Sheer Tops: Stylish or Too Suggestive?

Our resident trend tester, Sydne Summer, tries out feverish looks to see if they easily transition from the runway and red carpet to real life. Today's assignment? The sheer blouse.

From New York to Paris and Milan, designers displayed an abundance of sheer material in their spring collections. While the dresses were layered, most of the blouses were made from a single, barely-there fabric, and models showcased the look sans bras. Since then stars like Katie Holmes, Courteney Cox and Carmen Electra have been recreating the look by wearing black bras under transparent tops. They don't necessarily look pop star trashy, but I did wonder if one could pull off the trend without an A-list ranking.

I found out firsthand while attending Slimfast's Style Your Slim Fashion Show at Boulevard3. In preparing for the evening, I slipped on Tulle's Microdot Georgette Tie Neck Tee over a black bra. My belly button smiled at me in the mirror. "That is not happening," I thought to myself. After scrimmaging through my closet, I settled on a high-waisted pencil skirt so I wouldn't feel entirely naked. The sheer fabric contrasted nicely with the business-like skirt—very sexy librarian. 

Unfortunately, the majority of the party was held outside. First lesson learned: sheer tops do not keep you warm! Luckily, there were Slim Fast embroidered pashminas on hand.

I spotted Kim Kardashian in a gray sweater dress, Stacy Keibler in a trench and Lady Victoria Hervey in a fur trim coat. Only one other person was wearing a transparent top, and like me, she was covered in goosebumps.

Since I was forced to hide out in my pashmina swag most of the night, I wore the blouse to work the next day. To make it office appropriate, I layered it over a sage camisole. (A black tank was almost as suggestive as the bra so make sure you choose a neutral if wearing a sheer top during the day.)

So, what's my verdict? No, you won't die from embarrassment, but you could become ill from another kind of exposure: Even in Hollywood, the winter chill is too cold to handle in such a flimsy fabric.