A model presents a creation from Miu Miu Womenswear during Paris Fashion Week in Paris. The sequined underwear, costing $5,600, is perhaps a nod to the no-pants look. AFP

It’s the end of the season of fashion weeks. On 3 October (Tuesday), the curtains came down on Paris Fashion Week – the last of the Big Four, comprising New York, London, Milan and Paris. Celeb after glamorous celeb walked the ramp, turning heads with their sartorial style. But there was one look that ruled them all – or at least grabbed the most eyeballs.

Designers, models and celebrities were all kicked about shedding their pants. They are calling it the “no-pants look”. Scores and scores of celebs showed up baring their bottoms. It’s official, it’s OK not to wear pants now.

Italian fashion brand Miu Miu was at the forefront of this trend when it unveiled a pair of woollen knickers covered in sequins at the Milan Fashion Week. If the no-pants look wasn’t enough to generate buzz, Miu Miu’s decision to price them at $5,600 (Rs 4.66 lakh), definitely got people talking.

But Miu Miu wasn’t alone to throw ‘trou’. In the past year or so, an increasing amount of people – read celebs and models – are shedding pants and embracing the underwear look. And while it may come across as a bit odd for us mere mortals, it seems that this trend is here to stay.

Who cares about pants!

This cycle of fashion weeks saw several celebrities dropping their pants and showing off their innerwear as outerwear.

Perhaps, the biggest example of that was Hailey Bieber. The 26-year-old model and wife of Justin Bieber it seemed had forgotten to pack pants during Paris Fashion Week. At a dinner, she was snapped in a tight-fitting beige turtleneck, paired with black Petar Petrov “hot pants” that are definitely more like high-waist briefs. She accessorised her look with her favourite black leather duster jacket, tights, and a black belt with a gold buckle, which perfectly matched the golden baubles on her ears.

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen also embraced the no-pants look at a chic New York Fashion Week event. She wore nothing but an enormous denim jacket with a pair of black clog-style heels to highlight her toned legs while wearing the garment partially unbuttoned.

But the no pants look isn’t just restricted to this season. Kylie Jenner, of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, at last year’s Paris Fashion Week attended the Loewe show in a pair of Y-front, menswear-inspired tighty-whities worn over sheer tights and a long gray coat thrown on top.

Her sister, Kendall Jenner, also hopped on to the bandwagon when she was seen traipsing around the streets of Los Angeles last November wearing just her underwear with sheer leggings. Fans of her look mused how the 27-year-old managed to turn “people’s legit worst nightmare” into a “slay” moment. “Wish I could pull off forgetting my pants,” one commenter remarked.

And when we talk of trends, how can we forget Bella Hadid. In September 2022, the supermodel and sister of Gigi Hadid was caught snacking on pizza. But that wasn’t what got the paparazzi buzzing; it was her clothes, or lack thereof – she opted for a T-shirt, white boy-briefs, a black-and-blue leather jacket, and brown boots.

Plenty of other media influencers have also made their contribution to making the no pant look a valid option. A glance on Instagram and thousands and thousands of women have opted out of wearing pants. Similarly, a look at TikTok and you will think that pants are a thing of the past.

‘Brief’ history of the underwear look

But underwear on the red carpet and on runways isn’t ground-breaking, despite what models and influencers would like you to believe. Summer Anne Lee, Adjunct Faculty at the Fashion Institute of Technology and Underpinnings Museum committee member, told Insider that this phenomenon has actually existed for centuries.

“European nobility and royalty like King Henry VIII would show off the high quality of their linen undergarments through a technique known as slashing-and-puffing, where the undergarment was pulled through decorative slashes in the outer garment,” Lee said.

And just like the shiny, sequinned Miu Miu underwear, the lingerie pieces from the Renaissance era were adorned with expensive embroidery and embellishments. As Lee told Insider, “The expensive and impractical materials of the embroidered silk and wool Miu Miu panties show its clear distinction that this is not a private undergarment — it is meant to be seen.”

In the 1960s, it was Edie Sedgwick, an American actress, who pioneered the look – shedding her wardrobe of designer tags, and adopting a daring and youthful signature style of briefs worn over opaque tights or fishnets, and T-shirts.

Whether you like it or not, the no-pants trend is here to stay. So, set your trousers aside and wear lingerie to brunch. Wear sheer tights to the market. You’re not wearing pants, so there’s nothing left to lose.

However, we have some advice for you: Confidence is the key with a trend like this. Strut your way down the sidewalk and allow your confidence to be the best way to accessorise it.

With inputs from agencies