Celebs Keep Pioneering New Ways to Be Naked in Public

Putting together an outfit is hard. It’s intensive labor; it requires so much brain power that former President Obama famously—deliberately!—wore the same thing every day to save time and cognitive energy on decision-making. That’s one solution, though a very boring one. Another solution? Just don’t wear clothes at all!

In 2014, Rihanna debuted the sheer, Swarovski-crystal-encrusted Naked Dress seen ‘round the world, and, for a while, it seemed like it might just be a beautiful blip in the timeline of humankind. The sheer diamond gown felt like a glorious call-back to more daring eras in fashion, like, say, Rose McGowan at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, or Cher at the 1974 Met Gala. Flash-forward to today and, thanks to mesh, glitter, and carefully placed feathers, the Naked Dress™ is experiencing a red carpet renaissance.

At this point, you might be thinking to yourself: How many different ways could you possibly be naked in public? To that I say, take a page from pioneers like Kendall Jenner, Florence Pugh, Rita Ora, Rosalía, and Lizzo—the creativity and innovation of this latest Naked Dress craze is boundless. It’s time to join them in freeing ourselves from the mental prison of crafting an outfit, and just celebrate all the varied approaches to being tastefully (and not-so-tastefully!) nude in public.

Kendall Jenner wore this to Lori Harvey’s birthday bash in January, and while she’s caught heat for wearing some, err, scene-stealing outfits to girlfriends’ weddings and varying parties before, I actually applaud her for this. What outfit could be more fitting for a birthday party than your literal birthday suit? Jenner posted other angles of the dress to her Instagram, if you’re looking for more inspo.

I don’t use the term “mother” lightly, but Rosalía is, absolutely putting the “mami” in Motomami (her Grammy-winning album!). Just as Rita Ora made the most out of a single feather boa, Rosalía appears to have made the most out of a very large, satin bow.

Speaking of glitter, here’s Olivia Wilde at the 2nd Annual Academy Museum Gala at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures last fall. She looks like a radiant disco ball with pink feather trim and semi-visible nipples. I love it.

Of course, Rodrigo, the famed ambassador for Gen-Z, opted for a laid-back, sheer gown that could also double as a poolside swimsuit cover-up at the Grammys.

Rising star and TikTok hitmaker GAYLE showed up to the Grammys in a similar look to Rodgrio, but more daring: a ripped-up, totally see-through black gown matched with star-shaped pasties and giant platform heels.

More glitter, always more glitter, please. Jessica Chastain’s semi-sheer, diamond-encrusted, spider-web number at the Golden Globes in January was a subtler naked dress, but naked, nonetheless.

Vanessa Hudgens’ look at the last Met Gala truly had me ready for a Black Swan reboot, in which Hudgens plays the dark antagonist in this mostly naked, sheer Moschino dress. I’d personally love to look in the mirror and see this. Bloody perfection.

Kylie Jenner in Mugler looks like the woman of my nightmares, and I love it.

Zoë Kravitz was ahead of the trend: Her dress for the 2021 Met Gala was essentially a pure-diamond swimsuit cover-up that doesn’t actually cover up much at all. If I could afford this, it’s the only thing I’d wear to a casual day at the beach.

Liza Koshy at the Golden Globes in January was pretty much just a tasteful roll of black lace. She truly pulled off a feat that I, personally, could never do—which is to look elegant and sophisticated while naked.

You might have previously known Ora as the singer of some very catchy early 2010s hits. But henceforth, you’ll know her from this mostly invisible Weinsanto dress she stepped out in on Friday, which is, in effect, 99.9 perfect sheer fabric and the world’s hardest-working feather boa.

Yes, Flo heard all your sexist bitching about her barbie pink #FreeTheNipple look in Rome, and She Really Doesn’t Care Do U?? Pugh wore this stunning, skin-colored, near-naked two-piece in the fall—and freed the nipple yet again. What an elegant middle finger to the haters.

Here it is, ladies and gents, the dress that had many adult men in Pugh’s Instagram comments asking to speak to the manager over...nipples. For all the harassment Pugh faced for this Valentino look please remember that Jezebel was very much here for it from day one.

I especially respect Lizzo’s look because, unlike the previous Naked Dresses, this one from the Matthew Reisman Collection is giving color, glitter, personality, flare. Take notes.

If her previous Naked Dress didn’t do it for you—I give you Ora at the British Fashion Awards in December. The whole eye mask element took this Nensi Dojaka mesh dress to the next level—it’s giving hot, blood-thirsty mermaid.

Of course, none of these aforementioned looks would even exist today without their foremothers. Rose McGowan, thank you for your service at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards—not only did you essentially invent the naked dress, you basically invented nudity itself.

No look will ever hit quite like Cher at the 1974 Met Gala—an absolute dream in feathery, shimmery Bob Mackie that makes her look like the most gorgeous Rainforest Cafe sparkler.

Ratajkowski flaunted her post-divorce glow at W Magazine’s 50th anniversary party in October. She looks like a shimmery fish caught in a fisherman’s diamond-encrusted net—lucky him.