Quick Hit:

The Cannes Film Festival has officially drawn the line on red carpet fashion, banning full nudity and over-the-top outfits that disrupt the event’s flow. The move comes after years of increasingly audacious fashion statements and a cultural shift that sees some celebrities routinely forgo clothing for sheer shock value. The updated guidelines mark a clear push for restoring dignity, modesty, and common sense on one of the world’s most prestigious stages.

Key Details:

• Cannes now bans full nudity and large, obstructive outfits such as excessive trains.

• Stars like Kanye West’s wife sparked controversy at recent events with totally sheer or nude looks.

• Halle Berry confirmed she had to abandon her original dress due to the new rules.

Diving Deeper:

The Cannes Film Festival has made it clear that it’s had enough of the naked circus that often takes over red carpets. Festival officials have amended their charter to emphasize decency and decorum, reminding Hollywood stars that Cannes is still, first and foremost, a film festival—not a runway for indecent exposure. The updated rules, publicized just a day before the event kicked off on May 13, explicitly prohibit nudity and “voluminous” attire, such as gowns with massive trains that block others or cause seating complications.

“For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the Red Carpet, as well as in any other area of the Festival,” the official site now reads, signaling a return to basic standards of public presentation. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cannes is not seeking to micro-manage fashion choices broadly, but the intent is to stop the trend of “full nudity” that’s turned recent red carpets into platforms for shock value rather than style or celebration of cinema.

This crackdown comes just months after a firestorm ignited by Kanye West’s wife showing up completely nude—aside from a sheer dress that left nothing to the imagination—on the 2025 Grammy red carpet. It was a moment that underscored how low the standards had fallen.

The new dress code has already impacted stars who had planned to make bold fashion statements. Actress Halle Berry acknowledged she had to pivot last-minute due to the size of her original outfit. “I had an amazing dress by Gupta that I cannot wear tonight because it’s too big of a train,” she told the New York Post. “I’m not going to break the rules.” On the nudity ban, Berry added, “It’s also probably a good rule.”

Bella Hadid, long known for plunging necklines and revealing designs, also dialed it back this year. While she still opted for a thigh-high slit to maintain her signature flair, the rest of her black dress stayed within the bounds of the festival’s updated expectations.

While some stars may be rattled by the last-minute enforcement, Cannes has made no apologies. The festival even reminded attendees that “welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit Red Carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules.”

Cannes has faced controversies before, including its earlier decision to turn away women not wearing high heels—a rule critics saw as outdated. But this latest policy seems less about elitist tradition and more about setting a baseline of decency that had eroded under the weight of Hollywood’s attention-seeking antics.

The 2025 Cannes Film Festival runs from May 13 to 24. With new standards in place, it appears the red carpet will return to a more elegant and respectful affair—one where the focus shifts back to the films, not flesh.

"Halle Berry at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival" by Gabriel Hutchinson Photography licensed under (CC BY-SA 4.0)