Not a Naked Dress—Kerry Washington's 'Imperfect Women' Premiere Outfit Redefines "Sheer"
She's been building up to this for years.
I adore unexpected twists in fashion, when a dress has pockets, a skirt becomes a skort, or a gown is actually a pantsuit. On March 10, Kerry Washington gave the latter plot twist a Hollywood close-up: Her lacy naked dress revealed itself as a separate black top and pants.
To toast her role in AppleTV's Imperfect Women, Washington debuted "the most PERFECT look for the most PERFECT premiere," according to her Instagram post. Styling duo Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn dressed her in a nearly-naked matching set seen in Zuhair Murad's Pre-Fall 2026 look book. The second-skin selects started with a $2,290 mock-neck long-sleeve, crafted entirely from transparent floral lace. Then, Washington slipped on the matching $2,535 trousers, which were as lightweight as they were sheer. Each semi-flared hem stretched far beyond her platform, ankle-strap pumps.
Kerry Washington attended the Imperfect Women premiere in a surprisingly full-coverage lace look.
The sheer layering wasn't done just yet: Washington stacked another lacy black piece on top of her base layer. Her spaghetti-strap corset was a touch more opaque than its predecessors, with a sweetheart neckline and elongated, hip-hugging hem featuring an extra, full-coverage underlay. To finish, the Scandal star frosted herself with the most impressive, diamond earring stack from Messika.
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Washington went with minimal accessories, including eye-catching Messika earrings.
Washington's personal style has only gotten more sheer with time. In 2022, she attended the Met Gala in a custom Tory Burch gown, where her skin peeked through an off-the-shoulder corset and delicately draped skirt. A hip-high slit upped the design's overarching risqué nature.
Four years ago, Washington arrived at the 2022 Met Gala in a sheer black gown.
Most recently, Washington showed out at the 2025 Brooklyn Artists Ball in a lacy Dior naked dress. Her stylists chose a black lingerie set as the foundation, featuring a triangle bra and high-rise underwear. Next, the pièce de résistance—a lace-turned-fishnet gown—added lots of visual interest. Washington cinched her waist with a leather belt, before adorning her décolletage with a watch choker and sea-inspired pendants.
Last April, Washington went sheer again for the 2025 Brooklyn Artists Ball.
Clearly, Washington has been building up to this moment for years. I, for one, can't get enough of her style arc—naked or not. She's already worn Sergio Hudson, custom Prada, and fresh-off-the-runway Hermès this year, but none were as sheer as her Zuhair Murad set. Knowing Washington, her red carpet rotation will only get more daring from the Imperfect Women premiere onward.
