The Aporia · Use this quick ‘up-down’ hack to add a little sexiness to almost any outfit

Quick Summary

Fashion editor Penny McCarthy suggests adopting a European style to enhance one’s wardrobe and appearance. This includes focusing on fabrics like strategic mesh and unexpected loops, as well as craftsmanship details that draw attention. The key styling tip is to balance your outfit by deciding what elements should be raised or lowered, such as adjusting the hem of tops or unbuttoning blouses for a more alluring look without being overtly revealing.

Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-14, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

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Story summary

In 2026, a fashion trend emerged where models on international runways appear to embody a "European" aesthetic regardless of their actual background, reflecting a perceived style associated with luxury brands like Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and others. The trend is attributed in part to the historical dominance of European-born designers at these labels, as noted by fashion industry figures such as Diana Vreeland, who famously advised aspiring models to "arrange to be born in Paris." Despite this commentary, current runway shows suggest that the "European look" can be adopted and celebrated globally, regardless of a model's nationality or place of birth. The trend emphasizes an insouciant style characterized by playful body celebration rather than strict adherence to traditional European fashion norms.

Written for “Sexual Style Tips” on 2026-10-14, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Why this leaning score

This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.

No political leaning scored for article 78494 · logged 2026-10-14

Cite this article

APA MLA Chicago

Woolnough, D. (2026, October 14). Use this quick ‘up-down’ hack to add a little sexiness to almost any outfit. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/use-this-quick-up-down-hack-to-add-a-little-sexiness-to-almost-any-outfit-20261014-p613gg.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

0 of 20 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

61/100

The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Entertainment

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-10-14 · how these are computed

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Publisher

The Sydney Morning Herald · 3585 article(s) · 10 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 10 correction(s)

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Who wrote this

Damien Woolnough

3 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction

🔮 Maybe we’ve been overpowered by power reds, gotten drunk on case-loads of burgundy, grown sick of green … but fashion has a serious case of the blues.

2026-09-18 · assertive framing · What is the ‘it’ colour for spring?

Also by Damien Woolnough

What am I looking for in a summer party dress this year?

2026-09-25 · The Sydney Morning Herald

What is the ‘it’ colour for spring?

2026-09-18 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

Topics

American European Louis Vuitton Prada Valentino

Subjects

European NORP · 4× American NORP · 2× Prada ORG · 2× Valentino ORG · 2× Vreeland PERSON · 2× Chloe ORG · 1× Diana Vreeland PERSON · 1× Dolce & Gabbana ORG · 1× Gucci ORG · 1× Louis Vuitton ORG · 1×

Narrative

After inspecting the birth certificates of the designers at leading luxury labels such as Valentino, Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Prada, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana, it’s clear that being born in Europe is the most important first step for a life in fashion.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-14

2026-10-14 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Use this quick ‘up-down’ hack to add a little sexiness to almost any outfit · assertive framing

Claims (20 extracted, 0 hedged)

born → inspect → fashion

The legendary Diana Vreeland, editor-in-chief of US Vogue from 1963 to 1971, was more specific: “The first thing to do is arrange to be born in Paris. asserted

thing → do → Paris

After that, everything follows quite naturally. asserted

everything → follow → that

Then again, Vreeland also said that “every girl in the world should have geisha training”, so we can take her advice with a grain of Sicilian salt, or a crumb of croissant. asserted

we → say → croissant

If you want to look as though you’re part of the fashion world, don’t be deterred if an EU passport is out of your reach. asserted

passport → want → reach

Judging from the latest international runways, being European can be a state of mind, like the choice between a sensible skirt as trusty as a Toyota or something with the spaghetti curves and oomph of a Ferrari. asserted

being → judge → Ferrari

The “European” woman has become a common sighting on the international runways, whether the model is from South Sudan or South Melbourne, Mumbai or Mosman. asserted

model → become → Sudan

You hint at curves and skin with strategic sheer panels, hints of lace and unexpected cut-outs, rather than taking Hollywood’s naked-dressing approach. asserted

You → hint → approach

What is being hinted at is not the main game. asserted

hinted → hint → ?

Rather, it’s the fabrics and craftsmanship you should focus on. asserted

you → ’ → ?

Look for strategic mesh, unexpected loops, embroidery and embellishments that take the eye on a journey around your outfit. asserted

that → look → outfit

(One of Vreeland’s more acceptable quotes was: “The eye has to travel”). asserted

eye → have → quotes

Once you’ve mastered the details of your wardrobe, apply a simple styling rule, borrowed from lifts (not American elevators). asserted

you → master → lifts

Look in the mirror before you step out and decide what’s going up and what’s going down. asserted

what → look → mirror

Raise the hem of your top if the hem of your skirt goes below the knee. asserted

hem → raise → knee

Undo the next button of your blouse if your trousers hit the floor. asserted

trousers → undo → floor

And don’t be afraid of the occasional detail that stands out like an emergency button. asserted

that → stand → button

It doesn’t matter if you’re going up or down. asserted

you → matter → ?

You’ll look as though you’re going to all the right places, without having to endure a 20-hour flight. asserted

you → look → flight

Hair Brad Mullins using O&M. Make-up Cat Smith using Victoria Beckham Beauty. asserted

Smith → use → Beauty

Use this quick ‘up-down’ hack to add a little sexiness to almost any outfit

Quick Summary

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Claims (20 extracted, 0 hedged)