Rad or Bad: Would You Wear A Harness?

Before we spotted hardcore leather harnesses toughening up Prabal Gurung silks and making Hervé Léger dresses look a little more bondage than bandage, we may have not been prepared for the trend. However, our recent street-style and runway sightings make us think twice. And thrice. Are harnesses the raddest new ornate accessory, or are they just a fetish that we're totally not feeling?

"In its most basic form, a harness is a series of belts," explains Zana Bayne, the designer/blogger behind Prabal's runway harnesses. "Harnesses can be great ways to exaggerate a cinched waist, or draw the eye to a particular part of the body." Still, we can't help but wonder that with straps around the chest, waist, and neck, all that leather may get a bit distracting and gimmicky.

The good news is that not every harness will make you look like you're a fan of S&M — not that there's anything wrong with that. This accessory does have range. "Like a Ramones T-shirt on someone who has clearly never heard a band, you have to choose the harness that is truest to your own style," our expert Zana weighs in, "whether that means choosing a colored leather over black, or thinner straps over a complex design."