Underwear-Inspired Dresses Dominated the Oscars 2025 Red Carpet

As I watched celebrities step onto the Oscars 2025 red carpet on Sunday night, one thing stood out: the near-absence of the sheer, barely-there dresses that have long dominated Hollywood’s biggest night.

For years, the Oscars has served as a stage for boundary-pushing, skin-baring fashion, with celebrities embracing diaphanous gowns that left little to the imagination. But this year, something shifted. Instead of sheer panels and transparent fabrics, the red carpets (both for the main event and the official Vanity Fair afterparty) were filled with a new kind of risqué dressing—one that leaned into structure and sensuality. Enter the “underwear dress” trend.

The nearly-naked trend isn’t gone; it has simply evolved. Where sheer dresses once ruled, the focus has now shifted to lingerie-inspired details—think corsetry, exposed bras and bodices that borrow from the world of boudoir. This shift marks a departure from overt exposure towards a more sophisticated take on sensuality.

Case in point: Monica Barbaro’s breathtaking Dior gown. Opting for a pink-and-silver dress with a high empire waistline, the A Complete Unknown star showcased a voluminous silhouette with thick box-pleat detailing and pocket cut-outs. Whilst the lower half of the dress provided full coverage, the upper portion featured a bra-inspired cut. The effect? A look that felt both daring and undeniably red-carpet worthy.

Meanwhile, Lupita Nyong’o interpreted the trend with refinement and poise. Her Chanel gown featured a chainmail bodice that cinched at the waist, whilst a pearl-embellished bust peeked through, creating a balance between opulence and playfulness that nodded to the underwear dress trend in a subtle and wearable way.

Spanning generations, this emerging trend was also picked up by young actor Josephine Reitman, who opted for a black gown featuring a sheer corset bodice—a contemporary take on the structured silhouettes of the past. The sheer detailing was present but controlled, reinforcing the idea that fashion is moving away from total transparency in favour of strategic reveals.

Whilst corset detailing and exposed bras have long played a role in red-carpet fashion, their presence hasn’t felt this dominant in years. Rather than relying on sheer fabrics alone, this trend adds a sense of intrigue through clever design choices, making it both more wearable and infinitely more interesting.