Naked Dresses Were Everywhere at the Oscars - but Only on Certain Body Types

Get the Full StoryWe love a good naked dress as much as the next person. At first, the trend felt like an empowering statement, with women reclaiming and owning their sexuality on their own glamorous terms. In some ways, it seemed like a not-so-subtle rebellion against the blatant objectification women often experience in Hollywood. But following a markedly naked Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 2, we're starting to think the naked dress trend is only deemed chic when worn by certain body types.

Naked dresses are admittedly nothing new who could forget Cher's fabulously feathered rendition from the 1974 Met Gala? . We've since seen them inching their way back into fashion, first with Rihanna's sparkling Swarovski number at the 2014 CFDA Fashion Awards, and more recently at the 2025 Oscars after party with big names like Ciara, Kylie Jenner, Zo Kravitz, Olivia Wilde, Julia Fox, and Teyana Taylor rocking the trend. But while the look has been considered iconic on thin celebrities like Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker, if you're not rocking a matching six pack, the naked dress seems to be perceived in a much different light.

Florence Pugh, for example, faced so much backlash for her sheer pink Valentino dress that she made a separate Instagram post in her own defense. "I'm very grateful that I grew up in a household with very strong, powerful, curvy women," she wrote. "It has always been my mission in this industry to say 'fuck it and fuck that' whenever anyone expects my body to morph into an opinion of what's hot or sexually attractive."

Lizzo faced similar criticisms after posing in a sparkly purple naked dress for Cardi B's birthday. "You have too much talent to get attention this way," one person wrote on Instagram. In a later post following her recent weight loss and featuring a different naked dress, no less , the comments section was much more positive. "Looking absolutely amazing," one commenter wrote.

It's not that people in smaller bodies escape the naked dress criticism altogether. But on them, the dresses are iconic and fashionable. They're rebellious, sure, but the dresses rarely seem to elicit outsized vitriol when worn by thinner celebrities.

Our take? We're not here to hate on women in smaller bodies, but at the end of the day, you shouldn't need a flat stomach to walk the red carpet in some designer mesh. If we're going to say that naked dresses are back en vogue, let's keep that energy going for all body types. No six pack required.

Chandler Plante she her is an assistant health and fitness editor for PS. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group.

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