Sexy style comes back

A er years of athleisure and normcore, do we even know what to do with a LBD or stiletto any more?

here’s a question: when was the last time you slipped your foot into a stiletto instead of a sneaker? Opted for a tight skirt rather than sweatpants? Wriggled yourself into a figure-hugging silhouette of a dress instead an oversized hoodie? You get the point: after seasons dominated by sportswear, utilitywear, normcore or, conversely, overflamboyant dress-up on the catwalk (and subsequently your wardrobe), what does ‘sexy’ even mean any more?

Because it fell out of fashion’s favour, and we got a little too comfortable in our too-cool and not bothered streetwear (blame Vetements) or carried away with covering up in layers of frothy whimsy (blame Gucci).

But now it’s time to put those heels back on (trophy trainers and flatforms don’t count), shed those layers and – in a style backlash – rediscover the art of seduction. Fashion wants us to.

So, who’s to blame? Fashion buyer Natalie Kingham credits the shift to “the rise of designers such as Balmain and Saint Laurent, the thigh-high boots, the corsets, the strong shoulders. The stiletto heel is key within this.” She picks out, again, Saint Laurent for that shoe of the season (the YSL Opyum heel – arguably the sexiest shoe around right now), as well as Aquazzura and Jimmy Choo. Meanwhile, Altuzarra, Versace, Alexander Mcqueen and Dolce & Gabbana, she says, are leaders of the pack when it comes to wiggle-as-you-walk dresses.

But in 2017, doing ‘sexy’ isn’t the same as it was in the days before sportswear. Aside from the stiletto heel (top of the to-buy list: if not the YSL, think pin-thin heel, with a pointed toe, enclosed and super strappy on the sandal front), overleaf are the four easiest ways to nail the trend now.

And, of course, ‘sexy’ has always relied on one thing: confidence. “A sexy woman who is confident can look just as sexy in a pair of jeans as she could in an LBD,” says fashion designer David Koma.

Known for his modern take on sexy, David is the creative director of Thierry Mugler, famous, too, for cutting a svelte shape.

His sentiment is echoed by Roland Mouret, a fellow master in the art of seductive style. “The best accessory a woman can have is her attitude.” There you go. Easy.