10 ways to wear a dressing gown in public (yes really)

Lingerie as outerwear is one of the most recurring fashion trends there is.

Every summer it rears its head, though rarely in such a forceful way as this season. We know the slip dress is huge, that pyjamas are now acceptable as daywear (depending on where you work), but there is a more surprising lingerie piece gathering momentum - the bath robe.

We're not talking about that nice fleece dressing gown you have for when you're feeling a bit sad or hungover; this latest incarnation came by way of Givenchy: a silk robe with cuffs that hit just above the wrist. Now if we use the correct definition for luxurious - something extremely comfortable or elegant - then a silk dressing gown-coat hybrid is the sartorial equivalent of the word.

So how do you wear it? Make like Rihanna and wear yours as a dress or let it waft behind you like Kendall Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who style theirs as open front coats. Kim Kardashian, who always really commits to whichever trend Kanye allows her to try that month, wears hers with wide-leg, silk pyjama trousers - she's nothing if not clear about her sartorial intentions. They also serve as a breezy cover-up at festivals, as demonstrated here, and are great with shorts and slides.

This isn't a trend for everyone, but any excuse not to remove our dressing gown.