Florence Pugh’s “Naked” Dress Made A Powerful, Body-Positive Statement

In certain situations, fashion can be a powerful sociopolitical tool. An outfit that alludes to a controversial topic can bring forth discussions within the community for the better. Such sartorial statements can be as direct as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 2021 Met Gala look (she wore a “tax the rich” dress) or as subtle as Florence Pugh’s pink dress from Valentino, which she wore to the label’s Fall/Winter 2022 Haute Couture show in Rome back on July 8. This sheer frock subsequently caused a stir on social media over the past few days, turning the spotlight on issues of body-shaming and gender inequality.

To backtrack, the see-through, hot pink gown Pugh wore to the couture show revealed her chest as the actor decide to skip wearing a bra in the designer number. (She looked gorgeous, by the way.) Pugh, who was clearly in love with the look, then shared photos of it on Instagram, where she received a slew of body-shaming comments — primarily from men — in the days following her fashion show appearance. In response, Pugh took to social media and made a powerful, follow-up post to shut down any naysayers.

The actor wrote, “What’s been interesting to watch and witness is just how easy it is for men to totally destroy a woman’s body, publicly, proudly, for everyone to see ... It isn’t the first time and certainly won’t be the last time a woman will hear what’s wrong with her body from a crowd of strangers. What’s more concerning is …. Why are you so scared of breasts? Small? Large? Left? Right? Only one? Maybe none?” (You can read her full caption, ahead.)

The post, which now has over 30,000 comments (and counting), garnered a great deal of support from Pugh’s high-profile friends and colleagues. For one, the Creative Director of Valentino Pier Paolo Piccioli wrote “respect” while actor Gemma Chan expressed her support with a short yet meaningful “love you” comment.

Pugh’s Instagram followers were supportive of her speaking out, too. “Not even kidding when I say you truly inspired me to not give a f*ck about when I wear a shirt without a bra. You’re incredibly beautiful,” one fan wrote. “Thank you for talking about things other people are too afraid to bring up,” another Insta follower added. Let these fabulous images and words from Pugh shut down any trolls out there. Additionally, this post will serve as a reminder that there is much work to do in respecting women’s bodies.