America’s infatuation with opaque, body-obscuring clothing first began in the 17th century when the Puritans arrived on the Mayflower. After remaining the standard for most of the past few centuries, Hollywood decided last night that opaque clothing’s days are over. On the Oscars afterpart circuit, just about everyone and (quite literally in some cases) their mother wore sheer clothing.
Oh, nipples were freed. Curves were put on display. Sternums were teased. Naked dresses more than lived up to their name. Aside from the Best Picture-winning film, the thing that was truly everywhere all at once last night was sheer fabric.
The sheer amount of sheer fabric proved a definitive sheer in the history of red carpet fashion. While we can’t pretend to round up every last nearly naked dress in Los Angeles last night, here’s a healthy handful to give you an idea of just how prevalent the trend was.
The Classic Naked Dresses
These were takes on your classic naked dress (sometimes worn by masters of the form—Hello, EmRata).
Sheer Suiting
Dresses aren’t the only garment getting the “naked” treatment these days. Guests like Ariana DeBose and Teyana Taylor proved sheer suiting and separates are having a moment.
Sheer for Boys
The trend isn’t reserved for just one gender. Boys are experimenting with sheer shirting, too. Those looks range from Shawn Mendes’s peek-a-boo turtleneck to Hunter Doohan’s fully sheer and embroidered shirt.
Half and Half
We have a distinct memory of Beyoncé explaining that Destiny’s Child never wanted to expose too much with their costumes. If they wore short shorts, they’d keep their top half covered, or a belly shirt would be paired with baggy pants. That’s also a good rule of thumb when pulling off a more mature and sophisticated version of the sheer trend. Match a sheer top with an opaque skirt (or vice versa) as these attendees did.
Mother-Daughter Sheer
Yes, actress Christa Miller and her daughter, the musician Charlotte Lawrence, both showed up in sheer dresses (Lawrence’s is Saint Laurent).
Sheer as Part of the Bigger Picture
Sometimes too much sheer can leave a naked dress more “naked” than “dress.” But other times, a few bits of sheer fabric is just one element helping to make up a larger picture. Take Jodie Turner-Smith’s Gucci gown, where the sheer paneling in the skirt may not even be the first thing you notice.
Source: W Magazine