'Allow me to pinpoint the exact moment when everyone stopped wearing pants.'

We did not have 'undies' on our fashion bingo card for 2025.

But the signs were there.

Way back in May 2022, Julia Fox wore a bra and undies to the grocery store in LA. She teamed her look with a denim blazer and a bag she seemed to have fashioned from an old pair of jeans.

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It was pretty typical of Fox, who has made a name for herself with unconventional outfits that toe the line of good taste. Wearing underwear as outerwear just felt like part of her schtick.

Maybe we were ignorant. Maybe we were all in denial.

'This won't really… catch on, will it?' we thought.

But then Kylie Jenner took the bait. At Paris Fashion Week in October 2022, the beauty mogul attended the Loewe show in a pair of y-front briefs with a tank top and overcoat from the buzzy French brand.

She posted a carousel of the outfit on Instagram with the caption, 'No pants, no problem.'

The look was well-received. It was the beginning of Jenner's high fashion rebrand, and she kicked things off with… underpants. No problem!

Julia Fox, Kylie Jenner, and Kendall Jenner wear underwear as outerwear. Images: Instagram/@juliafox; @kyliejenner; @kendalljenner

They say "three's a trend" and they also say that bad things come in threes.

When Kendall Jenner was photographed just one month later, in a Bottega Veneta runway look consisting of a navy jumper, black briefs and opaque tights, it felt inevitable. The undies were coming for us.

It's been three years since Fox's look first made headlines. She might've been the earliest adopter of the trend among celebrities, but an outfit that seemed preposterous at the time has now become palatable. Even predictable.

Undies have reached the mainstream, and we're in the midst of a full-on knicker renaissance.

At last week's Met Gala, several A-listers chose to skip bottoms on the red carpet, opting instead for bodysuits or straight-up underwear teamed with heels.

An event known for its gowns was marked this year by an abundance of.. fancy panties. Even though the dress code was centred on menswear and actively encouraged the wearing of pants.

Cynthia Erivo, Amelia Gray Hamlin, and Lisa at The 2025 Met Gala. Images: Getty.

The White Lotus actor and K-Pop star Lisa wore the most talked-about briefs of the night (some internet commentators thought her Louis Vuitton pair were embellished with the face of anti-racism activist Rosa Parkes, but those rumours have now been put to rest.)

Charli XCX wore a dramatic gothic outfit by Ann Demelemeester where her black undies were central to the look, Cynthia Erivo teamed her jewel-encrused Givenchy bodice with black bloomers, and Amelia Gray Hamlin was the human embodiment of red lingerie.

But the trend is not limited to celebrity antics. Everywhere you look, there are underpants moonlighting as pants.

L-R: Grece Ghanem, Elle Ferguson, Vicky Montanari. Images: Instagram/@greceghanem; @elle_ferguson; @vicmontanari

Sequinned hotpants, micro-shorts and cotton bloomers are having a fashion moment and swiftly being embraced by influencers all over the world — from Bondi to the streets of Barcelona.

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A post shared by Vicky Montanari (@vicmontanari)

Going pantless is the signature look of Gen-Z icons like Tate McRae and Addison Rae, and the latter has even used her underwear to promote new music — like the time she was papped getting out of a car in Beverley Hills and pulled up her dress to reveal pink undies emblazoned with lyrics from her latest track, 'Headphones On'.

Addison Rae and Tate McRae in hotpants. Images: Instagram/@addisonraee; @tatemcrae

If you think there's no way hotpants can actually be primed for mass adoption, just look at the racks of your local H&M. Look what people are wearing to see Charli XCX on stage.

The Hemline Index is a theory that hemlines get lower in times of economic instability. But the rise — and rise — of micro-shorts seems to buck this trend.

So maybe it's less about the desire to cover up, and more about what the likes of Charli and Addison represent to a new generation of women — and that's a tidal wave of feelings about reclaiming our bodies, in a political climate that seeks to take away our rights to them.

We know what you're thinking.

So much subtext for such a tiny piece of clothing.

But it's not much of a reach when you consider that's probably exactly what Julia Fox was trying to say — in so little fabric — three years ago at the grocery store.

What do you think about the trend for fashion underpants? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Feature image: Instagram/@kyliejenner; @elle_ferguson; Getty.