Sheer, Slinky, and Barely There—Copenhagen's Chicest Runway Trend Is Coming for Bridal

Copenhagen Fashion Week spring/summer 2027 has just wrapped, and there's one dress trend I haven't been able to stop thinking about since leaving the Danish capital: sheer, slinky, barely-there dresses. Across the runways, designers sent out body-skimming silhouettes and whisper-thin fabrics in shades of ivory, blush, and nude that felt romantic, a little undone, and undeniably sexy. Perhaps I have weddings on the brain given my own upcoming nuptials, but almost immediately, I started thinking about brides.

Wedding dressing has loosened up considerably over the past few years, especially once the ceremony is over. If the main gown is the moment for drama—corsetry, structure, trains, yards and yards of fabric—the second look has become its fun, slightly mischievous younger sister. It's shorter. It's slinkier. It's easier to dance in and, increasingly, a lot sexier.

At By Malene Birger, which returned to the Copenhagen Fashion Week schedule this season, that sensuality came with the kind of understated sophistication the label does so well. Think fluid fabrics, elongated silhouettes, and dresses that skim the body rather than sculpt it. One standout was a blush-toned metallic slip dress, a knowing homage to the famously sheer slip Kate Moss wore to a 1993 party in London.

Slinky Second Dresses on the Runway

Of course, sheer dressing isn't exactly breaking news. For the past several seasons, designers have experimented with transparency in practically every form imaginable, from gauzy skirts worn over briefs to lace dresses and the now-ubiquitous naked dress. But Copenhagen offered something a little different. There was less shock value, less "look at me" nakedness. Pale blush, creamy white, and skin-adjacent nudes made even the most revealing looks feel delicate rather than overt, more romantic than red carpet.

The idea took on different forms elsewhere. Baum und Pferdgarten paired transparency with floral embellishments for a coquettish take, and Freya Dalsjø went more directional, sending a model down the runway in a deep-U-neck satin gown. OpéraSport played with flowing lace-trimmed dresses, and The Garment approached the idea through two-piece silhouettes. Collina Strada, a New York–based label that showed at Copenhagen Fashion Week as an international guest, sent sequined bias-cut gowns down the runway, complete with detailed diamond accessories and floral accents. None of these looks were necessarily intended for a wedding, but that's sort of the point. Sometimes, the sexiest dress at the wedding isn't a wedding dress at all.

It's something style insiders have known for years: The best wedding dresses don't necessarily come from a bridal salon. The most interesting looks I've seen lately have come from ready-to-wear collections as brides look beyond traditional labels for rehearsal dinners, welcome parties, receptions, and everything in between. In that sense, Copenhagen's spring/summer 2027 runways feel particularly well-timed. A sheer ivory column dress or barely-there slip might not have been designed with a bride in mind, but with satin heels, a veil, and perhaps a martini after midnight, the proposition becomes pretty convincing.

Slinky Second Dresses on the Style Set

Traditional ball gowns and mantilla veils aren't disappearing anytime soon, nor should they. But once the reception ends and the after-party begins, brides will be ready to shed a few layers. Copenhagen's sheer dresses may not have been intended for the aisle, but come 2027, don't be surprised if you see them all over the dance floor.

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