What's Right and Wrong with Rihanna's CFDA Dress

I'm sure many of you, if not all of you, have seen and/or read about Rihanna's choice for a dress at the CFDA Fashion Awards.


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The dress, pictured above, has caused quite a stir because of the fact that it is completely see-through. Rihanna is definitely not leaving anything to the imagination in this dress, and for this reason it has caused some ridicule.


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Personally, I have mixed feelings on this dress. The style of the dress, along with the accessories (the fur stole, the gloves, the earrings, etc.) is incredibly classic. Very reminiscent of old-Hollywood-era glamour, and is actually very sophisticated. I think Rihanna does an excellent job of pulling off this old-fashioned look.

I also admire the fact that Rihanna, in choosing to wear this dress, is demonstrating her comfort with her sexuality as well as her ability to wear a dress that is so revealing but still oozing class and sophistication. She doesn't look trashy because she isn't acting trashy. Therefore, she pulls off the look.

Yet there is still a part of me that questions why Rihanna felt the need to wear this dress. Rihanna is incredibly well-known and successful in the music industry, which she rightfully should be - she has a lot of talent. So then why did she feel like she had to wear such a revealing dress? Was it attention-seeking, a press stunt? Was she trying to fight against the growing popularity (and infamy) of Miley Cyrus, who skyrocketed into the spotlight after her performance at the VMAs? Is Rihanna trying to make a point about women's bodies and sexuality? Or is Rihanna wearing this dress simply because she likes it?

Seeing Rihanna wearing a dress like this saddens me on some level, because part of me worries that Rihanna is simply trying to fill the mold set for girls and women that tells them that sex appeal (specifically in reference to a woman's breasts) is the only valuable thing a woman can posses. Perhaps I am reading too much into this; I hope Rihanna simply liked the dress and felt good about wearing it.

In conclusion, Rihanna definitely rocked this dress. She carried it off with sophistication and grace; I only hope that she wore it for the right reasons.


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