Question | I watched the Australian Fashion Week runway shows recently and was intrigued to see a lot of transparent clothing. Is see-through a trend, and if so, as a woman in my 40s, can I get away with it? – Sheer Madness

Dear Sheer

You’re correct! Sheer is definitely a trend, and it popped up quite a bit on the AFW runways this month, from designers including Albus Lumen, Beare Park and Anna Quan.

I, too, was intrigued. So I contacted Anthea O’Connor, a Melbourne-based stylist who works with a diverse range of women. O’Connor is a fan of the trend, calling it a ’90s throwback she’s happy to see return. She recommends, in the first instance, trying a sheer column dress or tunic over a pair of pants (for extra ’90s cred).

“The key to success is being tonal,” she says, “and black is an obvious way to step into the sheer idea with the safety of a pair of solid black pants underneath.”

Another favourite stylist, Emelia Morris, says she “appreciates the super sheer look,” but like many women, wants to wear it without showing absolutely everything.

“My best advice if you want to wear sheer this way is to layer it, or wear something that only has ‘panels’ of sheer interspersed with solid cloth,” she says. “Embracing the sheer trend modestly is all about balancing coverage and transparency.”

Morris herself has played with the trend in a few ways. “At the Melbourne Fashion Festival in February, I styled a sheer dress with an oversized blazer,” she says. “I wore a slip underneath and had the sheer skirt under the blazer.”