Famous "Naked" Dresses: The Most Scandalous Celebrity Outfits in History From Marilyn Monroe and Barbra Streisand to Beyoncé and Madonna (44 Photos)
In recent years, A-listers from Beyoncé to Rihanna have increasingly graced red carpets in sheer, barely-there outfits. We decided to trace the history of this trend: where the fashion for skin-baring started, how the "naked dress" evolved, and why the modern fashion industry is championing sheer style like never before. 
Marilyn Monroe in the original "naked dress," 1962
Following the star-studded appearances at the recent Oscars, CFDA Awards, and Met Gala red carpets, the fashion world has been busy rethinking sheer style: at the Costume Institute Gala alone, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Kendall Jenner all stepped out in naked dresses at the same time, sending a clear signal about the future direction of fashion. 
Beyoncé at the 2015 Met Gala
Crediting them with launching this latest wave of sheer fashion is like attributing it entirely to Cher’s iconic 1988 Oscars look, Kate Moss in the early 1990s, or Rihanna, who made headlines at the CFDA Awards in a sheer gown encrusted with 230,000 Swarovski crystals, serving up both sheer daring and sheer confidence. 
Marilyn Monroe in the original "naked dress," 1962
The history of the "naked dress" in the public eye began half a century ago. In 1962, Marilyn Monroe arrived at John F. Kennedy's birthday celebration in the very first iteration of the trend: a sparkling gown studded with 6,000 crystal sequins by designer Jean Louis, the legendary Hollywood couturier, which was literally sewn onto her body right before she took the stage. 
Beyoncé at the 2015 Met Gala 
Barbra Streisand at the 1969 Academy Awards
Seven years later, Barbra Streisand—fresh off her success in
Funny Girl
—decided on a bold sartorial gamble. At the 1969 Oscars, she wore a fitted sheer pantsuit that caused a sensation when she took the stage to accept her Best Actress statuette. 
Cher, 1988
By the late 1980s, Cher—the undisputed queen of showstopping glamour—became the premier ambassador for the sheer look. She had two headline-grabbing moments: first at the 1988 Oscars in an ornate, showgirl-inspired ensemble, and again three years later. 
Cher, 1991
This turn toward bare skin channels the spirit of the fashion-forward 1960s and ’70s—not through suede, bell-bottoms, or fringe, but in its purest form. Consider the sexual revolution of the ’60s or California’s nudist movements of the ’70s. Back then, public exposure was seen as an expression of authenticity and a form of anti-war protest. Meanwhile, the hippies—whose aesthetics modern brands from Chloé to Saint Laurent regularly revisit—cast off clothing altogether to reject mindless consumerism. 
Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, 1993
Today's naked dresses can also be read as a nod to the 2000s—a brazen decade of over-the-top glamour that designers are pushing just as enthusiastically as the hippie and rock ’n’ roll eras. Lurex, stiletto acrylics, exposed thongs over low-rise jeans, tons of glitter, leopard print, plunging necklines, and thigh-high slits defined the aesthetic of the early millennium. 
Céline Dion at the Grammy Awards, 1993 
Céline Dion at the Grammy Awards, 1993 
Rose McGowan at the VMAs, 1998 
Lil' Kim at the VMAs, 1999 
Jennifer Lopez at the Grammy Awards, 2000
The single most talked-about red carpet outfit of the 2000s was the iconic Versace dress Jennifer Lopez wore to the Grammy Awards, featuring a neckline that plunged well past her navel. The pop icon managed to outdo herself 15 years later at the Met Gala, stepping out in another Versace creation—only this time, even more daringly sheer. 
Toni Braxton at the Grammy Awards, 2001 
Lady Gaga at the CFDA Awards, 2011 
Lady Gaga, 2013 
Amber Rose at the VMAs, 2014 
Lady Gaga at L’Archiduc Jazz Club in Belgium, 2014 
Kim Kardashian, 2014 
Rihanna at the CFDA Awards, 2014 
Miley Cyrus at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, 2013 
Iggy Azalea at the VMAs, 2013 
Jennifer Lopez at the 2015 Met Gala 
Joy Villa at the Grammy Awards, 2015 
Irina Shayk at the Oscars After-Party, 2015 
Kendall Jenner at the 2015 Met Gala 
Kim Kardashian, 2014 
Madonna at the Grammy Awards, 2015 
Miley Cyrus, 2014 
Nicki Minaj, 2014 
Nicki Minaj, 2014 
Paris Hilton, 2014 
Rihanna, 2014 
Rita Ora at the Oscars After-Party, 2015 
Kanye West x Adidas Originals, Fall/Winter 2015
Strategic exposure in recent years hasn't just been for red carpet celebrities—it has swept the entire fashion industry. Consider Rick Owens' provocative Paris show featuring models in cut-out tunics and trousers that revealed bare chests and groins, or the Fall/Winter 2015 runway shows from Saint Laurent, Acne, Gucci, and Jacquemus, not to mention Lemaire’s breast-shaped handbags. 
Jacquemus, Fall/Winter 2015
The influential fashion outlet Style.com dubbed the prevalence of exposed breasts on Paris Fashion Week runways a pro-feminist phenomenon. 
Saint Laurent, Fall/Winter 2015
Off the runway, sheer garments quickly invaded retail collections—from asymmetrical sheer tops by British duo Marques’Almeida to urban-chic tulle dresses by Meadham Kirchhoff and baroque coat-dresses crafted from sheer organza by Simone Rocha. 
Lemaire, Fall/Winter 2015
Naturally, the trend toward bare skin gained traction alongside the booming wellness obsession. If you’ve worked hard for a toned physique, why not show it off? While spornosexual men hit the gym, take mirror selfies, and load up on supplements, women can make the same statement with a single naked dress. 
Marc Jacobs, Spring/Summer 2015 
Gucci, Spring/Summer 2015 
Simone Rocha, Spring/Summer 2015 
Marques’Almeida, Spring/Summer 2015 
Marques’Almeida, Spring/Summer 2015
