While showing skin—a little or a lot—is a hot trend for 2023. It’s hardly a new thing. In fact, sheer fabrics go all the way back to the flapper days of the roaring 1920s. What brought this about? Prohibition.

During the era of the flapper, women rebelled against the strict Victorian styles of their mothers. They embraced sheer, movable fabric with dropped waistlines and raised hems. The look was seen at speakeasies where women could show off their slender bodies, drink, smoke cigarettes, and dance to the admiration of all.