THE NAKED OUTSIDE ERA: A 200 — YEAR EVOLUTION OF FEMININITY, VISIBILITY & PERFORMANCE

THE NAKED OUTSIDE ERA: A 200 — YEAR EVOLUTION OF FEMININITY, VISIBILITY & PERFORMANCE

By Krissy_TheHeartBeat

Since approximately 2019, a new fashion phenomenon has surged across nightlife, digital culture, and celebrity influence: women appearing in public in extremely revealing attire — sheer dresses, mesh gowns, visible undergarments, and lingerie-inspired outfits. This “outside naked” aesthetic is often framed as empowerment, independence, financial autonomy, or confidence. Yet the trend sits within a larger historical continuum of how women’s bodies — particularly the bodies of Black women — have been displayed, consumed, sexualized, celebrated, and exploited across centuries.

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This article traces that lineage across 200 years, revealing how today’s trends did not emerge suddenly. Instead, they represent the newest iteration of an evolving cultural script shaped by colonial exploitation, performance art, Hollywood glamour, Blaxploitation cinema, hip-hop feminism, activism, and digital visibility.

1. SARAH BAARTMAN (Early 1800s):

THE ORIGIN OF EXPLOITATION AND PUBLIC DISPLAY**

The modern visibility of Black women’s bodies cannot be understood without acknowledging Sarah Baartman, also known as the “Hottentot Venus.” Transported from South Africa to Europe, she was placed on display in near-nude exhibitions for public entertainment and…