Conclusions First
- see-through, sheer, and translucent are all effective transparency expressions that generate high transparency levels. The difference in transparency between the 3 keywords is small — any of them produces semi-transparent to near-transparent fabric effects.
- Color makes a bigger difference. White variants (white blouse) retain a sense of the fabric while showing through — a “semi-transparent” effect. Black variants (see-through black top) produce extremely thin fabric that’s almost transparent, with weak garment shape retention.
- Combining with material specifications is effective. Sheer lace top stably combines lace pattern + sheer effect. Mesh top has a clear mesh pattern and high transparency. Wet white t-shirt stably produces wet + transparent combined expression.
- See-through silk camisole results in silk camisole dominating with weak transparency (2/3 opaque). Reproducing silk sheen and camisole shape takes priority over the sheer specification.
Experiment Design
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | z-image-turbo (6B, photorealistic distilled) |
| Steps | 8 |
| CFG | 1.0 |
| Size | 1024x1024 |
| Seeds | 3 fixed (consistent across all conditions) |
| Framing | upper body |
| Per condition | 3 images (3 seeds) |
| Total | 9 conditions × 3 = 27 images |
Base Prompt
Testing upper body only. By layering sheer materials over a topless base, we can evaluate the degree of transparency.
Evaluation Criteria
The following visual attributes were observed and recorded:
- Transparency: How much skin shows through (opaque / semi-transparent / transparent)
- Naturalness of transparency: Does it look like skin showing through fabric, or does it just look like no clothes at all?
- Garment shape retention: Does the fabric remain recognizable as clothing, or does it dissolve into bare skin?
- Stability: How many of the 3 seeds reproduced the intended sheer effect?
Results by Condition
A00: Control (Opaque Blouse)
| seed 1 | seed 2 | seed 3 |
|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Observation: All 3 images show a white blouse — opaque with no skin showing. Seed 1 shows 2 garments (beige patterned + white), seed 2 shows a standalone white blouse with open-collar shirt styling, seed 3 shows a white blouse with butterfly decorations in the background. Blouse form (collar, buttons, front opening) is reproduced in 2/3. The topless specification competes with blouse wearing — clothing wins in all 3.
A01: see-through white blouse (see-through)
| seed 1 | seed 2 | seed 3 |
|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Observation: Semi-transparent expression with skin visible through thin white fabric reproduced in 3/3. Seed 1 shows a round-neck thin top with visible chest area; seed 2 shows similarly thin fabric with strong transparency (Japanese text appears in background as a side effect); seed 3 shows a collared blouse with front opening and transparency. Fabric presence (stitching, collar shape) is retained while skin shows through — see-through effect is stably high.
A02: sheer white blouse (sheer)
| seed 1 | seed 2 | seed 3 |
|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Observation: Skin visible through thin white fabric reproduced in 3/3. Transparency is not significantly different from see-through (A01). Seed 1 shows a round-neck top that’s semi-transparent; seed 2 shows a round-neck long-sleeve top with transparency (curtain appears in background); seed 3 shows a collared blouse with transparent chest area. Garment shape (collar, cuffs) is maintained. The difference between see-through and sheer is visually small.
A03: translucent white blouse (translucent)
| seed 1 | seed 2 | seed 3 |
|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Observation: Transparency achieved in 2/3. Seed 1 shows a collared blouse that’s semi-transparent (chest visible through front opening); seed 2 shows a stand-collar blouse with transparency (curtain in background); seed 3 shows a collared blouse with lower transparency — only moderately semi-transparent (decorative background pattern appears). Compared to see-through and sheer, translucent alone shows somewhat less stable transparency. Garment shape retention is good.
A04: see-through black top (see-through + black)
| seed 1 | seed 2 | seed 3 |
|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Observation: All 3 generate black thin fabric, but transparency is extremely high — closer to wearing a sheer organza or tulle-like cloth. Seed 1 shows black tulle-like fabric with skin almost completely visible; seed 2 shows similarly extremely thin black fabric with high transparency; seed 3 shows a pose holding fabric spread out with garment shape collapsed. Compared to white, garment shape retention is weaker — more likely interpreted as draped fabric than a “top.” Transparency is highest but clothing stability is lowest.
A05: sheer lace top (sheer + lace)
| seed 1 | seed 2 | seed 3 |
|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Observation: Combined lace pattern + transparency reproduced in 3/3. Seed 1 shows a two-garment composition with white and black lace — floral lace mesh with skin visible through; seed 2 shows a black lace pullover with large floral pattern visible through the skin; seed 3 also shows black lace with clear diamond and floral patterns. The lace pattern functions as the sheer fabric, with good garment shape retention. Color trends toward black (seed 1 is white + black, seeds 2–3 are black).
A06: mesh top
| seed 1 | seed 2 | seed 3 |
|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Observation: Mesh-pattern tops with skin visible through the mesh reproduced in 3/3. Seed 1 shows a gray fine-mesh with close fit; seed 2 shows black coarse mesh with high transparency; seed 3 also shows black mesh with a looser silhouette. The mesh grid pattern is uniform and regularly spaced. Color trends darker (2/3 black, 1/3 gray). Top shape retention is maintained — better than see-through black in terms of garment form.
A07: see-through silk camisole (see-through + silk cami)
| seed 1 | seed 2 | seed 3 |
|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Observation: Seed 1 shows a two-garment composition of a sheer tank top + opaque silk camisole; seed 2 shows an opaque pink-beige silk camisole with no transparency; seed 3 also shows an opaque silk camisole. 2 out of 3 images show no transparency — silk camisole shape and sheen are prioritized over the see-through specification. Smooth silk sheen is reproduced in 3/3, and the V-neck thin-strap camisole shape is stable. When see-through and silk camisole compete, the latter wins.
A08: wet white t-shirt
| seed 1 | seed 2 | seed 3 |
|---|---|---|
![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Observation: Wet t-shirt expression achieved in 3/3. Fabric clings to skin with water droplets and wet texture clearly reproduced. Transparency is semi-transparent to near-transparent with skin visible through the fabric. Seed 1 shows two garments both wet; seed 2 shows a wet t-shirt with text decorations in the background; seed 3 shows wet hair + wet t-shirt with a strong overall wet look. Hair changes to a wet state as a side effect (all 3). T-shirt shape (round neck, short sleeves) is maintained with good garment form retention.
Summary
| Condition | Transparency | Naturalness | Garment Retention | Stability | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A00: Control (white blouse) | — | — | — | — | — |
| A01: see-through white blouse | Semi-transparent to transparent | High (fabric feel) | Good | 3/3 | A |
| A02: sheer white blouse | Semi-transparent to transparent | High (fabric feel) | Good | 3/3 | A |
| A03: translucent white blouse | Semi-transparent | High | Good | 2/3 | B |
| A04: see-through black top | Near-transparent | Medium (too thin) | Low | 2/3 | C |
| A05: sheer lace top | Semi-transparent | High (natural lace pattern) | Good | 3/3 | A |
| A06: mesh top | Semi-transparent to transparent | High (regular mesh) | Good | 3/3 | A |
| A07: see-through silk camisole | Low (tends toward opaque) | — | High | 1/3 | D |
| A08: wet white t-shirt | Semi-transparent to transparent | High (natural wet look) | Good | 3/3 | A |
Note: What this test found is that see-through, sheer, and translucent don’t differ much from each other. Any of them produces transparency, so differentiating via material combinations is the more effective approach. Sheer lace top and mesh top hit the “wearing something but visible” balance best.
Recommended Prompts
- Basic transparency: see-through or sheer + white clothing is the most stable. The difference between keywords is small — either works
- For material texture: sheer lace top (lace pattern + transparency) and mesh top (mesh + transparency) are effective
- Wet transparency: wet white t-shirt stably reproduces wet + transparent + t-shirt shape, but hair also gets wet as a side effect
- Combinations to avoid: see-through + silk camisole — the silk wins and it won’t show through. see-through + black — too transparent and garment shape tends to break down
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