Kristen Stewart proves the no trousers look is here to stay

The Chanel ambassador is no stranger to shock fashion tactics – and she’s not the only one going knickers-only right now

There was a time when a celebrity could go viral with a side-boob flashing dress or a particularly racy thigh split. But our shock-factor threshold is now so high that going out with no trousers on has become the key to getting noticed.
Emma Corrin has been the face (or should I say, legs?) of this trend in a series of Miu Miu iterations for some time, but Kristen Stewart boldly took up the mantle on Tuesday, stepping out in not one but two no-trousers ensembles in New York.
Stewart, who is promoting her new film Love Lies Bleeding, committed completely to the trend in a pair of beige knickers worn with a coordinating shirt. The outfit was sourced, Stewart’s stylist confirmed, from two rather disparate labels – her pants were Victoria’s Secret, the top was by luxury Italian designer Brunello Cucinelli. 
This offbeat combination was completed with vampish oxblood-coloured heels by Le Silla, a Chanel handbag and more than a soupcon of confidence – she was photographed crossing the street in New York wearing the outfits. She also switched up her look, swapping the heels for loafers and tucking in her shirt. 
Later in the day, Stewart experimented with another bottomless ensemble. She wore head-to-toe Chanel, the label for whom she’s been an ambassador for more than a decade, comprised a fitted black T-shirt, white-trimmed hotpants and leg warmers emblazoned with Chanel branding – surely a welcome addition given it’s hardly bikini weather in New York at the moment. 
Stewart has form when it comes to creating talking points with her looks, never afraid to take a risk or make a statement. In the past she’s made headlines for wearing Vans trainers with her couture on the Cannes red carpet, for changing into loafers at the Oscars and shaving her hair into a buzzcut. 
But she seems to be on particularly daring form of late. If you thought this week’s knickers-only outfits were risqué, then they actually look rather conservative compared to the crotch-flashing bodysuit she wore last week at the LA premiere of Love Lies Bleeding. The one-piece, by lingerie label Cosabella, left little to the imagination but was worn with sheer tights and a blazer shrugged down her arms. 
Stewart might be the current no-trousers poster woman, but it’s a look which isn’t going anywhere soon. 
The French label Celine unveiled its latest collection on Tuesday and across 19 key looks, not one covered the legs. Some outfits included tiny pelmet mini skirts but others eschewed a bottom half altogether.
Inspired by the 1960s and designed in tribute to the photographer Richard Avedon, creative director Hedi Slimane’s sleek Princess coats, pinafore dresses and riding boots will undoubtedly filter down to influence the high street. 
The no-trousers trend though? That might be reserved for the Kristen Stewarts of the world.