Last week, the actress Florence Pugh wore a gorgeous pink Valentino gown to the label's 2022 Fall/Winter fashion show in Rome, but this is not why she made headlines. Instead of focusing on the Little Women star's beautiful dress, talk on social media turned to Pugh’s appearance in a sheer outfit which showed her nipples. This in turn has led to a larger discussion on why women’s bodies are still being policed in public.
Pugh, 26, initially posted a photo of herself in the pink dress with a tongue in cheek caption stating, “Technically they’re covered?” This was in response to of removing any images that show nipples – women’s nipples to be precise, as they don't remove any bare-chested photos of men.
started in response to this policy, with a number of celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Naomi Campbell and Lena Dunham exposing their nipples in posts only to have them quickly removed.
In this instance, Instagram chose not to remove Pugh’s post, however, the actress was surprised at the backlash she received about her choice of outfit, with a number of social media users commenting on the appearance of her breasts and her body.
“Listen, I knew when I wore that incredible Valentino dress that there was no way there wouldn’t be a commentary on it. Whether it be negative or positive, we all knew what we were doing.” She wrote, before going on to say: “What’s been interesting to watch and witness is just how easy it is for men to totally destroy a woman’s body, publicly, proudly, for everyone to see.”
Pugh has gone on to receive huge public support for her post, with a number of celebrities coming out to publicly back her.
Actress Jessica Chastain posted on her Instagram stories: “Why is it so threatening for some men to realize that women can love our bodies without your permission? We don’t belong to you.”
Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page also took to his Instagram stories in defence of Pugh, stating: “Take a look at yourself fellas. Then take a look at your mates and step up when it’s time to step up. When the boys are out of line, have a word.” He spoke to Variety magazine as well about why he supported the actress saying, “She made a really good point. I thought it was worth saying again. Say it louder for the kids in the back!"
Pugh has been outspoken about her body image and the comments she received as a result of being in front of the camera since she was a teenager.
At the age of 17 she was told to lose weight for an acting role. “I did a job where it was made very apparent that I needed to lose weight [by the team working on the production] and when it was over, I was very aware I didn’t want to do that kind of work,” back in 2020.
In the same interview she spoke about the negative impact of body shaming on social media, especially on people like her sister. “I have a sister who’s seven years younger than me and it’s made me acutely aware of the negatives of social media. The impact it has on her life at every stage of the day is unbelievable,” she said.
Pugh is most likely very aware of how she has a number of young fans who would be looking to her to speak up about comments that may impact their own self-image.
As she wrote in her Instagram post, “Thankfully, I’ve come to terms with the intricacies of my body that make me, me. I’m happy with all of the ‘flaws’ that I couldn’t bear to look at when I was 14.”
But when it comes to her her critics her message is loud and clear: “If being loudly abusive towards women publicly in 2022 is so easy for you, then the answer is that it is you who doesn’t know. Grow up. Respect people. Respect bodies. Respect all women. Respect humans. Life will get a whole lot easier, I promise.”
