Are you brave – and warm – enough to go out in just your pants?

‘Underwear-as-outerwear’ is supposedly the big fashion trend of the moment in Hollywood – for both women and men, says Olivia Petter. The Oscars red carpet is going to be a breeze…

Emma Corrin rocked the ‘underwear-as-outerwear’ look at the Venice Film Festival in September (Getty Images)

The trendiest thing you can wear right now is nothing at all. Okay, not nothing. But it might as well be. The good news is, unlike many zany new fashion trends, this is something you probably already own. In fact, you probably have several pairs.

Introducing pants, the coolest item of 2024. You might know them better as underwear. But be warned: saying so will out you as a sartorial simpleton. You see, today’s pants are not just pants. They are actually trousers. And you’re supposed to wear them out and about, ideally with some sort of cardigan and a pair of sheer black tights.

To the uninitiated, this might all sound a little ridiculous. But to anyone who’s been following the catwalks at fashion month, it’s already been drilled into you that this is what you should be wearing. It all started back in February when The Crown’s Emma Corrin sashayed down the runway in a pair of gold, sparkly Miu Miu knickers. Paired with just a beige jumper and worn over tights, it was a simple look that would go on to define wardrobes for the following months.