentional forms of “rebellion” are the very elements that create a new formula for sensual outfits. Long gone are the days where the only way to look alluring is through the traditional display of just cleavage or legs. Now we’re welcoming peeks of hip dips, waists, collarbones — even the cold shoulder.
Many designers such as Eckhaus Latta embraced the theme of subversive basics during the Spring 2022 seasons by liberally cutting out parts of their dresses, tops and jackets to create a more dimensional look. Marlowe Granado’s essay in Elle back in January, perfectly describes this new “era” of sexy we are in:
The dance of push and pull was present in the translucent breastplates of his closing pieces, offering cheeky nudity offset by a high neck and capelike sleeves that transformed the pieces into sophisticated objects, analogous to sculpture (the most intimate of mediums, as it has so much to do with touch).
For me, dressing sexy involves not only knowing what to reveal, but also what not to; what to leave to the imagination and keep a mystery. The subversive trend does just that — whether it’s trying to be sexy or not — it utilizes the mystery of the body.
Red Stripe Cut-Out Top — Freya McKee
The use of negative space in various knitwear designs has got to be one of my favorite ways I’ve seen this element utilized. UK-based designer Freya McKee does this through intentional cut-outs and delicate holes in her knitwear. It simultaneously creates a look of nonchalance while still looking surprising with the shapes she creates. This simple, one shoulder tube-style top is sexy enough on its own, but the added cut-out on the side gives it that additional edge — an invitation to layer something underneath, or nothing at all.
Holy Dress — Tyler McGillivary
It’s safe to say that Tyler McGillivary has become one of the quintessential brands for Gen-Z fashion girlies. Their flirty collection of clothing utilizes joyful colors, ‘60s and ‘70s inspired shapes and an overall air of fun that makes you excited to put clothes on.
This tangerine-colored dress embraces the trend of negative space by offering a cut-out of specific areas of the body. Like a carefully crafted recipe it includes: half of a collarbone, a full shoulder and half of a waist. Not only that but the tie on the side instead of the back adds an extra statement to the shape of the dress, while also making it super adjustable.
Faux Leather Corset and Pants — Lirika Matoshi
Originally known for the iconic strawberry dress, independent designer Lirika Matoshi’s recent experimental designs have completely swept me away. She too, has been utilizing the magic of punctured holes in so many of her pieces recently whether it be knitwear or funky two-piece sets.
One of my favorites has got to be this dusty purple corset and leather pants set. Again, leather and corsets are elements that are sexy enough on their own, but the addition of these small, three-hole-punch-style holes give it that extra edge. Some of the holes are hearts, others are squares, but none of them show too much — just enough to keep you guessing.
‘80s Studded Dress — Infinite Regress
The cut-out trend is definitely not owned by 2020-2022. In fact, some of the best pieces showcasing this style of dressing comes from the ‘60s, ‘70s and of course, the glamorous and inherently sexy era of the 1980s. So get to vintage shopping because your own version of the Pretty Woman dress is definitely out there.
Born out of the stylish mind of Ava Burke, Infinite Regress is an online curation of vintage clothing that will make you truly feel like the main character. This dark gray body-con mini dress features a truly impeccable design of cut-outs, with two slightly cold shoulders and a big abstract blob cut-out in smack in the middle of the dress. I don’t think a more perfect club dress exists than this one. It’s truly giving Maddy Perez if Euphoria was set in the ‘80s.