Naked dresses have been making headlines for decades, but stars have become more partial to styles that bare all in recent years – and we’re obsessed.
WATCH: All the Met Gala 2022 red carpet outfits
From sheer styles that expose just a hint of lingerie, to completely see-through designs that leave nothing to the imagination, there’s no denying the impact of a naked dress.
Whether crafted from tulle, mesh, diamantes or something else altogether, the look is guaranteed to stand out on a red carpet or A-list event.
Just think of Kendall Jenner in some of her iconic sheer styles at the Met Gala or Cannes Film Festival, or Florence Pugh’s pink number that made news around the world.
Or take a trip down memory lane to the time Rose McGowan stole the show at the 1998 MTV Awards in a dress that showed off every inch of her figure – see it at the bottom of the page.
Naked dresses have officially become a style category unto their own, and we’re counting down some of the best of all time. Keep scrolling to see them all.
Dua Lipa
Kim Kardashian
Kim is showing her little sisters how the trend is really done, with her stunning b-day outfit. The lacey look was perfect for the spooky October vibes, pairing a sheer white lace gown over black lingerie. Let’s also take a moment for the minuscule bag – the perfect, yet pointless accessory.
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde’s stunning look is proof the naked dress trend can be a show-stopping, elevated look. With a full skirt and long sleeves, the dress shows just enough skin, and to top it off features a pink feather detail.
Alexandra Daddario
The young actress wowed in this see-through gown on the red carpet at the 74th Primetime Emmys, showing off a hint of nipple under the light mesh layers. The high-waisted brief was a chic-yet-modest take on the trend.
Florence Pugh
Little Women star Florence Pugh wore this sheer Barbie-pink tulle number to a Valentino runway show (which kicked off massive backlash online) but we think she looks divine.
As she later wrote on Instagram: “Why are you so scared of breasts? Small? Large? Left? Right? Only one? Maybe none? What. Is. So. Terrifying… Grow up.”
Florence Pugh (again)
Never one to shy away from a bold look – Florence took a different take on the naked dress trend with this sheer two-piece. Business up top with a collared V-neck matched with a long skirt – the hair, makeup and accessories take this look to the next level.
Florence Pugh (again)
Look, at this point, we should just name Florence Pugh the face of the naked dress trend. It’s truly impressive how she can play with the trend, and style it so differently and fresh each time. For her latest look, the actress went for all-white and a statement necklace.
Rihanna
Who could forget this iconic see-through Adam Selman gown decorated with 216,000 Swarovski crystals to the CFDAs in 2014. It’s no wonder she was picking up a Fashion Icon Award that night, though the dress did cause controversy – Not that Rih cared!
“Could you imagine the CFDA dress with a bra?” she later told Vogue in a 2016 interview. “I would slice my throat. I already wanted to for wearing a thong that wasn’t bedazzled. That’s the only regret I have in my life.”
Rihanna (again)
Then, in 2022, she showed the world that the trend looks just as good on pregnant bodies, rocking this sheer lace dress over a black lingerie set for a Dior fashion show in Paris. She later revealed it wasn’t originally meant to be such a naked look, but we’re glad it turned out so see-through.
“To me that dress is actually the closest thing to maternity clothes that I’ve worn so far,” she told Vogue, revealing that she and stylist Jahleel Weaver decided to remove the lining of the lace gown at the last minute.
Jennifer Lawrence
JLaw seemed to take some style inspo from Rihanna when she hit the Toronto International Film Festival red carpet in 2022, wowing in a sheer black number. She mase it a little more modest with a bodysuit underneath but we’re still loving the skin.
Megan Fox
The Jennifer’s Body star was in her MGK comback era in 2022 when she showed off her unreal figure in this barely-there Mugler number. Not only did she look incredible, it marked the start of her return to fashion icon status.
Zendaya
It’s not quite as naked as some of the other gowns on this list, but we couldn’t overlook Zendaya’s custom Balmain dress at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. It fit her perfectly, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given it was specially created using a clay cast model of her bust, to ensure every detail would sit perfectly.
Bella Hadid
Wearing a mask with your boobs on display? Iconic. Bella Hadid left nothing to the imagination in this sheer, sparkling blue number at the Christian Dior Haute Couture masquerade ball in 2017. We love the men’s style boxers underneath as a subversive touch.
Bella Hadid (again)
Bella Hadid wore a barely-there glittery jumpsuit for the Stella McCartney Ready to wear Spring/Summer show during Paris Fashion Week 2022, proving once again that the naked dress trend was made for her.
Kendall Jenner
Let’s just get this out of the way: Kendall Jenner loves a naked dress. One of her most edgy wins was in this tiny piece by Alexandre Vauthier at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. Not only did she look divine, it was just the start of her love affair with barely-there fashion.
Kendall Jenner (again)
Just hours later she stepped out on the Cannes red cerpet in this floating number straight off the Schiaparelli couture runway and her nipples were on display once again.
Not that anyone was complaining – the model looked divine in both outfits and is clearly comfortable with going braless, once saying: “It’s sexy, it’s comfortable, and I’m cool with my breasts. That’s it!”
Kendall Jenner (yet again)
It wasn’t her first foray into naked dressing either, as Kendall had worn this glittering backless La Perla piece to the Met Gala in 2017. Kendall told Allure at the time: “It’s pretty sexual but, yeah, it’s cool… I always like something that’s a little controversial.”
Kylie Jenner
Move over Kendall! Kylie is dressed to impress in this naked dress. “Lady in lace,” she captioned the outfit on Instagram, proving naked dressed aren’t only for the supermodels in the family.
Wearing the stunning Mugler piece to the Business of Fashion 500 gala, Kylie left little to the imagination with the sheer dress that draped perfectly to one side.
Beyoncé
Speaking of the Met Gala, Beyoncé showed off her famous figure in this sheer floral gown created by Givenchy in 2015. She looked divine, though we weren’t so sure about how her unique footwear choice would age. Not so well, it turns out.
Emily Ratajkowski
You simply can’t have a naked dress list without Emily Ratajkowski. She aced the Met Gala’s 2019 “Heavenly Bodies” theme in this cut-out gown by Dundas. Her toned figure and angelic headpiece were the talk of the event. There’s really nothing else to say about it – it speaks for itself.
Rita Ora
Rita stepped out in this stunning naked dress for Vas J Morgan’s birthday party in London and we are obsessed. Whilst the dress itself is simple, the makeup and accessories add a whole new level of chic to the fit!
Naomi Campbell
She’s one of the most iconic supermodels of all time – and has shown off her skin in more than one naked dress through the years – but in 2019, Naomi reminded the world that you can still rock the sheer trend at 48 in this show stopping haute couture gown by Valentino.
Kate Moss
Speaking of fashion legends, Kate reminded us all how it’s done in this sheer floral dress with a cheeky bodysuit underneath. She slipped into this one for the launch of her new wellness brand Cosmoss By Kate Moss in 2022.
Kate Moss (again)
Kate Moss stepped out in this daring look for the Diet Coke party in London and we already know she was definitely the best dressed there!
Jennifer Lopez
It certainly could have been more naked without the nude slip underneath, but J.Lo deserves an honourable mention for the chic sheer style she wore back in the ’90s. Who knew it would be inspiring so many red carpet looks decades later?
Rose McGowan
Could this be the most iconic naked dress of all time? We’d like to think so. Rose McGowan stopped everyone in their tracks at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards when she arrived in this dress, which featured a mesh front and just a few strands of fabric across her backside.
We all remember the headlines, but Rose later revealed the dress was something of a personal protest for her, after allegations of sexual assault against convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein.
“It was my first big public appearance after being sexually assaulted,” she told Yahoo!. “I just felt like, ‘Oh Hollywood, would you want a body just that you can use and throw away? Then I’ve got one for you!’ It was like at the end of Gladiator when he comes out and he’s like, ‘Are you not entertained?’”
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
