Pop Culture

Florence Pugh Freed the Nipple Once More in a Gorgeous Sheer Valentino Gown

Florence Pugh brought a gorgeous statement look to Valentino’s haute couture show in Chantilly, France, today. It comes about one year after her sheer dress at last summer’s haute couture show led her to speak out about the body shaming comments she received over her nipples being visible.

For this year’s show, Pugh wore a sheer lilac dress with a giant bow in the back. The see-through look echoes the Barbie pink gown she wore during the house’s haute couture show in Rome on July 8, 2022. Pugh looked stunning in both outfits.

Here’s today’s look:

florence pugh at valentino's haute couture show

Jacopo Raule//Getty Images
florence pugh at valentino's haute couture show

Jacopo Raule//Getty Images
florence pugh at valentino's haute couture show

Jacopo Raule//Getty Images
florence pugh at valentino's haute couture show

Jacopo Raule//Getty Images

And here’s last year’s:

florence pugh

Jacopo Raule//Getty Images

Following the uproar around her revealing outfit last summer, Pugh wrote a candid Instagram post about why she chose to wear the dress, stressing that she knew it would get comments, but she felt great in it. “What’s more concerning is…. Why are you so scared of breasts?” she wrote to the bodyshamers. “Small? Large? Left? Right? Only one? Maybe none? What. Is. So. Terrifying. It makes me wonder what happened to you to be so content on being so loudly upset by the size of my boobs and body..?”

You can read her full statement below, as they could easily be said for this year’s dress too:

Listen, I knew when I wore that incredible Valentino dress that there was no way there wouldn’t be a commentary on it. Whether it be negative or positive, we all knew what we were doing.

I was excited to wear it, not a wink of me was nervous. I wasn’t before, during or even now after.

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..?

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.
Thankfully, I’ve come to terms with the intricacies of my body that make me, me. I’m happy with all of the ‘flaws’ that I couldn’t bear to look at when I was 14.
So many of you wanted to aggressively let me know how disappointed you were by my ‘tiny tits’, or how I should be embarrassed by being so ‘flat chested’.
I’ve lived in my body for a long time. I’m fully aware of my breast size and am not scared of it.

What’s more concerning is…. Why are you so scared of breasts? Small? Large? Left? Right? Only one? Maybe none?
What. Is. So. Terrifying.

It makes me wonder what happened to you to be so content on being so loudly upset by the size of my boobs and body..?
I’m very grateful that I grew up in a household with very strong, powerful, curvy women. We were raised to find power in the creases of our body. To be loud about being comfortable. It has always been my mission in this industry to say ‘fuck it and fuck that’ whenever anyone expects my body to morph into an opinion of what’s hot or sexually attractive.
I wore that dress because I know.
If being loudly abusive towards women publicly in 2022 is so easy for you, then the answer is that it is you who doesn’t know.
Grow up. Respect people. Respect bodies. Respect all women. Respect humans. Life will get a whole lot easier, I promise.
And all because of two cute little nipples….

Oh! The last slide is for those who feel more comfortable with that inch of darker skin to be covered…

#fuckingfreethefuckingnipple

Headshot of Alyssa Bailey

Senior News and Strategy Editor

Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.