Sydney Sweeney wore a sheer and very revealing dress to an industry event on Wednesday evening, prompting passionate and mixed reactions.
The translucent, floor-length dress by Christian Cowan x Elias Matso was snug on the actor’s chest, waist and hips — and made it clear that Sweeney had not worn a bra to Variety’s Power of Women event, of which she was one of the honourees.
In the comment section of her Instagram post, some praised Sweeney’s bravery, while others said such outfits sexualize women more than empower them.
“I know guys will kill me on this one,” said one, “but I don’t like this dress, women can be feminine without being vulgar.”
But culture critic Stacy Lee Kong says being scandalized by a see-through dress feels “a little bit old fashioned” and that such criticisms are generally “coming from conservative commentators.”
Most people, Kong told CBC News, are “not batting an eye.”
Morgan Westcott, a marketing professor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, says the American Eagle ad does not signal a ‘shift,’ but rather reflects a ‘recycled concept’ and a clear call to their target market.
This isn’t the first time Sweeney’s body has been a topic of discussion.
The Euphoria star recently courted controversy with an American Eagle jeans ad, which according to some critics made inappropriate suggestions about her genetics, and even her race.
Kong said the reactions to Wednesday night’s dress “feel complicated because the people who have been criticizing her for her participation in that American Eagle ad, for example, have been quite left-leaning.”
“The way she’s being criticized by conservatives is also not fair.”
Sweeney is generally popular among conservatives, especially since it was revealed she registered with the Republican party ahead of last year’s U.S. presidential election.
During her speech that night, Sweeney said she knows what it feels like “to be underestimated” and “to have to prove that you deserve to be here, to be seen, to be taken seriously.”
Actor Sharon Stone was at the same event, and told Variety she thinks “it’s OK to use what mama gave you.”
“It’s hard to be hot, and I think we all know that. It’s really OK to use every bit of hotness you have — right here, right now — and go for whatever that is.”
