Once upon an episode of Sex and the City circa 1998, Carrie Bradshaw wore a barely-there, flesh-toned mini on a date with Mr Big and coined the term 'naked dress'.
Though we owe our modern-day usage of this term to the fashion-forward sitcom, the idea of the naked dress was in no way invented by SATC (Sorry SJP). Historically, fashion icons such as Marylin Monroe (Happy Birthday Mr President!) and Carol Baker have worn translucent, figure-skimming naked dresses since the 1960s, and Cher and Kate Moss gave us a more updated revisitation of the trend.
Cut to present times, Kim Kardashian West has made the wearing of barely-there, naked dresses an art form unto itself (Try as you might, you can't forget her nude Mugler Met Gala look).
Over the past few years, Bollywood celebrities too have interpreted this trend in various ways, giving us some memorable fashion moments along the way. Using clever cutouts, sheer fabrics, flesh-toned linings, double-sided tape and strategically placed embellishments as their tools, actors have donned stylish dresses that create the illusion of maximum skin while still being fully dressed. Priyanka Chopra's recent outing at the 2021 Billboard Awards black carpet has only reaffirmed what we suspected all along, the 'naked dress' is here to stay. From Deepika Padukone to Sonam K Ahuja, Anushka Sharma and more, here's 12 times celebrities have stylishly donned this trend.
Priyanka wore a flesh-toned Dolce and Gabbana dress for the Billboard Music Awards 2021
Nora can be seen wearing a nude, mesh Yousef Al Jasmi gown for NYE in 2021
Alaya's lilac-hued Marchesa dress is fresh, floral and oh-so-pretty.
Kareena glitters in a silhouette-moulding column gown for a television appearance in 2019
Alia wore this dramatic Ralph and Russo number for the 2019 Filmfare Awards
Anushka looks effortlessly chic in a sheer, white lace gown in 2019
Malaika glams it up, wearing a sheer Yousef Aljasmi gown in 2019
Who can forget this moment? Deepika wears a striking Zuhair Murad cape-gown at the Cannes Red Carpet 2018
For her appearance on Koffee With Karan in 2018, alongside Arjun Kapoor, Janhvi wore a flesh-toned, lace Nedret Taciroglu dress.
Disha embodies the 'naked dress' trend in a sheer Manish Malhotra dress in 2018
The actor wears Yanina Couture for the Stardust Awards in 2016
Jacqueline also opted for the same style of dress for the 2016 Stardust Awards.