fashion

The naked dress through time: the statement that never goes out of style.

 

What do you wear when you don’t want to wear anything at all? A naked dress.

These celebrities have taken the idea that less is more to a whole new level with barely-there dresses.

The naked dress has been a thing on red carpets practically since the word “celebrity” was coined, and like all great trends, it has withstood the test of time.

Even Marilyn Monroe was partial to a naked dress, having once declared, “The body is meant to be seen, not all covered up.”

From Carroll Baker in the 1960s, and more recently, the Kardashians, everyone who’s anyone has stepped out in a naked dress at some point during their career.

One of the most famous examples of the barely-there dress is Liz Hurley’s safety pin dress, which she wore to the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral back in 1994. The 52-year-old supermodel stepped out in a plunging floor-length black Versace gown, which was basically held together by a series of oversized gold safety pins.

The dress boosted the profiles of both Hurley and Versace, and in 2008, went on to be crowned the most iconic red carpet dress of all time by British department store Debenhams.

Following on from Hurley, Jennifer Lopez made the naked dress her own in the early naughties, with more recent stars like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid carrying the torch.

Some stars have opted for plunging dresses with strategically placed cut-outs, while others have gone all out in sheer lace, mesh and string. And when we say all out, we mean all out.

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One thing’s for sure, you can’t exactly call them shy…

1964 – Carroll Baker

Carroll Baker
Carroll Baker in 1964. Image: Getty.

1998 - Cher

Cher
Cher in 1988. Image: Getty.
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1993 - Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell

Kate Moss & Naomi Campbell
Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell in 1993. Image: Getty.
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1998 - Rose McGowan

Rose McGowan
Rose McGowan in 1998. Image: Getty.

2000 - Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez in 2000. Image: Getty.
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2001 - Toni Braxton

Toni Braxton
Toni Braxton in 2001. Image: Getty.
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2010 - Katy Perry

Katy Perry
Katy Perry in 2010. Image: Getty.
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2011 - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga in 2011. Image: Getty.

2011 - Kate Winslet

Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet in 2011. Image: Getty.
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2012 - Melody Thornton

Melody Thornton
Melody Thornton in 2012. Image: Getty.
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2012 - Erin Wasson

Erin Wasson
Erin Wasson in 2012. Image: Getty.

2013 - Iggy Azalea

Iggy Azalea
Iggy Azalea in 2013. Image: Getty.
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2013 - Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus in 2013. Image: Getty.
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2013 - Jaimie Alexander

Jaimie Alexander
Jaimie Alexander in 2013. Image: Getty.
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2013 - Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow in 2013. Image: Getty.

2014 - Rihanna

Rihanna
Rihanna in 2014. Image: Getty.
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2014 - Lady Victoria Hervey

Victoria Hervey
Victoria Hervey in 2014. Image: Getty.
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2015 - Beyoncé

Beyonce
Beyoncé in 2015. Image: Getty.

2015 - Ciara

Ciara
Ciara in 2015. Image: Getty.
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2015 - Irina Shayk

Irina Shayk in 2015.
Irina Shayk in 2015. Image: Getty.
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2015 - Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian MET Gala 2015
Kim Kardashian in 2015. Image: Getty.

2015 - Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez in 2015. Image: Getty.
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2016 - Ashley Graham

Ashley Graham
Ashley Graham in 2016. Image: Getty.
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2016 - Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid
Bella Hadid in 2016. Image: Getty.
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2016 - Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen in 2016. Image: Getty.

2016 - Emily Ratajkowski

Emily Ratajkowski
Emily Ratajkowski in 2016. Image: Getty.
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2016 - Gigi Hadid

Gigi Hadid
Gigi Hadid in 2016. Image: Getty.
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2016 - Kate Upton

Kate Upton
Kate Upton in 2016. Image: Getty.

2017 - Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid
Bella Hadid in 2017. Image: Getty.
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2017 - Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner
Kendall Jenner in 2017. Image: Getty
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2018 - Amber Heard

Amber Heard
Amber Heard in 2018. Image: Getty.