We’re all familiar with the exposed thong. The string-thing had a slight resurgence last summer when Bella Hadid trotted down the Versace Menswear Spring 2020 runway with her thong straps hiked up to her waist, as did a model for the Heron Preston collection that same season. And who can forget Kim Kardashian West who sported an archival Tom Ford-era Gucci’s swim thong. But the exposed thong is tricky, and didn’t necessarily catch out of the celebrity-verse. After all, not everyone feels comfortable letting the straps of their underwear come be so very seen. But now, the flossy trend has seemed to take a more tasteful transformation: let’s call it “midriff floss.” Maxi skirts have strings affixed to the insides, which wrap around the stomach giving a slice of stomach a little remixed va-va-voom.
Midriff floss is a less harsh version of the exposed thong. It’s less “look at my underwear” and more “see how this fabric elegantly slithers up my stomach?” It’s also the modern answer to the belly chain that has less of that noughties going-out flash and feels appropriate to wear out during the day. It was also a small trend in the very early 2000s.
The look has appeared in many designer’s offerings including Miaou in punchy prints, a zebra version by Christpher Esber, and a more pared-back, solid version by Supriya Lee. But because it’s no typical skirt, the trick is figuring out what to wear with it. Our advice is to keep it simple with a pair of easy sandals and a T-shirt or a tank, cropped to expose the floss or with a sleek bodysuit.
