Fashion: Naked is the New Black
A little black dress, or LBD, has and always will be a wardrobe staple. But lately, more LBDs are getting pushed to the back of the closet and replaced instead with a dress style that couldn’t be more different.
If an LBD is described as classy, conservative, and appropriate for all occasions, the new “naked” dress style is an LBD’s ass-kicking cousin who is just way too intriguing to ignore. It might seem bad, but it’s also so, so right.
So what makes up a “naked” dress? Very little.
Basically, it’s a dress with only a small amount of solid, opaque fabric — just enough to cover up the wearer’s naughty bits. Most of, if not the rest of, the entire dress is made up of transparent materials such as lace, sheer, or a netted fabric. There are also some designs where entire sections of the dress are cut out to give a sultry silhouette. And as you can see from the slew of celebrities spotted wearing the style, it comes in all different lengths and colours, with varying degrees of promiscuity. For example, Khloé Kardashian’s dress covered a lot more than your average bathing suit, while Lady Gaga chose to leave her breasts exposed under a thin veil of sheer.
Usually such outlandish designs are worn exclusively by celebrities and models on the runway. But lately the style has reached the masses. If you look at the collection of dresses for the season, you can see several designers offering their take on the new look. Missguided’s Metallic Tie Side Maxi Dress is a wallet-friendly option for everyone, while the Beach Dress from Twin-set Simona Barbieri is great for those with a more expendable budget.
Take their plentiful availability with a grain of salt though. Recently, one woman decided to wear the style out on the streets of New York City, in order to gauge the public’s reaction to the naked dress. The woman, Hannah Weil McKinley, is a normal, physically fit woman who looks to be in her late 20s or early 30s. After her experience, she warned future wearers that they should be prepared for a lot of extra attention. However, she also noted that wearing something so revealing gave her a sense of empowerment. She said it made her “stand up straighter and walk a little more purposefully.”
So if you’re in need of a confidence boost, the naked dress could be the answer. Just make sure it’s not so revealing that you get arrested.
