5 Sheer Dresses That Will Let You Cosplay Kate Moss

Yesterday, Kerry Taylor Auctions took to to announce a special fashion-related sale. Lot 170 from the spring auction, set to take place on April 16th, will be an identical version of the iconic Liza Bruce silver lamé slip dress worn by Kate Moss in 1993. While the original version is housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, this piece comes from the private collection of a former Liza Bruce employee and was a part of the British designer’s Spring 1994 collection. Moss wore the dress to attend Elite Model Management’s “Look Of The Year” party, and she apparently didn’t realize how sheer it was until the cameras flashed. But she embraced it, and the photo came to represent a new kind of provocative fashion dubbed “the naked dress.” Carrie Bradshaw also famously wore a “naked dress” in Sex and The City on her first date with Mr. Big, but it was Moss who really solidified the look.

The re-emergence of this wispy little slip is timely. Sheer dressing, whether via braless tissue-thin tops, see-through skirts, or transparent dresses, has been one of the last two seasons’ most visible trends. For Spring 2024, designers took a free-the-nipple approach to sensuality on the runways, whether it was Pieter Mueller’s bodycon pieces at Alaia or Francesco Risso’s nasty little mini dresses at Marni. In the Fall 2024 collections, Anthony Vacarello made an entire lineup of naked looks for Saint Laurent, scandalizing some fashion critics but entrancing others with his masterful technique of using very little fabric to make a huge statement. There was also Chemena Kamali’s hit show for Chloé, which included several flowy sheer dresses in silks and lace that gave off a powerful vibe and underscored the confidence that comes with baring it all.

Of course, wearing a Moss-ish “naked dress” in real life doesn’t have to be quite so daring, especially for those of us who wouldn’t be caught dead going braless or showing off our briefs in public. There are ways to layer with slips and lingerie; you can even pair sheer dresses with a pretty bra and high-waist pants for more coverage. Maybe you wear an opaque mini slip under a longer, see-through slip in similar colorways. There’s also the option of throwing a long-line blazer or suit vest over your sheer dress and maybe belting it to give yourself a sculpted hourglass shape. Or let it all hang out—why not? Right now, at least according to the runways, naked dressing is about independence. It’s about turning the gaze inward and making your own rules, looking devastatingly sharp and self-assured with your style.

Below, here are a few of the season’s best sheer dresses to get you started if you can’t snag the Liza Bruce at auction.