Sydney Sweeney wore a sheer and very revealing dress to an industry event on Wednesday night, sparking passionate and controversial reactions.
The semi-sheer, floor-length dress by Christian Cowen and Elias Matso hugged the actor's chest, waist and hips – and made it clear that Sweeney was not wearing a bra to Diversity The “Power of Women” event, of which she became one of the laureates.
In the comments on her Instagram post, some praised Sweeney for her bravery, while others said the outfits sexualized women rather than empowering them.
“I know guys will kill me for this,” one said, “but I don’t like this dress, women can be feminine but not vulgar.”
But culture critic Stacey Lee Kong says being shocked by a see-through dress seems “a little old-fashioned” and that such criticism usually “comes from conservative commentators.”
Most people, Kong told CBC News, “didn't bat an eye.”
Morgan Westcott, a marketing professor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, says the American Eagle ad doesn't signal a “shift” but rather reflects a “reimagined concept” and a clear appeal to its target market.
This isn't the first time Sweeney's body has become a topic of discussion.
Euphoria The star recently sparked controversy with an ad for American Eagle jeans that some critics said made inappropriate suggestions about her genetics and even her race.
Kong said the reaction to Wednesday's evening dress “seems complicated because the people who criticized her for being in the American Eagle commercial, for example, were very left-wing.”
“The way conservatives criticize her is also unfair.”
Sweeney is generally popular among conservatives, especially after it was revealed that she registered with the Republican Party ahead of last year's US presidential election.
During her speech that night, Sweeney said she knew what it was like to be “underestimated” and “to have to prove that you deserve to be here, to be seen, to be taken seriously.”
Actress Sharon Stone was at the same event and said: Diversity she thinks: “You can use what your mother gave you.”
“It's hard to be hot, and I think we all know that. It's really okay to use all your passion – right here, right now – and go for whatever it is.”
