Before we begin to analyse 18-year-old Kendall Jenner’s outfit choice for Toronto’s MuchMusic Video Awards on Sunday, it’s worth making a couple of points clear. Firstly we’re no prudes – a young woman should feel comfortable with her body and never feel ashamed to wear whatever she wants. Secondly Kendall’s bod is killer – and her Fausto Puglisi double split gown is neither ill-fitting nor bland.
However – and this is a big but – there is something concerning about the naked one-upmanship that seems to be playing out on the red carpet at the moment. Of course the red carpet has always been a showcase for beautiful women and showing some skin often helps them create a splash. You only have to think of Liz Hurley in that Versace dress to see how a bit of flash exposure can launch a career. But what does all this nakedness mean for the way women in the media are sexualised and are indeed sexualising themselves? What message does it send to the young generation of girls who are looking up to a raft of semi-naked starlets?
Kendall Jenner in Fausto Puglisi and Rihanna in Adam Selman [Getty]
The question here isn't just of changing mores, but of taste. The red carpet is after all a professional environment rather than say, a strip club. By so obviously ‘going commando’ and revealing her hipbones, Kendall is clearly trying to court controversy – in the same way that Rihanna provoked the paparazzi with her shimmering naked dress at the CFDAs. The difference is that Rihanna is one of the most successful women in the world, fiercely in control of her fashion choices and was clearly aiming for a costume-inspired fashion moment at one of the biggest fashion events on the American industry calander. She was also wearing pants. Kendall on the other hand was at an obscure music video event in Canada wearing a dress that looks like an oversized loin cloth.
Joanne Krupa and Jamie Alexander both working naked dresses [Getty]
But perhaps in a world in which Miley Cyrus works a front wedgie and sideboob is acceptable for the office, such reservations are dated. What are your opinions on Kendall's frock? Has she unearthed a new erogenous zone? Is it completely acceptable to go to commando? Or do you think too much skin is cheap? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments box below or on Grazia's Facebook Page here.
The near-naked trend: love or loathe?The near-naked trend: love or loathe?