New York Fashion Editorial:

The Cutout Dress – Enough is Enough

Singer Rita Ora at the Vanity Fair Oscar party

The recent emergence of the half sheer dress which leads little to the imagination is a trend that I wish celebrities would “cutout.” The look was introduced by Gwyneth Paltrow when she appeared in an Antonio Berardi dress with a sheer component on the side at the Iron Man Premiere in 2013. The dress gave us a glimpse of her buttocks and provided much fodder for the fashion press. The mega slit donned by Angelina Jolie to the 2012 Oscars, appeared demure compared to the flash of skin exposed by Paltrow. Along came the side butt and vaginal area as focal points of attention, replacing the side boob, with celebrities turning up to premieres and parties sans undergarments. Gwyneth was largely criticized for this dress with the press calling her desperate for attention and obscene, however, this look has picked up steam appearing on celebrities, models and wannabes. While this might appear mild compared to a Kardashian “spread,” this look is gaining mainstream traction and acceptance.

Irina Shayk at the Vanity Fair Oscar party

The Vanity Fair party this past week included four major starlets wearing this outrageous ensemble including Heidi Klum, Irina Shayk, Rita Ora and Gigi Hadid. These dresses were practically pornographic with Rita Ora and Irina Shayk heading the pack with the most revealing gowns, displaying rear ends and vaginal areas with such explicitness as to make Gwyneth Paltrow blush. The public has become so accustomed to this look that nary a peep was heard this past week at this new display of nudeness. Even Heidi Klum, a relatively respected television personality, mother of four, and supermodel pulled off this gown without controversy.

Miley Cyrus

Are we becoming so inured to celebrity indecency that we fail to even recognize it. When will the explicit dress code that has become de rigeur in Hollywood become disfavored with a return to elegance and classicism reintroduced? I am afraid the answer is never, as social media continues to highlight and encourage lewdness and starlets see their Instagram and Facebook following multiply exponentially as their layers of clothing diminish. This unfortunate shift to “less is more” is here to stay and continues to reach new heights of salaciousness. This movements origin can be traced back to Liz Hurley who appeared in a safety-pin black Versace dress in 1994 that left people gasping at the racy garment which showed some obliques and a fair amount of cleavage. This garment today would receive little to no attention as proven by the scant publicity given to Lady Gaga when she repeated this gown in 2012. Even more shocking is the introduction of the vagina as a new area of fashion exploration with Kendall Jenner appearing in a Balmain dress up to her nether regions and Miley Cyrus sporting leotards that barely cover.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Antonio Berardi

These “role models” and mainstream celebrities are wearing looks that in the past were reserved exclusively for Playboy models Pamela Anderson and Jenna Jameson in a magazine “layout.” Baffling is the approbation of Kris Jenner and Tish Cyrus, who manage their daughter’s careers and encourage this exposure. The only standard enforced in Tinseltown is the “gold standard” – as long as riches can by earned anything goes.

Kate Hudson

Similarly, Kate Hudson’s recent appearance in a red Versace cutout dress to a Versace fashion show when accompanied by mom Goldie Hawn was paradigmatic of the complete absence of shame by celebrity offspring, even when accompanied by a revered parent. The media lauded Kate’s fashion pick as extraordinary and the press coverage was overwhelming. This kind of reinforcement ensures that this style of dressing will increase rapidly with few impediments to its dangerous ascendancy.