Rich celebrities most definitely do not need me to come to their defense (not for free, at least), but I make an exception, always, for Florence Pugh—especially after the gift she gave to humanity at the Valentino show in Rome on Friday: a hot pink, transparent, nipple-freeing mesh dress. Over the weekend, Pugh revealed that for whatever reason, male trolls have been body-shaming her online over the dress—“and all because of two cute little nipples,” she wrote in a Sunday Instagram post . (Male trolls, if you’re reading this, I challenge each and every one of you to a UFC-style fight in the Octagon for Ms. Pugh’s honor.)
“It isn’t the first time and certainly won’t be the last time a woman will hear what’s wrong with her body by a crowd of strangers, what’s worrying is just how vulgar some of you men can be,” Pugh said. “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. You even do it with your job titles and work emails in your bio..?” She continued: “What’s more concerning is…. Why are you so scared of breasts? Small? Large? Left? Right? Only one? Maybe none? What. Is. So. Terrifying.”
Pugh then concluded the lengthy, thoughtful caption with the hashtag #fuckingfreethefuckingnipple, and frankly, I couldn’t have said it better myself. In the least pervy-sounding way possible, I love to see nipples that aren’t cis men’s, which flaunt their privilege by merely existing in public without a flicker of a reaction, culturally permitted to be as hairy as need be... but women’s nipples?? Yes, please!! On the runway?? In the park?? On a red carpet?? At the Morbius premiere ?? Anywhere!
When it comes to nipple-revealing discourse, thin, flat-chested women, and particularly thin, flat-chested white women, enjoy a fair amount of privilege, given society’s obsessive need to hyper-sexualize large breasts. But the harassment Pugh has endured shows no one wins in our persistently puritanical society, even in the year of our lord 2022.
Pugh may be the first celebrity in recent years to go this hard in support of women’s nipples, but she certainly isn’t the first to free hers for fashion: Many a style icon like Rihanna, the Hadid sisters, Winnie Harlow, and, of course, Kendall Jenner have helmed the movement for years. And while Pugh’s Valentino dress is certainly a favorite of mine, I thank and honor all of these ladies for their service. Here are some particularly memorable looks.
Many have tried to top this look, and all have failed. Rihanna’s iconic, 2014 naked dress freed the nipple and then some, all while coating her head-to-toe in 216,000 Swarovski crystals . Apologies in advance, but every look following this one is all downhill from here.
Bella Hadid has donned her fair share of nipple-freeing dresses, but of all of them, this one, which she wore to the Christian Dior Haute Couture Bal Masque in summer 2017, is a personal favorite. The dress is nearly 5 years old at this point, but as corsets and nip-slips trend all summer, it’s bound to make a comeback.
Catwoman has never missed on a red carpet, and the InStyle post-party for the 2016 Golden Globe Awards was no exception. The nipple-revealing action of this gold-embellished dress, complete with chic, ‘70s jeweled tassels, is subtle, but we are blessed nonetheless.
As you might’ve guessed, Doja Cat knows how to throw a party. The theme was underwater, and supermodel Winnie Harlow freed the nipple in a multi-colored, mesh swimsuit and cover-up skirt. The whole look has the vibe of what you might wear to a nude beach where actual hot people, and not just old, saggy white people in nudist cults, go to party.
One thing Kendall Jenner is going to do—other than almost stab herself cutting a cucumber —is free the nipple, and make sure everything is sparkling while doing so.
In the blissful, final days before covid shut the world down, YouTuber, make-up artist, and trans rights activist Nikita Dragun—also known as Nikita Nguyen—wore this 99% naked dress to the Philipp Plein fashion show during Milan Fashion Week in 2020. Absolutely obsessed with the contrast of the exposed nipples and fur coat. I do not care whether it’s snowing outside—the girls need to breathe!!
Mesh is having a moment right now, and I have a feeling a lot of trends from 2017—like this funeral-chic dress Camila Moronne wore to the Brit Awards that year—will be experiencing a renaissance of sorts, too. Extra points for the nipple piercing!!
I repeat: funeral-chic. This Tom Ford dress on Gigi Hadid from 2020 is the only acceptable attire I’ll be allowing people to wear at my funeral, thank you very much.
I can’t explain it, but I’m simply obsessed with how subtle yet obvious the nipple-freeing is in this dress Anne Hathaway wore to the School of Rock premiere in 2003.
In a simple 2018 Instagram post captioned “Sneak peek 💦,” Emily Ratajkowski bore all in what appears to be a surely very practical, translucent rain coat. Four years later, I have no idea what, exactly, this was a “sneak peak” for, but suffice it to say, I am feeling pretty insufficient right now.
Does this count as freeing the nipple?? In this absolutely iconic look from May, Doja exposed her nipples covered in fitted gold cones pointy enough to cut glass, framed in a wide-open, black corset top. This look will also be accepted at my funeral, for those keeping track.
As the kids say, it’s, err, morbin’ time? Bella Thorne left absolutely nothing to the imagination in this strappy red dress, featuring printed nipples, breasts, a belly button, and crotch fitted right above where Thorne’s presumably are. Like Doja’s look before this, the jury’s still out over whether this is freeing the nipple, per se—but I see nipples, so I’m counting it.