Balenciaga Purple Spandex Shirt | Look 8, Spring 2017 Runway
A "Second-Skin" Statement Under an Oversized Coat
This is the fitted purple spandex shirt from look 8 of Balenciaga's Spring/Summer 2017 runway show, a body-hugging, high-shine top rendered in stretch spandex, worn tucked into a mid-length skirt and layered beneath a dramatically oversized navy check coat. The shirt itself is deceptively simple in construction, with a point collar and a row of small buttons down the front, but the fabric and fit push it into far more provocative territory than a standard shirt, clinging tightly to the body in a way that reads as directly, unapologetically second-skin.
Runway reviews of the show specifically noted Demna Gvasalia's use of second-skin spandex throughout the collection, part of a broader exploration of the tension between couture shapes and fetish-inspired materials that defined this particular Balenciaga season. Styled here with thigh-high white boots and an oversized grey duffel bag, the shirt became one part of a striking contrast: a tight, body-conscious base layer swallowed by an enormous, boxy outer coat.
Balenciaga's Spring 2017 collection was widely covered as Gvasalia's sophomore effort at the house, built around a fusion of Cristóbal Balenciaga's original couture silhouettes with distinctly modern, provocative materials, spandex, latex, and other stretch fabrics that hugged the body rather than structuring it. Show notes for the collection explicitly referenced the relationship between couture and fetishism, and the spandex shirt is one of the clearest, most wearable expressions of that theme within the entire lineup, alongside more extreme pieces like the neon spandex pant-boots shown elsewhere in the same show.
The linebacker-sized, oversized coats that dominated the runway's silhouette were consistently paired with these tight, second-skin layers underneath, creating the collection's signature push-and-pull between engulfing volume and second-skin tightness.
Styling Tips
Let the fit do the talking: this shirt is designed to be worn close to the body, not layered loosely. Pair with a structured, oversized coat or blazer for the same push-and-pull effect shown on the runway, or wear it on its own with tailored trousers for a more streamlined, directional daytime look.
Photography ©Balenciaga
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