“Is this wedding-appropriate?” asked one of the fans of Tahlia Skaines, who sparked debate among her followers after wearing a daring cream dress to her friend’s wedding in Uluwatu, Bali.
The Gold Coast-born influencer, who recently relocated to Indonesia, shared a series of photos on Instagram last Sunday (August 8), flaunting her bold gown that left little to the imagination.
Viewers took to social media to share their impressions of the outfit, which left most of her chest and stomach bare.
“I like Tahlia Skaines, but this is excessive for a wedding, I feel,” wrote one fan.
“Is it her wedding? I don’t feel like it’s something you’d wear to a wedding, but I guess to each their own,” another stated.
An influencer leaves fans divided after wearing a very revealing dress to a friend’s wedding in Bali. Most considered her to be trying to “upstage” the bride and use the event for publicity
On the other hand, the reception of her dress was much more positive on her Instagram page, with hundreds of fans praising her for her beauty and labeling her as “stunning.”
“Here she is! The main character always,” wrote one of her fans.
“If my t-ts looked like that, I’d wear that too. She looks hot!” stated another.
Critical comments were still present, however, with some of them focusing on the fact that the dress took attention away from the married couple and that it was closer to white, a color traditionally reserved for the bride.
“Seriously? Even if there isn’t a dress code, did you forget that this day isn’t about you?” replied one person who was less impressed by the striking outfit.
“You wore a nearly identical dress to the bride. Have just a shred of decency and decorum.”
“Both style and color are inappropriate,” another said.
Others took a more neutral stance, stating that if the married couple had no issues with the look, neither should commenters.
“I’m sure if the bride didn’t tell her to get changed, then we shouldn’t worry about it. Bigger issues in the world,” they stated.
The model is the owner of a clothing brand that specializes in beach apparel for women
Her choice does not come out of nowhere or from a simple desire to showcase her body, as the model also owns a clothing brand that specializes in beach and summer apparel, like bikinis, tops, and other lightweight accessories.
Combine that with the beautiful sunset view of Uluwatu’s beach, and the design of the dress starts making much more sense as a combination of a bikini and a ceremonial dress, perfect for a seaside wedding.
The brand, named Skaines: The Label, advertises itself “as a way to express [Tahlia’s] love for fashion, travel and the beach.”
While the site and store are still open, most of its items are out of stock, and the rest are offered at steep discounts. This is because the model announced she will be abandoning her business in August 2024 to focus on other pursuits instead.
“I’m not going to continue with Skaines: The Label. I am so sorry to anyone that this might disappoint, but I can’t do it all,” the Influencer said in a video.
Much like its creator, the clothing line hasn’t been exempt from controversy, even being accused of plagiarism at one point.
Skaines: The Label was accused of plagiarizing a bikini from New Zealand clothing brand Glassons, re-selling its design at a heavily marked-up price
A gossip Instagram page called Influencer Updates called out the model back in October 2022 for allegedly copying a bikini design from Glassons, a 1918-founded New Zealand clothing line.
“Skaines: The Label’s new bikini looks very similar to Glassons,” the page wrote while providing photos of both beachwear pieces for comparison. Sporting the same pink coloring, design, and fabric, the bathing suits looked virtually identical.
Their main difference, however, was the price. While the Glassons piece was priced at $20, the Skaines one, leveraging the Influencer’s fame, was valued at $65, with a temporary discount bringing it down to $35.
While the model refused to address the controversy at the time, that particular bikini piece is no longer available in her store.
The model has since decided to refocus on a joint venture with her latest boyfriend, with whom she’s building a luxurious villa resort named Casa Suú overlooking Dreamland Beach, located in the Bukit Peninsula of Bali.
Comments on social media considered the choice of dress to be in “bad taste” and pinned it to the Influencer’s need for attention, which goes against the purpose of a wedding in their eyes
More neutral netizens, those who are not fans of the model or influencers in general, were much less generous in their assessment.
“If this isn’t attention seeking, I don’t know what it is. These ‘influencers’ want it to be all about them; well, it isn’t!” one reader stated.
“Influencers only get paid if people view them, and thus, they purposely do things that are outrageous, so they get paid. These people are the ultimate narcissists,” said another.
“The one rule when dressing to attend a wedding is don’t upstage the bride; that includes hyper-sexualized dresses,” a viewer explained.
“Why is she competing with the bride at the wedding? Aside from trolling for her OnlyFans account, this is tacky. She’s desperate to take the glory and spotlight away from the bride,” said another.
“I wouldn’t wear that to take out the garbage. It’s a bedroom garment.”
“She might as well attend naked,” joked one reader, as other joined in to criticize the model for her choice of outfit
