Geena Davis' Inappropriate Outfit At The 2000 Emmys Left Her Way Too Exposed

Skin-baring looks that leave little to the imagination are no longer an uncommon sight at award shows. Nowadays, we can expect to see at least a few sheer dresses with strategically placed embellishments, ultra-plunging necklines, or thigh-high slits on a red carpet. For example, the 2026 Golden Globes alone saw at least five see-through gowns, such as the floral mesh Givenchy by Sarah Burton dress Jennifer Lawrence wore that had us confusing her for Taylor Swift. Despite this, perhaps few can top the shockingly revealing look Geena Davis rocked all the way back in September 2000.

All eyes were on Davis when she walked the Emmy Awards red carpet at the time in a tight, sheer gown with long sleeves and a plunging neckline. The "Thelma & Louise" star had nothing else on underneath except a G-string that appeared to be the same color as her sequined dress, creating the illusion that she was completely bare under her already barely there ensemble, and landing her on our most inappropriate outfits in Emmys history list. Paired with the black sandals, the dress made Davis look like she'd attended the awards show right after enjoying a day at the beach.

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To no one's surprise, Davis' outfit — which came just months after Jennifer Lopez's green Versace gown made its stunning debut at the 2000 Grammy Awards — generated lots of buzz the second her photos hit the papers and the internet. Apparently, this was exactly what the actor had been aiming for when she chose the sheer gown. Pamela Dennis, the designer of the dress, told the New York Post following the Emmys that Davis and her team "gave me some parameters, but really, they said they just wanted Geena's dress to be a 'Wow!'"

Pamela Dennis described Geena Davis' 2000 Emmys gown as "tastefully shocking" to the New York Post, but not everyone shared the fashion designer's opinion. The outfit landed the "Stuart Little" star on quite a few worst-dressed lists because of how inappropriate it was, especially for her first red-carpet appearance at the prestigious award show. However, Davis herself was happy about how much attention her look got and had zero regrets about her choice of outfit. "I loved my dress! I was very happy with it," she told columnist Liz Smith following the ceremony, according to ABC News.

Davis also shut down rumors that she wasn't aware that the gown would leave her looking practically nude from certain angles, adding, "...I tried the dress on every which way. I knew the effect. Pamela Dennis did it and I wore it just the way she had planned it." And although her bold choice was met with raised eyebrows and criticism, the Oscar-winner made it clear she wouldn't stop experimenting with her red-carpet style. "...life is about expressing yourself. I definitely like to push the envelope and not let anyone dictate to me how I should look," Davis told the New York Times in 2000.

Davis has certainly taken plenty of fashion risks over the years, and like her Emmys gown, not all were positively received. She donned one of the worst Oscars looks of all time when she channeled an '80s high school prom queen at the 1992 ceremony in a high-low dress with ruffles galore (pictured above). However, three decades later, Davis remains a staunch defender of that look, telling Us Weekly in 2025: " ... I thought it was awesome."