2024's red carpet season may have wrapped, but celebrities aren't letting their obsession with naked dresses go away with it. Blake Lively's latest outfit from the set of her upcoming movie, A Simple Favor 2, is the definition of every trend taking over carpets from the Oscars to Cannes: It's bridal white, coated in pearls, and completely see-through.
Between takes and (presumably) in character on the film's Capri, Italy, set on Thursday, May 30, Lively was dressed like the cross between a summer bride and a Mediterranean sea mermaid. Her onscreen twist on the naked little white dress featured a halter neck collar that gave way to a netted dress—where the nets were comprised of pearls and twinkling crystals. The whole piece was entirely sheer, so the actress layered a white bustier bodysuit underneath. Photos didn't include a glimpse of her footwear, but viewers can safely assume it's glittering enough for a sea goddess to walk on land.
Lively, who is famously her own stylist, hasn't served many looks to the public this year. She made a brief appearance at a Tiffany flagship party in early May, dressed in a 1950s vintage gown with a similarly mermaid-like essence. (Thank the rows and rows of scalloped blue beads for the effect.) Lively also turned up at the Eras Tour in Madrid to support her pal Taylor Swift this week, wearing a casual button-up shirt and Chanel jean shorts, and she stopped by the 2024 Super Bowl in her Sporty Spice best (an Adidas x Balenciaga tracksuit).
While Lively has shied away from the red carpet, her latest dress is aligned with every major trend that unfolded at recent awards shows and premieres. It doesn't matter whether celebrities are dressing to present an award (like Katy Perry), celebrate a successful walk up the Met Gala steps (like Emily Ratajkowski) or toast this year's Academy Award winners (like half the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty guests): When celebrities take to a carpet, they're doing so in see-through or incredibly sheer dresses.
Lively's on-set take is unique for incorporating beachy pearl embellishments, which have turned up in collections as varied as PatBo's partygirl resortwear and Simone Rocha's darkly feminine dresses. The exact reference Lively's making isn't yet clear; credits for her look haven't been released.
Judging by the project she's working on, Lively's dress is less about endorsing the naked dress trend than tapping into her character's off-kilter personal style. For 2018's A Simple Favor, costume designer Renée Ehrlich Kalfus dressed Lively, who plays a fashion P.R. mogul, in outfits that were objectively over-the-top for the film's suburban setting. She strutted about her town in three-piece suits and full-on tuxedos; in some scenes, she carried a walking stick for no apparent reason.
“I think there is always a deeper mindset when someone dresses really distinctively in the same way—almost branding yourself, protecting herself, and, at the same time, disguising herself,” Kalfus explained of Lively's styling to Vanity Fair.
It'll take a full plot run-down to know why Lively's character is now gilding herself in rows and rows of pearls while traipsing through Italy. This glimpse at the costumes alone is enough to be seated for the film's eventual premiere.
