The red carpet is done pretending underwear doesn’t exist — enter the ‘naked dress’ trend

Once upon a time, a visible bra strap or a panty line was a sartorial sin, a sure way to attract clicks, fashion critics, tabloid headlines. Now? They’re practically being invited to the party.

Awards season has turned into a showcase not just of gowns but of what used to be strictly private. The golden rule of “no visible lingerie” has practically been retired. Take this year alone — Jennifer Lawrence’s appearance at the Golden Globes in sheer, embroidered Givenchy hinted at undergarment outlines, while Teyana Taylor stunned in Schiaparelli, with chest-cutouts and a halter train that flowed down her back. Chappell Roan’s Grammy frock teased the eye with barely-there construction. Even Karol G’s lace ensemble didn’t shy from letting the silhouette of her foundation peek through. At the Actor Awards, Li Jun Li’s crimson sequined column clung only where bows allowed, unhingely flirting with exposure.

This shift isn’t entirely new. The term “naked dress” may have been popularized in 1998 when Carrie Bradshaw stepped out in a backless Donna Karan slip on Sex and the City, but the idea of lingerie-inspired fashion traces back decades. Mae West and Marilyn Monroe, with their sheer panels and curve-hugging creations, were early icons of showing what was once hidden. Jane Birkin, Cher, J.Lo — they all teased, hinted, and occasionally shocked, laying the groundwork for today’s openness.

What’s changed is how bra straps, corsetry, and panty lines are no longer accidental. Designers now craft gowns to frame, highlight, and sometimes exaggerate them. Visibility has been flipped from faux pas to feature, from slip under the dress to design centerpiece. The line between “underwear” and “outerwear” has blurred entirely, and the award shows has become a stage where control and exposure coexist.

Of course, the debate continues. Are these choices an embrace of empowerment, a reclaiming of the body, or just the natural evolution of the male gaze in overdrive? Perhaps it’s all three, perhaps it’s something else entirely. But one thing is certain — the next time a strap pops or a line shows, the cameras won’t recoil, they’ll cheer.