Trend Predicting Is My Job, But Even I Didn't See This "Grandma" Trend Coming

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(Image credit: Splash)

While many trends have ruled the year, one descriptor that immediately comes to mind when summing up 2022 is "see-through." It has definitely been the moment for risk-takers—from delicate mesh knits to unlined slip skirts, skin-revealing pieces have been dominating every corner of the fashion landscape. Yet another racy trend that has recently emerged (and seemingly out of nowhere) is the return of black lace.

While lace as a trend is hardly anything new, it's hard to ignore just how prevalent the motif has been among fashion It girls as of late. Bella Hadid wore a lacy black dress for her birthday celebrations last month, styling it with a leather jacket and black undergarments. Her outfit showcases just how this "grandma" trend has been transformed into one of the most controversial right now: Instead of the motif playing second fiddle as a trim or overlaying piece, designers have made sheer black lace the main star, using the material for unlined dresses, blouses, and even pants.

Among the designers to give the trend a big high fashion boost include Saint Laurent and Alaia, who both have included black lacy flared pants and tops within their fall-winter runway collections. Needless to say, the buzz over black lace is only going to up from here. If you're looking for ways to wear it IRL, I've included all of the best pieces on the market now, as well as some outfit inspiration below. 

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(Image credit: @missjoslin)

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(Image credit: @annelauremais)

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(Image credit: @linneklund)

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(Image credit: @hannamw)

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Next: Sheer Knits: The "Naked" Trend That Will Take Over in 2023

Fashion Market Editor

Indya Brown is a fashion editor, stylist, and writer living in Los Angeles. While going to school at Columbia University in New York City, she got her feet wet in the fashion industry interning at Elle magazine, Harper's Bazaar, and New York magazine's The Cut. After graduating in 2016, she joined The Cut as a fashion assistant, eventually working her way up to fashion editor. There, she worked on a multitude of projects, including styling inbook feature stories for New York magazine's print issue, writing and pitching market stories for The Cut, and serving as fashion lead for The Cut's branded content. While New York has been her home for over 10 years, she moved to Los Angeles in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 for a new chapter. Now she is a fashion market editor for Who What Wear, focusing on emerging designers, rising trends on and off the internet, interior design, and BIPOC creatives and brands. Aside from her duties as a fashion market editor, Brown is also a freelance stylist and writer, working on national print and video commercial campaigns for Sephora, The Independent, and Cadillac. Her bylines also include Harper's Bazaar, Vox, and The New York Times. But once the computer goes down and the emails turn off, she's likely eating her way through Koreatown, hunting down vintage furniture, scoping out new outrageous nail designs to try, or taking a hot cycling class.