- The “naked” look is one of the most head-turning Hollywood trends in recent years.
- Celebrities have incorporated sheer panels, mesh, and thigh-high slits into their outfits to give the effect that they’re wearing barely anything at all.
- Stars like Jennifer Lopez, Kendall Jenner, and Laverne Cox have all experimented with the fashion trend.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Celebrities often push the boundaries of fashion on the red carpet, from wearing dresses designed like a swan’s body to outfits made entirely from recycled bottles. But a bigger trend that has taken off in recent years is the “naked” dress – gowns and outfits designed to show maximum skin while still keeping covered.
The trend is still alive and well in 2020. Keep reading for a look at some of the most daring outfits celebrities have worn.
Daniel Boan contributed reporting on a previous version of this article.
Ming Xi paired her sheer dress with thigh-high boots for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show after-party in November 2018.
Bella Hadid put a glamorous spin on the trend while attending the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show after-party.
“Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van Ness proved guys can rock the barely-there trend at the Creative Arts Emmys in September 2018.
Hadid wore another sheer look, a corseted bodysuit, to a Harper’s Bazaar event in September 2018.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wore a strappy Versace dress to the GQ Men of the Year Awards in September.
Rita Ora attended the MTV Video Music Awards in August 2018 wearing a design by Giuseppe Zanotti.
Tiffany Haddish also wore a see-through look on the VMAs red carpet.
Ciara’s gown for the Billboard Music Awards in May 2018 may have been sheer, but it didn’t skimp on the shimmer.
Deepika Padukone’s caped gown during the Cannes Film Festival, also in May 2018, added a glamorous twist.
Kendall Jenner attended the Cannes Film Festival wearing a super-sheer minidress.
Jenner went sheer yet again while walking down the Cannes red carpet.
Hailey Baldwin’s sheer Roberto Cavalli Couture gown for the Cannes Film Festival was covered in sequin embellishments.
Zoë Kravitz wore a lace Saint Laurent dress held together by two bows to attend the Met Gala in early May 2018.
Selena Gomez stepped out for the 2018 Met Gala in a sheer design by Stuart Vevers for Coach.
Elsa Hosk put a twist on the underwear-as-outerwear trend for the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March 2018.
SZA’s “naked” look was fused with a billowing ball gown style for the Grammy Awards in February 2018.
Laverne Cox wore a semi-sheer Abyss by Abby design with a pair of Stuart Weitzman heels for the NAACP Image Awards in January 2018.
Halle Berry attended the same event, wearing a Reem Acra gown with lace panels and an intricate see-through skirt.
Kendall Jenner opted for a super-sheer gown for the British Fashion Awards in December 2018.
Meghan Markle wore a surprisingly revealing dress with a sheer top for her official engagement photos with Prince Harry in December 2017.
Jennifer Lawrence wore a silver Atelier Versace dress covered in a cobweb-like design at the London premiere of “mother!” in September 2017.
At the MTV Video Music Awards in August 2017, Demi Lovato wore a completely sheer bodysuit tucked into harem-style pants.
Earlier that same week, Lawrence wore another sheer gown with an almost see-through top to the movie premiere at the 2017 Venice Film Festival.
Bella Hadid turned heads at the 2017 amfAR charity gala during the Cannes International Film Festival in this sheer crystal gown.
Though the bodice of the dress simply matched her skin tone and Hadid was sporting crystal-studded undergarments, the sheer fabric left little to the imagination. For more Cannes film festival fashion, head over to our list of the best and worst looks.
Kendall Jenner went with a metallic mesh gown for the 2017 Met Gala.
Kendall made it onto Insider's "worst dressed" list for the 2017 Met Gala - we just weren't sold on the slashed fabric look.
Kendall has worn other daring dresses, too. She had to move with caution when she wore this double slitted dress to the 2015 Much Music Video Awards.
The cream colored gown looked modest from behind, but when Jenner turned around it was all legs. She put Angelina Jolie's famous Oscar dress to shame.
Toni Braxton broke the mold back in 2001 when she wore this white dress to the Grammys.
In 2014, Braxton spoke with People Magazine about the daring gown. "I was younger then," Braxton said. "Things were up - the boobies were perkier, the cellulite was less. You got to do it when you're young."
She also explained that the designer, Richard Tyler, had attached underwear to the side panel of the dress, which helped keep the fabric down.
Fast forward to the 2016 American Music Awards, and Chrissy Teigen made waves with her dress held together with a safety pin.
This is probably the biggest slit to ever appear in a red carpet gown. After suffering an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction, she posted a photo on Instagram and included an apology to "anyone harmed mentally or physically by [her] hooha."
Teigen also tagged her laser hair removal salon in the Instagram post.
That wasn't the first time Teigen stepped onto a red carpet in a daring dress. Here's her look from the 2015 VMAs.
The skirt on this gown was really more of a super-long fringe, which made Teigen susceptible to more wardrobe malfunctions.
Ciara also wore a dress with an extremely high slit up one side for the 2016 Grammy Awards.
Though Ciara's take on the high-slit may seem tame compared to Chrissy Teigen's dresses, her exposed hip bone was still a risk.
Besides high slits, mesh cutouts are another trend. Jaimie Alexander stunned in this dress at the 2013 premiere of Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World."
During an appearance on Jay Leno's "Late Night" show, Alexander explained that she was wearing "something" under the dress, but didn't elaborate on her undergarments.
Singer Rita Ora made waves at the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in her take on the black mesh gown.
The dress, designed by Donna Karan Atelier, took the concept of see-through side paneling to a whole new level. Oddly enough, Ora wasn't the only person to wow with a black gown at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party that year.
Model Irina Shayk attended the same Vanity Fair event in an even more daring sheer dress.
The Atelier Versace gown was entirely sheer down one side. The dress also incorporated mesh tights, allowing Shayk to comfortably walk.
Gwyneth Paltrow embraced the sheer paneled style at the 2013 premiere of "Iron Man 3."
Her take was slightly more modest. From the front view, it was hard to tell that her gown had cutaway paneling. But from the side, Paltrow's dress wowed onlookers.
"Westworld" star Angela Sarafyan wore a white sheer-sided gown in 2016.
Though Vanity Fair reports that the Celia Krithariotigown had mesh paneling, it's nearly impossible to see in the photos of Sarafyan rocking this dress.
Amber Rose attended the 2017 VMAs in a glamorous floor-length dress with an almost entirely sheer, fishnet-style pattern.
Rihanna really took the "naked" concept to a new level at the 2014 CFDA awards.
Completed with a pink fur shawl, this Rihanna outfit was a memorable installment in her fashion evolution. Her hair stylist also gave fans a fun look at Rihanna celebrating that evening, with a video of the singer dancing and overall celebrating how awesome she looked.
Hailey Baldwin wore a silver jumpsuit in a super thin material with a low V-neck and wide velvet belt to the VMAs in 2017.
On the same night, Hailey Baldwin wore a second see-through jumpsuit — this time, in a black lace material with visible black underwear and a pair of knee-high velvet boots.
Who can forget Miley Cyrus' multiple daring outfits during her stint as the 2015 VMA host?
Cyrus is another celebrity with a crazy fashion evolution, and her appearance at the 2015 VMAs was perhaps the time when she took the most risks. This outfit was made of silver suspenders, a jeweled skirt, and really not much else.
During one of her many wardrobe changes that night, Cyrus wore this dress made of clear vinyl and carefully placed circles.
The see-through dress showed off all of Cyrus' tattoos and her toned torso. Look through all of Cryus's controversial VMA outfits in this breakdown by The Hollywood Reporter.
In 2017, Heidi Klum chose a semi-sheer golden dress for her VMAs outfit. The fabric is so see-through that in places it looks like it features cut-out details.
Beyoncé wowed in this bejeweled Givenchy gown at the 2015 Met Gala.
Beyoncé had people going crazy when she arrived to the Met Gala at the last minute wearing a sheer gown with delicately placed gems. And she wasn't the only one who decided that year's Met Gala would be the place to rock a "naked" dress.
That same evening, Kim Kardashian West wore a glittering silver gown that left little to the imagination.
Though you can see the padding that matches her skin tone beneath some of the sheer fabric, Kardashian was positively glowing in this "naked" dress designed by Roberto Cavalli.
Jennifer Lopez was the third celebrity to wear a sheer jeweled dress to the 2015 Met Gala.
Lopez's dress appeared to cover up more when viewed from the front, but the Versace gown had a distinct sheer panel down the side.
And it looked even more risqué from the back.
Jennifer Lopez also wore a sheer beaded dress to the Billboard Music Awards in 2015.
Though Lopez's red carpet style might have had people buzzing, she stole the show later that night with a tribute performance to Selena.
And no one will ever forget Lopez's original daring fashion choice — the green Versace gown.
Lopez's super low cut 2000 Grammy Awards dress was so widely talked about and searched for online that it inspired Google to develop an "image search" function.
Jennifer Lopez arrived at the 2017 Billboard Latin Music Awards in a cutout dress with a plunging neckline and high front slit designed by Julien MacDonald.
For her Billboard Latin Music Awards performance, Lopez changed into a similar silver gown by Julien Macdonald with even more revealing cutouts.
Bebe Rexha wore a floor-length sheer gown with an illusion neckline and a silver, chain-like pattern to the 2017 MTV VMAs.
For her VMAs outfit, Olivia Munn wore a long-sleeved metallic shift dress with a sheer cut-out panel overlaid with fishnet and sequin details.
Gabrielle Union was the epitome of elegance in a Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture gown at the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscars after-party.
Of course, we'll have to go through some of the Kardashian clan's iconic "naked" looks. This clinging sheer number was worn by Kim at the 2016 MTV movie awards.
And then Kim rocked this netted sheath dress for the Balmain show at Paris Fashion Week 2016.
Her sisters Khloe and Kourtney wowed in their own takes on the style for the 2016 Angel Ball.
And Kim also stunned in this sheer black dress at the Harper's Bazaar's celebration of "ICONS By Carine Roitfeld."
Kim Kardashian West wore a vintage 1996 Jean Paul Gaultier dress to the People's Choice Awards in November 2018.
She then wore a daring cutout dress to the Hollywood Beauty Awards in February 2019.
She wore a vintage design by Thierry Mugler.
Naomi Campbell walked the Valentino runway in a black sheer gown with a ruffled skirt.
Kendall Jenner attended Vanity Fair's after-party for the 2019 Oscars in a daring dress by couture designer Rami Kadi.
Her dress was a daring take on the "no pants" trend.
Emma Roberts wore a sheer off-the-shoulder gown to the Vanity Fair Oscars party in February 2019.
She paired the sparkly gown with a matching clutch and gold heels.
Adriana Lima combined a daring thing-high slit with a plunging neckline
She paired the floor-length cream dress with a diamond garter by Chopard.
Eva Longoria arrived at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival in a design by Alberta Ferretti.
Her blush-pink gown featured an asymmetrical design with sparkly sequins and a thigh-high slit.
Gemma Chan wore a semi-sheer dress with metallic fringe embellishments on top.
The dress was a Tom Ford design.
Emily Ratajkowski turned heads at the 2019 Met Gala in a Cher-inspired dress.
Ratajkowski channelled Cher in a barely-there Dundas dress made with sheer fabric and a giant cutout. The model's winged headpiece added even more drama to suit the gala's theme: "Camp: Notes on Fashion."
It was one of the most daring looks in the history of the event.
At the same event, Kim Kardashian West wore a form-fitting Thierry Mugler dress that had a sheer effect.
The dress looked like it was dripping in water, an effect created by crystal beads. On the red carpet, Kardashian West told E! News that the dress was designed to make her look like a California girl who had just emerged from the ocean. She even completed the look with transparent Yeezy heels.
Lady Gaga arrived in a grand way to the Met Gala in a giant pink dress, which she removed to reveal multiple outfits beneath.
After posing in three other outfits, Gaga walked into the event in lingerie and tights for a "camp" red-carpet performance.
Hailey Bieber arrived at the Met Gala in a backless dress with a daring low cut.
The cutout back of her Alexander Wang dress revealed a thong adorned with a logo.
Constance Wu appeared at the same event wearing a sheer embroidered dress with a plunging neckline.
Wu channeled the 1920s with her Art Deco-inspired Marchesa dress.
Model Ngoc Trinh combined several trends for her appearance on the 2019 Cannes Film Festival red carpet.
Trinh's ensemble paired a black beaded bodysuit with a sheer skirt overlay for a unique take on the "naked" aesthetic. Thigh-high slits were all the rage at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and Trinh's skirt brought it to the next level with its waist-high slits.
Lorena Rae opted for a rainbow-colored gown for the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
The Victoria's Secret model's gown featured a cutout across its bodice and a cape-style sleeve.
Alessandra Ambrosio wore a flowing red design.
She wore a red draped gown with a flowing cape attached at the sleeves.
Lala Kent had one of the most daring looks at the 2019 MTV Movie and TV Awards.
Kent stepped on the red carpet in a sheer lace jumpsuit with a flowing train attached at the waist.
Stefflon Don went for a dramatic leg reveal at the 2019 BET Awards.
Her outfit paired a sequined bodysuit with a half-skirt on the right side.
Justine Skye went for a sheer look at the 2019 BET Awards.
She wore a see-through embroidered gown by Amen.
Zendaya attended the Los Angeles premiere of "Spider-Man: Far From Home" in June wearing a backless dress with daring cutouts.
Zendaya's stylist, Law Roach, commented on Instagram that "if she was Spider-Man this would be her suit."
Céline Dion hit the streets in a transparent dress by Iris van Herpen during Haute Couture Paris Fashion Week in July.
Gwyneth Paltrow wore a completely see-through Fendi gown with a matching bralette to the 2020 Golden Globes in January.
Paris Hilton wore a gown that was almost entirely see-through at the Warner Bros. and InStyle Golden Globes after-party in January 2020.
The bottom half of Janina Gavankar's gown was completely sheer at the 2020 Golden Globes in January.
Priyanka Chopra wore a daring sheer dress for a dinner date with Nick Jonas after the 2020 Golden Globes.
Zanna Roberts Rassi's black underwear is peeking through her asymmetrical Oscar de la Renta gown at the 2020 Golden Globes in January.
Lily-Rose Depp arrived at the BAFTAS in a sheer Chanel catsuit.
Rooney Mara turned heads when she arrived at the 2020 Oscars in a gorgeous, sheer Alexander McQueen gown.
Ciara showed off her growing baby bump in a see-through custom Ralph & Russo gown at the Vanity Fair 2020 Oscars after-party in February.
Hailey Bieber posed in a sheer, lace Versace gown that was embroidered with black Swarovski crystals.
Rumer Willis put a romantic spin on the naked dress trend in a semi-sheer gown, which she wore to the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in February.
Barbara Palvin arrived at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in a naked dress designed by Atelier Versace.
Ellie Goulding attended the 2020 BRIT Awards wearing a sheer, patchwork dress from Koche's spring/summer 2020 collection.
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