At London Fashion Week, as the models returned to the catwalk, the eyes of onlookers were everything focused on their back. The backless fashion trend is to have one big moment like backless dresses, barely there backless dresses and low-cut jeans (paired with see-through whale-tale thongs with butterfly detailing, seriously) proved that the back view is one to behold. Ideal for making a statement or adding drama to a simple look, the backless fashion trend proves that sexiness is back.
Often paired with cut-out details and hipster low waists, the backless garment is definitely an echo of Y2K’s lasting impact on the catwalk – and the high street. We spotted bare backs at popular brands for spring 2023, including Burberry, David Koma and Christoper Kane, along with KNWLS and Masha Popova – both new labels on the fashion front. If you can’t wait that long, or have a less extravagant shopping budget, the high street has been quick to adopt the trend with backless dresses everywhere from ASOS to Zara and backless tops providing the perfect combination with baggy jeans.
Butts may be having a moment right now, but fashion—and society in general—has a long history of fetishizing and displaying a variety of different body parts at different times. In the same way as when different body shapes are exalted, when the focus falls on a particular one Business of the body part (like the nineties Wonderbra-inspired busty aesthetic or Britney and Xtina’s flat stomach in the Naughties) can be seriously problematic. Body types should never be in trend. Although perhaps this time, fashion’s focus on bare bottoms (which is any size, shape, color or skin type of back) is evidence of a more inclusive industry, rather than one that places ridiculous demands on certain parts of the body. body to fit a defined aesthetic. We’re hoping so.
But why do designers gravitate towards certain body parts at different times? The shifted focus of fashion depends on sex and the role of erogenous zones around our body. Everyone reacts differently to being touched in certain places, whether you’re rolling your eyes in boredom or screaming home, and it seems the fashion industry is fully aware of the power of touch when it comes to creating clothes (and accessories).
Behavioral psychologist and business consultant Professor Carolyn Mair PhD is the author of The Psychology of Fashion and explains. “A touch on the scalp or neck, especially behind the ears, can be very exciting. This is why we wear necklaces and earrings. Feet, toes, and legs also respond to a variety of touches, licks, and kisses, and many shoe designers are aware of this, building sexually appealing artifacts into their designs. The small of the back, where it dips into the waist, is also highly erogenous because its nerve endings are connected to the pelvis, an obvious erogenous zone.
But why do erogenous zones seem to shift (along with heel height and skirt length)? Carolyn suggests that it’s all a result of how fashion creates trends that are absorbed into wider society. “Fashion is cyclical and has to change or we won’t need to buy anything new. Jeans are a great example of this [with the explosion of baggy jeans recently.] The same goes for erogenous zones. They don’t actually change, it’s just that fashion focuses on another to influence consumers that that area is ‘hot’ right now.”
So this is the science part, explained. Although we just know we love the look of the backless fashion trend and are totally ready to go bare-backed in 2023 and beyond…
Read more from UK fashion director Alex Fullerton here or follow him on Instagram @alexandrafullerton
