We’ve been tracking the undergarments craze of 2024 like it’s our job (it technically is). Charli xcx and Billie Eilish can’t stop singing about underwear, boobs were the object of sartorial fascination at Couture week, and bikini bottoms generally trended towards fuller coverage this summer. Now, the spring/summer 2025 runways are proposing a bit more coverage up top with the return of the bandeau.
Alaïa’s sensational show at the Guggenheim in New York reworked classic American sportswear with swishy, ballooning pants in finely knit materials and almost all the looks — if they weren’t sculptural dresses or stiff denim — were paired with a sheer tan strapless top. Over in Milan, where Prada cooked up a mostly pants-less show full of idiosyncratic characters, there were a few pocketed bandeaus shown with slouchy wool trousers. Finally, this morning in Paris, Courrèges’ Nicolas de Felice continued his bodily fascination that started with crotch pockets a few seasons ago. He carried the through-line of illusionary pieces made with mesh panels with slim tops that appear to be backless due to the simple black front piece covering the models’ assets.
The connecting thread between these three disparate bandeau propositions engages a tried-and-trued trend: small top, big bottom. If your bandeaus are slim and skimpy, pair them with a billowing skirt, relaxed pants, or a matching skirt. The takeaway is to forgo straps and embrace the Skims-esque style of bra which will surely be on fast fashion retailers’ minds come March 2025.
