Trend alert: cut-out details

If you've recently seen a fashion show or scrolled through Instagram, you probably noticed a wave of clothes decorated with cut-outs, i.e. scraps of fabric that allow you to see bare skin. Designers and celebrities are on the hunt for the perfect "window" that will turn even the most anonymous little black dress into a special creation capable of expressing both self-confidence and femininity. 

Curious to discover all the secrets of the trend?

Bringing sexy back

Goodbye comfy fashion, oversized pieces, loungewear and tracksuits. Sexy clothes are back. The biggest post-pandemic trend is made of micro-cardigans, corsets, bodysuits, party dresses, tight, mini and full of cut-out details. For a few seasons now, on the catwalks, from Mugler to Versace, from Alexander McQueen to Off-White, hemlines are getting shorter, fabrics are becoming shiny or transparent, shapes are becoming more and more enveloping and windows are appearing on all the elements of the wardrobe, allowing bare skin to emerge. This continuous game of full and empty spaces invades everything: from the classic little black dress to leggings, from tights to knit sweaters, from coats (remember the FW21 black one by Valentino?) to t-shirts. These small cuts on the fabric are not just a simple way to give a twist to sweaters and pants, they are a sort of symbolic tear that offers a glimpse of light after a dark period, in which covering up was our only defense. In the air there is a desire for lightness, rebirth, socializing, getting back to living and having fun. Even playing with fashion, a bit like what happened in the sixties with the boom of the miniskirt. And, as then, there is a sense of empowerment. Wearing a bolder silhouette, with openings on the back, arms or pelvis, is a clear statement about self-confidence, sensuality, but which, compared to the past, is devoid of connotations linked to body shaming or slut-shaming. Forget patriarchal traditions that have taught generations of women that they could only wear a short skirt or tight-fitting clothes if they had the right legs and body, now if you want to wear a transparent dress or a cardigan that lets you see your breasts or a little bit of belly, you do it.

Brands to follow 

Besides Mugler, who with its collections by Casey Cadwallader seems to hold a master class every time on transparencies, cut-outs and sensual fashion, it seems that no brand is safe from the return of sexy style. So everyone, from Versace to Dion Lee, from Burberry to Ottolinger, propose their own version. There are those who prefer monochromatic pieces (total black rocks!) and those who prefer vaguely psychedelic prints, but the essence does not change: details that leave the skin bare, close-fitting silhouettes, transparencies, laces that wrap around and highlight the curves. Emerging brands such as the highly popular Nensi Dojaka, Supriya Lele, Christopher Esber, Marshall Columbia, KNWLS, Isa Boulder or Laquan Smith are the most loved by celebrities and influencers. While G-Club's favorites for their ability to create sexy, comfortable jersey pieces that fit different shapes and sizes include Karoline Vitto and Kim Shui.

New icons

Just take a look on Instagram to realize that there is no celebrity that shows off in every occasion a cut-out garment. Among the trend's cult moments, how can we forget Bella Hadid's pelvic cut-outs (I.AM.GIA) during Paris Fashion Week or when Kim Kardashian chose the Amarre dress by Barragán to visit the Vatican Museums?

The Kardashian-Jenner clan has an endless wardrobe of super sexy dresses, leggings, tops and undershirts studded with holes, a galaxy in which the pieces of exposed skin make the most famous influencers of the new millennium shine on Instagram and on the red carpet. Sharing their passion for exposed collarbones, hips and legs are Emrata (she didn't give it up even during pregnancy!), Dua Lipa, Rihanna or Meghan Fox.

Subversive basics & Tik Tok

The term "subversive basics" was coined by TikToker @thealgorythm, a former trend forcaster who used to work for WGSN and now freelances. In a video posted last April, she explains that a new style is emerging "basics that rebel up to the point of losing their utility." In other words, a simple tank top can be changed, thanks to ad hoc cuts, deconstructions and fabric overlays, into a sort of fashion divertissement that makes the initial function of the item totally irrelevant. References range from the '90s with the iconic collections of Hervé Léger, Gucci by Tom Ford e Azzedine Alaïa  to the early 2000s red carpets of Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears and the return of pop punk. 

The "subversive basics" can come in different shapes and shades. There are those who opt for daring little dresses that follow the shape of the body and are full of cut-outs that show off bare skin and those who prefer a more discreet mood, covering those holes with sheer fabrics or garments of other colors, playing with overlaps and styles that make the trend suitable not only for fun nights, but also for the office. Like most trends, this one also works because it has the merit of being extremely customizable, so much so that many dust off their DIY skills and, following one of the many tutorials on Tik Tok, try to make a shirt or another custom garment. All you need is a little time, imagination, a piece to rework and a pair of scissors.