Spotted recently on Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and the fashion week runways, are party pants best left to the professionals?

Tommy Hilfiger, Fenty x Puma and Milly have all displayed the trend on their runways this week
Sara Sampiao walks the Tommy Hilfiger AW16 runway
Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty
Emma McCarthy18 February 2016

Regardless of where you get the bulk of your global current affairs intel from - newspapers, your next door neighbour or in the case of 99.9 per cent of Londoners, Instagram - it’s near impossible to miss the fact it’s been a bit chilly over in New York this week.

Minus 15 degrees, in fact - on a good day.

But for the poor, shivering fashion editors skidding from show to show during the capital’s snow-capped fashion week, huddling together for warmth isn’t the only respite against the sub-zero temperatures (though it helps).

Also proving a hot topic of conversion among the talk of blue limbs is the vast amount of big pants on show. Not, I hasten to add, on the front row - that remains a refuge of bobble hats, shearling coats and tractor-sole boots - but on the catwalks, which championed a decidedly Bridget Jones-friendly style of brief as next winter’s must-have.

Tommy Hilfiger AW16 at NYFW

1/18

At Tommy Hilfiger’s nautical-themed showcase on Monday, sea legs were out in force as high-waisted Forties knickers were adorned with sequins, slipknots and schooners, while Rihanna’s debut athleisure collection for Fenty x Puma sought to tempt onlookers out of their Uniqlo Heattech leggings and into a pair of high-cut, lace-up thong briefs.

A model walks the Fenty x Puma AW16 runway
Timothy A. Clary/Getty

New York-based label Milly also shrugged off the snowfall in favour of cocktail-hour dressing that paired fur-trimmed knits and opera coats with embossed satin pants in a collection aptly titled The Intimacy of Winter.

A model walks the Milly AW16 runway
Slaven Vlasic/Getty

Meanwhile, over in slightly more temperate climes - namely the Grammys in LA - Taylor Swift also showcased her affection for a big brief.

Jason Merritt/Getty

Sporting a custom Atelier Versace coral bandeau crop top and a floor-sweeping hot-pink satin skirt, which featured a navel-high split to reveal matching magenta briefs,

Swift managed to prove that a flesh-flashing, acid-bright outfit can have enough finesse to top best-dressed lists. Providing the wearer has a decent personal trainer and bucketloads of sass on their side.

Another who needs little persuasion to step out in her smalls is Beyoncé - see her recent Super Bowl performance and every music video she’s ever been in. And why not?

Beyonce performs onstage during the Super Bowl 2016
Christopher Polk/Getty

Bey and Swift are both prime examples of why, if you’re a multi-million-dollar global megastar with thighs that have never known the meaning of the word wobble, you should go out of your way to show them off.

As for us mere mortals who are considering trialling this look tomorrow morning on the Central line, it’s probably best to keep things safely under wraps beneath your M&S opaques. This is one trend that’s best left to the professionals.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in