The 52 Most Controversial Outfits of All Time
Because no one can wear a dress made entirely of meat and get away with it.
Lady Gaga at the 2010 MTV Video Awards
Gaga's meat ensemble sparked extreme controversy in the animal rights community. "No matter how beautifully it is presented, flesh from a tortured animal is flesh from a tortured animal," said PETA president Ingrid Newkirk. "Meat represents bloody violence and suffering, so if that's the look they were going for, they achieved it."
Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake at the 2004 Super Bowl
The infamous half-time moment - which left Janet exposed - sparked a huge controversy, as many people were torn over whether or not the incident was accidental or intentional.
Lady Gaga at London Fashion Week in 2012
The singer offended many in the Muslim community when she walked down the London runway in a burqa. The Atlantic covered the controversy, calling her outfit choice "cultural thievery."
Katy Perry at the 2017 Met Gala
Reactions to Katy's dress included phrases like "cringe-worthy," "baffling," and "ludicrous."
Katy Perry Performing at the 2013 AMA's
Katy's AMA received major criticism for wearing a kimono. Some were shocked at the "racist" ensemble, and others were totally unsurprised. One Twitter user wrote, "Loved the cultural authenticity of Katy Perry's #AMAs
performance. She nailed the traditionally ignorant costume of a white pop singer." She later apologized.
Josephine Baker Performing in 1928 at the Theater des Westens in Berlin
In 1928, this costume was extremely controversial, given that it was in such contrast to the outfits women were expected to wear. Some people credit this controversial costume for transforming American culture, saying she "radically redefined notions of race and gender through style and performance in a way that continues to echo throughout fashion and music today, from Prada to Beyoncé."
Madonna at the 1984 MTV Awards
Before Madonna had really gained her notoriety for testing the limits of fashion, this look for her "Like a Virgin" music video was an extremely hot topic.
Ryan Reynolds in the 'Green Lantern'
Very few people liked this suit given its "cheap looking CGI and off-putting tone of the color scheme."
Beyoncé in the video for "Hymn for the Weekend"
Beyoncé and Coldplay set their music video for "Hymn for the Weekend" in India and were accused of cultural appropriation, and criticized for an inaccurate portrayal of the country. One Twitter user wrote in response [sic], "i dont even know what to say about this coldplay video except can white rock bands please stop filming holi videos in india, thank you."
Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton Rothschild at the Tequila Casamigos Halloween Party in 2015
Paris and Nicky were slammed for culturally appropriated Halloween costumes.
Karen Gillan in 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle'
When the trailer was released for the upcoming film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, many people were taken aback by Karen's costume. Her costume was criticized for sexualizing the actress: "Maybe part of the plot involves setting the gender equality fight back 20 years?" and for looking like it belonged to a child, "Ruby lost all of her clothing and had to rob a Baby Gap."
Gwyneth Paltrow at the 1999 Academy Awards
Many people thought this dress was "ill-fitting and overly quixotic." Stacy London conveyed this general opinion when she said, "I hated Gwyneth Paltrow's pink Oscar dress."
Heidi Klum and Seal at their 2008 Halloween Party
This extremely elaborate Halloween costume was deemed offensive by some.
Farrah Fawcett at the 2003 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Many people thought this dress was extremely disrespectful, as the American flag is traditionally not supposed to touch the ground. This dress is cited in the article titled, "It's a grand old flag, but it isn't a rag - how about a little respect?"
Kylie Jenner in 2016
Kylie Jenner was criticized for sporting a du-rag as a fashion accessory.
Rebel Wilson in 'Pitch Perfect 3'
After the release of the Pitch Perfect 3 trailer, fans were not happy that Wilson was dressed in a different shirt, accusing the movie of size discrimination. One user commented, "Your top should be the same. We all know you are the most delicious chick there."
Khloe Kardashian in 2014
Khloé's Instagram followers were not happy when she posted this photo with the caption, "Ray of clouds. Chirping of birds. Gurgling of water. Granting desire. One with water. #Kidchella my first Coachella!!!" One follower wrote, "My ancestors didn't get their cultures stripped away from them in residential schools and through forced assimilation over the past 500 years for an ignorant bigot to put on a fake headdress that is sacred to the plains tribe."
Khloé Kardashian in 2015
Khloé Kardashian received major backlash again for posting this picture of herself on Instagram, captioning the photo "Habibi love." One user responded, "Are you really that much of a clueless fool?"
Miley Cyrus at the 2015 VMAs
Miley Cyrus' performance came under fire when it became clear she didn't get proper licensing from Discount Universe. The brand responded to the performance, "We're obviously distraught."
KTZ at 2015 Fall Fashion Week
KTZ severely offended the Nunavut family after duplicating one of their sacred garments. "These are sacred images that they are using," said one of the family members. "They are breaking the Inuit sacred laws of duplicating someone else's shaman clothing - for profit of all things."
Yeezy Season 1
The fashion world was extremely unimpressed with Kanye West's first debut of his fashion line. One Twitter user wrote,"SERIOUSLY!!! 'The Industry' wouldn't give a flying hoot if a new-on-the-block kid did these types of clothes."
Katy Perry at the 2015 Met Gala
The graffiti featured on this Jeremy Scott gown was accused of plagiarism. NYC street artist Joseph "Rime" Tierney claimed the artwork stole elements from his "Vandal Eyes" mural in Detroit. Tierney's lawsuit read, "Rime is a well-known artist. Defendants Moschino and Jeremy Scott... inexplicably placed Rime's art on their highest-profile apparel without his knowledge or consent."
Junya Watanabe at Paris Fashion Week 2015
Watanabe's collection was slammed for featuring traditional African pieces worn by mostly white models. One Twitter user commented, "How does one have a runway show, showcasing African textiles and silhouettes without including anyone of African descent?"
Prince Harry in 2005
For a "colonials and natives" themed party, Prince Harry chose to dress up as a Nazi, which, as you can see, made front page news.
Miley Cyrus at the 2015 VMAs
The singer wore a barely-there custom Versace outfit, which shocked and confused many.
Mariah Carey at the 2014 BET Awards
Mariah received criticism for her extremely low-cut gown, as people feared a slip was inevitable.
Amber Rose at the 2014 VMAs
Many people were talking about Amber's dress of choice, given how little of it there was.
To Give You The Full Picture, Here's the Back
Katie Price in March 2013
Katie celebrated the fifth anniversary of her clothing line by dressing up in a costume which was called many things including "bizarre."
Karlie Kloss at the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
Victoria's Secret was accused of cultural appropriation when it had models walk out on the runway wearing Native American headdresses.
Rihanna at the 2014 CFDAs
Everybody was talking about Rihanna's 2014 naked dress. "I'll probably never get over this look," said one Twitter user.
Christina Aguilera in 2001
As one opinion goes, Christina wore a "combo of shredded peach velvet and what can only be described as a plume of fluff for hair extensions."
Julia Roberts at the 'Notting Hill' Premiere in 1999
Julia received harsh judgement for her unshaven armpits revealed by this dress. (Which, honestly, come on people...)
Madonna at the 2015 Grammy Awards
This look was judged from many angles, one of which reads, "not to say that she didn't look great (seriously, that body will never quit), but her black lace, fringed Givenchy mini put Spanish matadors to mind - well, with a liberal side of dominatrix."
And Here's the Look from the Back
Nicki Minaj at the 2011 Grammy Awards
This outfit left many confused. "On one hand, we commend her use of a theme - leopard print - however, we're not sure how the Bride of Frankenstein-esque pouf fits into all of it."
Lady Gaga at the 2011 Grammy Awards
Many people thought that Gaga in an egg was just simply weird.
Lil' Kim at the 1999 MTV Music Awards
This shocked many people in 1999 before the age of nipple pasties.
The Back Wasn't Too Great Either
Nicki Minaj at the 2012 Grammy Awards
Minaj's outfit was accused of being sacrilegious and offensive. There was a pope involved.
Pink at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards
This outfit left many people speechless.
Bj?rk at the 2001 Oscars
Everyone was talking about this dress in 2001 for its "wacky/shock value."
Celine Dion at the 1999 Oscars
This backwards suit received much attention in 1999. Celine herself said, "I was the only one with pants in a backward suit from Galliano and if I would do this today it would work. It was avant-garde at the time."
Cher at the 1986 Oscars
It was not normal to show a lot of skin at the Oscars in 1986, which made Cher's outfit a very hot topic.
Elizabeth Hurley in 1994
This dress grabbed many people's attention as it was seemingly only held together by safety pins.
Gwyneth Paltrow at the 2002 Oscars
Gwyneth received criticism for going braless in this gown. Looking back, she said of the choice, "I should have worn a bra."
Toni Braxton at the 2001 Grammy Awards
At the time, people thought Toni's dress was way too revealing.
Jennifer Lopez at the 2000 Grammy Awards
This bold dress definitely put J.Lo on the map.
Rose McGowan at the 1998 MTV VMAs
Many people were shocked when Rose wore this extremely bold look in 1998.
The Back...
Cher at the 1988 Oscars
1988 wasn't ready for the naked dress just yet, which made Cher's dress the talk of the town.
Anne Hathaway at the 2013 Oscars
Anne Hathaway was planning on wearing Valentino to the Oscars, but found out her co-star was planning on wearing an almost identical dress. To avoid a potential lookalike situation, Anne decided to wear this Prada gown, and offended the designers in the process.
Selena Gomez at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards
Selena was called out for cultural appropriation for wearing a Bindi. As one writer wrote: "It is not meant to be thrown around loosely for seductive effects or as a fashion accessory aiming at mercantile greed."
Lady Gaga in 2013
Gaga offended many people with this rifle bra - especially since the performance took place only a month after the Sandy Hook shooting.
Because no one can wear a dress made entirely of meat and get away with it.