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Cannes Dress Code Allows Sheer Tops, Celebs Flaunt Nipples

5/21/2026

26 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Cannes Allows Sheer

Cannes officials allowed celebrities to wear sheer or nipple-exposing outfits because the 2025 dress code bans nudity but not exposed breasts.
The festival FAQ bars nudity and bulky garments that block traffic.
Bella Hadid wore a ruffled see-through top over a sheer bra to skirt the rule.
Kristen Stewart, Riley Keough, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Demi Moore also appeared in sheer Chanel, Balenciaga or Gucci looks, shifting focus to nipples.

Summary

Bella Hadid dazzles

Bella Hadid wore an ivory Schiaparelli gown at Cannes that required 22,160 embroidery hours from 130 artisans.
Designer Daniel Roseberry fashioned the dress as a homage to Jane Birkin’s 1969 crochet look.
She accessorized with Chopard diamond earrings, reflecting her role as Prada’s global beauty ambassador since March 2026.
Stylist Mimi Cuttrell directed the look while Jacob Schwartz styled the bun and Nadia Tayeh handled makeup.

Summary

Bella Hadid reigns

Bella Hadid displayed pieces at Cannes, including a 1999 Prada Sport capri set and a 2004 Elie Saab gown.
She wore Louis Vuitton heels from the Takashi Murakami collaboration with a spring 2003 silk minidress.
At a beachside lunch with mother Yolanda, Hadid chose a Jean Paul Gaultier halter dress.
Critics called her the “Queen of Cannes” and said her mix of casual and formal looks sparked a vintage trend.

History

Historical Context

The 2004 Super Bowl halftime “wardrobe malfunction”—when Janet Jackson’s breast was briefly exposed—prompted the FCC to receive about 540,000 complaints and levy a record $550,000 fine on CBS. That backlash spurred tighter broadcast decency rules, a trend echoed in Cannes 2025, where officials banned nudity but allowed sheer garments for designers like Bella Hadid’s shows.

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Cannes Allows Sheer

Cannes officials allowed celebrities to wear sheer or nipple-exposing outfits because the 2025 dress code bans nudity but not exposed breasts.
The festival FAQ bars nudity and bulky garments that block traffic.
Bella Hadid wore a ruffled see-through top over a sheer bra to skirt the rule.
Kristen Stewart, Riley Keough, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Demi Moore also appeared in sheer Chanel, Balenciaga or Gucci looks, shifting focus to nipples.

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