By: Jordana Levy
Celebrities cannot seem to get enough of the trend that has them baring it all on the Red Carpet. The Naked Dress has taken the fashion world by storm, dating all the way back to Kate Moss’ shockingly sheer metallic slip dress in 1993. The Naked Dress, so aptly coined by my favorite Sex and the City character, Charlotte York, is a dress that leaves people scratching their heads, wondering if you are actually wearing a dress made out of only sequins, glitter, or rhinestones.
Perfecting the Naked Dress is an art form, as the dress needs to be beautiful, elegant and sexy, while balancing precariously on the edge of classy and the edge of raunchy. Keeping that criteria in mind, the way Adam Selman designed Rihanna’s gown for the 2014 CDFA Fashion Awards perfectly achieved a look that was sensual without being overly sexy. Although 2014 seems like ages ago, the dress, which was a shade of blush pink and covered in thousands of Swarovski crystals, is seriously timeless.
Supermodel Bella Hadid, who is known for her trend-setting style, is no stranger to rocking the nearly naked trend. She made waves at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in 2016 when she walked the red carpet in a Cavalli Couture gown with a nude underlay so close to her actual skin color that it looked like she was covered in just diamonds. One year later, at the 2017 amfAR Gala in Cannes, she showed us that this trend is not one that’s going away so soon. She sported an entirely sheer, jewel-encrusted gown by famed designer Rene Caovilla that screamed ice-princess and left very little to the imagination. It was almost as if Elsa from Frozen had grown up and decided to attend an A-List event…
However, with the idea of the Naked Dress comes a sense of fear from us, the general public, aka normal people who probably do not spend thousands of dollars on a personal trainer and nutritionist to make sure our bodies are in tip-top shape. (If you do- good for you, girl! I’m jealous). But I’m here to tell you that the bare trend doesn’t just have to be limited to celebrities on the Red Carpet. If rhinestones and glitter and going totally almost naked isn’t your thing, have no fear! You can still rock the nearly nude trend through fun sheer tops. With funky sheer tops, you can finally justify spending all that money on cute bras and bralettes. A great sheer top, like this embroidered one from Urban Outfitters, is perfect for a night out.
Style it with a pair of jeans and an eye-catching lace or strappy bralette, and you have a cute and comfortable outfit for a fun night with friends. For a daytime look, throw a black blazer or leather jacket over the shirt for a more modest take on this sexy trend. And just remember everyone, bare is the new black this Fall (unless, of course, you’re going home to see your grandmother)!