Another week, another internet meltdown — this time involving former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo’s wedding dress.
The drama started last week when Culpo married NFL player Christian McCaffrey on June 29. A few days later, Culpo posted an image of her wedding dress, a simple, long-sleeved, ball gown. It also had a high neckline that ensured her torso was completely covered.
Speaking to Vogue, Culpo shared that she didn’t want the dress she wore “to exude sex in any way, shape, or form” because of her views on marriage.
“It’s a covenant,” Culpo said. “It’s the beginning of the rest of your life — and it’s the union and bond of two people forever.”
She also said that she “wanted something that felt as serious as that commitment” and she thought the dress would make her husband happy, too. Culpo and McCaffrey began dating in 2019 and bonded over their shared Christian faith, with Culpo describing their relationship as being “rooted in God.”
“When I think about Christian and what he loves and the moments that he thinks that I’m most beautiful, it’s absolutely in something like this: timeless, covered, and elegant,” she told Vogue.
What she didn’t think about was the thousands of online users who also had some thoughts about her dress.
On July 1, Kennedy Bingham, a bridal creator who reviews celebrity weddings, posted a video about Culpo’s dress that went viral on TikTok and Instagram. In the video, which has over 5 million views and counting, Bingham complimented Culpo’s “beautiful, simple, elegant dress,” but she wasn’t happy with Culpo’s comments to Vogue about why she wanted her dress to be modest, saying her reasoning seemed problematic.
“There is nothing wrong with wanting a modest wedding dress or just modest attire in general,” Bingham said. “But the way that she was talking about this went beyond just wanting something modest for herself and pushing this idea of what she thinks all brides should look like.”
Bingham said she thought Culpo was pushing a “conservative agenda,” arguing that Culpo’s statements implied she thought all brides had to wear modest dresses in order to take marriage seriously.
“It’s very clear that this was not a wedding,” Bingham said. “This was a conservative campaign.”
@gowneyedgirl From Miss Universe to Miss Pick Me, Olivia Culpo is earning her crown 👑 (Photos from Vogue Weddings via Jose Villa) #bride #bridal #weddingdress #wedding #oliviaculpo #bridalgown #bridalstylist #vogue #voguewedding #bridaltiktok #weddingtiktok #dolcegabbana
From there, things seemed to spiral. Countless users have commented on Bingham’s video and Vogue’s social media posts about Culpo’s dress.
Many fans and fashion enthusiasts applauded Culpo’s choice, seeing it as a refreshing change in an industry often dominated by more revealing styles. And while there are plenty of supporters praising the dress and Culpo’s actions, others are critiquing her for pushing an “outdated” look.
“I love her style,” one user wrote. “But this dress is a lot of nothingness.”
“This dress is stunning, but I especially love the respect it shows to what a wedding really is,” another commented.
“People are not having an issue with the dress,” someone else wrote. “It’s her own contradicting statements. Why is she trying to push for a CONSERVATIVE and her next look she is without half the clothes.”
“Olivia Culpo’s wedding dress is really awful and her Vogue interview is even more deranged,” another wrote.
“So much judgement,” wrote another user. “It’s their day as a couple and if this dress made her feel beautiful for her beau then who cares if others like it or not. I personally think she looked timeless and refined. Not everyone wants obvious corsets and beading.”
Did she learn nothing from The Great Dress Debate of 2015? (It’s blue and black, by the way).
