Over the past few years, one fashion trend has dominated the red carpet more clearly than any other in the recent past. The "naked" dress—a dress designed to show off the wearer's skin—quickly became a surefire way for celebrities to make the front pages of newspapers and, as a result, enjoyed the full support of a number of showbiz personalities, according to CNN.

But any celebrity stylist heading to the South of France hoping to use the powerful tools of chiffon or sheer lace will have to rethink their plans after a change in the Cannes dress code was spotted just 24 hours before the festival's official opening. According to the organizers' website, "nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as in all other areas of the festival." The decision, which will have a direct impact on the growing trend toward "naked" dresses, was made "for reasons of decency," the statement added.

It's safe to say that this year's red carpet in Cannes will look totally different. Last year, model Bella Hadid showed up in a sandy brown Saint Laurent dress with a completely see-through top and a low-cut back. Saint Laurent was also the designer of the transparent dress worn by photographer Nadia Lee Cohen at the premiere of the film "The Shrouds." A few days later, actress Vicky Krieps opted for a transparent boudoir-style dress by Armani Privé. However, it is unclear whether any of these dresses will be allowed at this year's festival, given that they all reveal varying degrees of nudity. In fact, "naked" dresses are not all the same – at least not equally revealing.

Instead of providing clarity and guidance on clothing choices, the added clause in the Cannes dress code potentially raises even more questions. What is their definition of nudity? Would printed images of naked people, such as those found on Jean-Paul Gaultier's dresses from the 1990s, violate the new dress code? Or does nudity only matter in three dimensions? Is nudity viewed holistically, or does showing a nipple—like Florence Pugh did in her bright pink Valentino dress—risk getting you banned from the Croisette?

The updated guidelines – one of two major changes to the dress code, along with the ban on "bulky" outfits with large trains (sorry, Diana Ross) – were probably influenced not only by the widespread popularity of such dresses, but also by extreme cases that overshadowed the events at which they were worn. Earlier this year, Bianca Censori raised the bar for barely-there dresses when she appeared at the Grammy Awards in a sheer mesh gown alongside her husband Ye. With no underwear and no artistic elements, the outfit seemed to mark the beginning of a new era in fashion – one in which the power of suggestion was overshadowed by the brute force of shock.

For the organizers of the Cannes Film Festival, this is a form of exhibitionism that they prefer to leave on the beach and far from the red carpet. |BGNES