The VMAs Naked Dresses Everyone *Still* Talks About

Megan Fox wears a naked dress on the VMAs red carpet in 2021 — (Image credit: Getty Images)

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Britney Spears in Dolce & Gabbana, 2001
Rose McGowan in Maja, 1998
Miley Cyrus in Versace, 2015
Taylor Swift in Oscar de la Renta, 2022
Beyoncé in Francesco Scognamiglio, 2016
Christina Aguilera in Versace, 2003
Zara Larsson in Sorcha O'Raghallaigh, 2025
Megan Fox in Mugler, 2021
Rita Ora in Jean Paul Gaultier, 2018
Ciara in Givenchy, 2013
Cher in Bob Mackie, 1987
Tate McRae in Roberto Cavalli, 2024
Sabrina Carpenter in Valentino, 2025

I was already planning a retrospective on the most talked-about naked dresses in VMAs history—as I've done for the Met Gala and the Oscars—but now, the timing feels particularly poignant. Just last week, the fashion industry lost Bob Mackie, whose scandalous designs for Cher started the sheer trend that continues to this day. Naturally, I included one of their collaborations in this story: the see-through, sequined black frock Cher wore to the MTV Video Music Awards in 1987.

Since then, tons of celebrities have decided to show copious amounts of skin on the famously rebellious red carpet. Rose McGowan's 1998 look, for instance, barely contained enough fabric to qualify as a dress. Taylor Swift—who will receive the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors this weekend—participated in a more subtle version of the trend back in 2022. Scroll down to revisit the best naked dresses in VMAs history as we await this year's show on Sunday, September 27, 2026.

Britney Spears in Dolce & Gabbana, 2001

Rose McGowan in Maja, 1998

Miley Cyrus in Versace, 2015

Taylor Swift in Oscar de la Renta, 2022

Beyoncé in Francesco Scognamiglio, 2016

Christina Aguilera in Versace, 2003

Zara Larsson in Sorcha O'Raghallaigh, 2025

Megan Fox in Mugler, 2021

Rita Ora in Jean Paul Gaultier, 2018

Ciara in Givenchy, 2013

Cher in Bob Mackie, 1987

Tate McRae in Roberto Cavalli, 2024

Sabrina Carpenter in Valentino, 2025

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Erin got her start as a Who What Wear intern in 2011—back when the site only published a single story per day. (We have since increased that number twentyfold.) She graduated magna cum laude from USC and lives in Los Angeles. In college, she also interned at Refinery29, where she was promoted to editorial assistant and then assistant editor. After nearly three years at R29, she came back to WWW in 2015, where she is now the Associate Director of Fashion News. From the Oscars to the Met Gala, she leads the site's entire red carpet coverage strategy. She specializes in celebrity and fashion news but also enjoys writing travel features and runway reports. She frequently contributes to WWW's social accounts and has a sizable following on her personal TikTok.