Exposed bras aren’t a wardrobe malfunction—they’re a style statement you need to try now

For decades, the art of dressing was a secret women were told to guard. Shapewear, underwire, boning, straps, all the invisible labour that sculpted a silhouette was meant to disappear. A bra strap slipping into view was fashion's ultimate embarrassment and a sign you'd failed at keeping your scaffolding hidden.

But somewhere between the grunge hangover of the '90s and now, that myth got ripped up. The decade that gave us Kate Moss in bias-cut slips and Courtney Love in babydoll dresses over ripped tights laid the groundwork for what we're seeing today—a deliberate exposure of the mechanics of femininity. But calling this a '90s throwback is too easy. What's happening now is heavier, more layered, and charged with the cultural aftershocks of the last few years. The pandemic forced us to question every garment that pinched, squeezed, or restricted in the name of professionalism. Social media gave Gen Z the loudest stage, and they used it to torch the old scripts about shame and modesty. Meanwhile, body-positivity movements asked the simplest, most radical question: why pretend the body's architecture isn't there when it's the very thing holding us up? 

Strip away the fabric, and what you're really looking at is a philosophical shift. For generations, women were taught that the mechanics of femininity should remain invisible. Bras, shapewear, the entire support system, all of it needed to be hidden, as if needing structure was a confession of weakness. A visible bra strap was mortifying, a signal that somehow you didn't have your life together.

This generation is calling bullshit on that entire framework. Why should the bra be shameful? It's literally holding things up. Functional, often beautiful, and entirely intentional, it's just another fabric supporting the natural shape of the body—something everyone knows exists and no one should hesitate to show off. And the shift isn't happening in isolation. From Hollywood red carpets to Indian designer studios, the visible lingerie moment is rewriting the rules everywhere.

Hollywood's lingerie renaissance

Lingerie-inspired looks have dominated the catwalks of Miu Miu, Fendi, and Elie Saab in recent seasons, and that runway energy has spilt straight onto the red carpet. Sydney Sweeney has become the poster child for this unapologetic exposure, wearing a lingerie-inspired pink minidress with one strap deliberately slipped off the shoulder to reveal her black bra underneath at a Miu Miu event. At the GLAAD Awards, she layered a metallic powder blue gown over a sky-blue crystal bra, turning what was once a mortifying slip-up into red carpet strategy. Scarlett Johansson and Sarah Jessica Parker have joined the movement, too. 

The message from Hollywood is loud: bras aren't embarrassing structural necessities to hide. They're design elements, fashion statements, and sometimes the whole damn point of the outfit. And while Western fashion has been loud about this shift, Indian fashion is having its own conversation—one that's just as bold but working within a different cultural framework.

How Indian fashion is adapting

Indian designers and celebrities are making this trend work within—and expand—traditional aesthetics. Ananya Panday shows up in lehengas paired with modern blouses featuring strategic cutouts where straps become decorative elements. Janhvi Kapoor wears backless saree blouses where the bra placement is clearly intentional, turning necessity into statement. Even in deeply traditional contexts, there's room for evolution. Sleeveless blouses with visible straps under silk sarees. Sheer kurtas paired with beautiful bralettes that peek through. Indian fashion is having its own underwear-as-outerwear moment, managing to feel both rebellious and respectful of tradition simultaneously.

Neena Gupta's peekaboo power move

When Neena Gupta appeared in a Masaba-designed white saree with black border, styled with an all-black halter bikini top and fitted bolero, she inserted herself into fashion's visible lingerie moment—but with stakes the trend itself rarely acknowledges. Exposed bra straps and strategic undergarment display have become aesthetic currency for younger women, a deliberate inversion of the shame that once surrounded visible lingerie. But Gupta's participation exposed something uncomfortable: what reads as fashion-forward on a younger body becomes culturally illegible, even threatening, on a woman in her sixties.

The discomfort wasn't in the bikini top itself—it was in watching a woman of her age take up space, claim desire, and own visibility with the same unapologetic certainty younger women are celebrated for. And that's exactly where the mother-daughter collaboration landed its knockout punch. Masaba refused to soften her mother into beige cardigans, "flattering" coverups, or apologetic hemlines. Instead, she crafted a look that amplified her presence. The message landed sharp: confidence doesn't have a best-before date, and audacity isn't a limited-time offer reserved for the young. Just like that, fashion's sexiest "oops" got an age-defying upgrade.

Your guide to getting it right

The secret to pulling this off? Intention. If your strap is showing, it needs to be showing on purpose. That means investing in lingerie that's actually meant to be seen—intricate lace, bold colours, interesting details. Brands from luxury houses to homegrown labels are creating pieces designed for visibility.

Start simple if you're nervous: let pretty straps peek out from a tank top. Graduate to a slip dress over a decorative bralette. If you're feeling bold, channel Neena Gupta with a blouse where the bra is part of the whole aesthetic. Pair a lacy bralette with high-waisted trousers and an open shirt for a look that's elegant but edgy.

The key is confidence. Visible straps work when they look deliberate, when they're clearly part of your vision for the outfit. Hesitation reads as an accident. Boldness reads as fashion.

At the end of the day, this trend is about women calling the shots on what's sexy, what's appropriate, and what's flat-out allowed. It's about refusing to hide the reality of our bodies—or the fabrics that hold them up.

Your mother might still try to sneak her hand over that strap—old habits die hard—but now you can smile, gently push her hand away, and say: This isn't a wardrobe malfunction. You're not "oops"-ing—you're curating. It may take a minute for the generational wiring to update, but the message is already clear: the architecture of femininity is no longer something we're hiding. It's something we're showing off.

Lead image credit: Getty Images 

Also read: I asked ChatGPT to be my stylist for a week and let's just say things got interesting

Also read: Is fashion finally ready to cut off crop tops?