Growing up in the early ‘2000s, the exposed bra was considered the epitome of cool. Every weekend, I‘d beg my mum to take a trip to Westfield to peruse the glitzy halls of Victoria's Secret in search of the next bedazzled, rock-hard push-up bra. But then, as boobs so often do, mine got bigger.

Suddenly, the bras that had concealed my Blackberry curve during uniform checks became something to hide. No longer the Y2K fantasy and now a practical, matronly floatation device, showing it off would be considered a social faux pas. And, just like that, every one of my ostentatious boob holders ended up at the back of my wardrobe, never to see the light of day again. That was until 2026, when having your bra on show has become all the rage once more.

To say the exposed bra has emerged from hiding would be somewhat of a disservice; the style is back with a fierce vengeance. Uniting Gen Z, millennials and over '40s women alike, this year the coolest dressers have reclaimed this version of underwear-as-outerwear, nonchalantly shrugging off any cleavage-related shame, something fashion has chequered experience in.

Whether it's Jean Paul Gaultier's now iconic cone bra (made famous thanks to Madonna’s Blond Ambition tour in 1999), or the nearly-nude chemise that made Vivienne Westwood so revered back in the ‘90s, minimal layering allowed undergarments to become part of the main story. Yet, as we hurtled into the new millennium and the boom of pop culture, bras went through a rather, well, problematic rebrand. Suddenly, they were no longer couture-referencing, high-fashion status symbols, and instead, simply shorthand for the “slut”.

Suddenly, Hollywood framed the bra-exposed heroine as the "ditz in distress" whose sole function was to snare a man. The humble garment that was created with posture support in mind was sent back in time to Wonderbra's Hello Boys campaign. Whether it was Lindsay Lohan's Cady Heron’s failing calculus on purpose in Mean Girls, Cher Horowitz' quest for love in Clueless, or Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City, whose string of turbulent relationships routinely left her distressed; the millennial woman was frazzled and naturally, bra-exposed.

And the celebrity style set didn’t exactly do the exposed bra any favours, either. At the time, Paris Hilton was still packaged as the “ditsy blonde”, and her weapon of choice? An exposed bra. As fashion moved into the low-rise, rhinestone-heavy confidence that could only belong in the ‘2000s, Avril Lavigne and Christina Aguilera brought their own wild child energy to the trend, evolving the exposed bra with a rebellious, slightly scandalous femininity that would again, be met with backlash. I know, it's all rooted in misogyny (as so many divisive fashion trends are), but these images made the exposed bra trashier and almost unappealing. Whether the wearer was the ditz or the "slut", she was always wrong.

Fast-forward to today, and there’s something almost ironic about the way fashion is embracing the trend by encompassing all of its bygone eras at once. While the chicest over-40s are leaning into its high-fashion status and pairing with sheer blouses, Gen Z are reclaiming its more recklessly raunchy roots and opting for lurid colours and details. So, whether you're showing off your enviable designer lingerie with an evening look or putting the party into a white tank à la Kylie Jenner and Charli XCX, there’s something refreshing about the way we can wear bras (without feat of judgement) in 2026. Scroll to shop the best bras to show off this year and beyond.

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Irina Shayk's red carpet persona is what you might expect from a Victoria's Secret model, as she tends to wear body-sculpting dresses with cutouts, thigh-high slits and occasionally Liz Hurley–style safety pins holding the dresses together. However, her off-duty style is all about elevated basics rather than anything too statement-making. She practically only wears khaki, tan, grey, navy and black and tends to lean on classic but expensive-looking pieces.

Her general styling rule is to have one piece that is a statement or a talking point (such as a Burberry checked dress or a leather belted trench coat) and to keep the rest as simple as possible. The one item that holds most of her outfits together is her combat boots. Whether she's wearing shorts, boilersuits or midi dresses, Irina is usually in her black leather lace-up ankle boots. Her accessories always remain a constant with any outfit—she always wears a pair of black classic sunglasses and fine gold hoop earrings.

Keep scrolling to see and shop the five outfits that have turned Irina Shayk into my new minimalist fashion icon.

1. Boiler Suit + Boots

Style Notes: Irina Shayk looks like she means business in her Burberry gabardine boilersuit, which she paired with her lace-up black boots.

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2. Burberry Check Dress + Gold Hoops

Style Notes: A Burberry check minidress might not be minimal, but Irina makes it look classic by keeping the rest super simple.

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3. Pleated Skirt + Lace-Up Boots

Style Notes: Irina Shayk shows that an all-black outfit isn't boring by wearing a soft pleated midi skirt with a navy and black long-line knit and her ever-present biker boots.

4. Leather Trench + Loafers

Style Notes: In Milan, Irina wore a leather belted trench coat (an autumn/winter 2019 staple) with black flared jeans and loafers. Perfection.

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5. Burberry Trench + Black T-Shirt

Style Notes: Burberry is one of Irina's go-to brands, and here she wears the Westminster moss green trench with a black T-shirt and delicate gold jewellery.

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Next up, see our guide to the key trends for spring/summer 2019.