The Problem With Calling This Selena Gomez Outfit a “Wardrobe Malfunction”

We first noticed it with Selena Gomez.

The pop star, actress, and cheesecake appreciator has been majorly upping her style game lately, serving as a face for Coach and stepping out in lewks by achingly hip fashion brands like Monse and Vetements. (Kudos to her team of stylists, which includes Kate Young and Christian Classen.) Last week in L.A. Gomez served one of her edgiest outfits yet: a wide-shouldered top with deep-V cuts at the front and sides. She paired it with high-waisted capris, white stilettos, and a wide black belt. She did not pair it with a bra. (This is relevant, we promise).

It was a pretty iconic look—a little Sophia Loren, a little sexy matador, a little Margiela-obsessed fashion student who curates vibes on Instagram all day. The outfit was also fresh off the runway of underground French designer Jacquemus. That’s a pretty impressive glow-up for a woman whose claim to fashion fame three short years ago was her clothing line at Kmart (Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez, RIP).

When we saw her, all we could say was “damn, girl”—which is why we were so confused when major tabloids wrote breathlessly not about Gomez’s killer style but her supposed “wardrobe malfunction.”

“Selena Gomez suffers wardrobe malfunction in edgy flank-baring white top,” the Daily Mail headline screamed. The accompanying article boasted multiple pics of Selena’s side boob—a situation one would expect when going braless in a top with large side cutouts. With its usual unnerving attention to anatomical detail, Daily Mail reported that Gomez’s top “showed off her bare ribs,” but “failed to hide her most intimate parts.” In case that was too subtle for you, the writer goes ahead and spells it out: Gomez’s “breasts were on full display.” Cool, we almost missed that important detail among the 10 high-res pics of Alex Russo’s sideboob.

Other sites, from Hollywood Life to Entertainment Tonight, also reported the supposed “wardrobe malfunction.”

But here’s the thing: Going braless is not a wardrobe malfunction, and there’s something creepy about suggesting it is. We’d argue that Gomez was fully aware of what she was doing: wearing an edgy top exactly as it appeared on the runway, and choosing not to sport bra lines or straps. Calling her decision to go braless a “wardrobe malfunction” is like calling bare legs a tights malfunction.

Gomez isn’t the only one: Bella Hadid, Rihanna, Kendall Jenner, and plenty of other female celebs have gotten the “wardrobe malfunction” treatment for simply…going braless with a cutout or sheer top. (“Perky Bella Hadid suffers a wardrobe malfunction as she goes braless in a sheer black top for meetings in Paris,” the Daily Mail observed; “Rihanna suffers braless wardrobe malfunction as she bares mega side boob,” wrote the Daily Star; “Kendall Jenner flaunts nipples in crochet top & see-through pants,” Hollywood Life declared. Are you cringing yet?)

Of course, we understand why this happens: Tabloids basically exist to serve a steady diet of female objectification, and few among us haven’t lost an hour or two to the Daily Mail‘s right rail of shame, with its endless shade at “brave,” makeup-free celebs and women with cellulite at the beach. Clearly, the “wardrobe malfunction” narrative gets clicks. But expanding the definition of that term to include women choosing not to wear a bra is a new, nefarious angle on a creepy old story.

Maybe it’s the queasy mix of modesty concern-trolling (“Rihanna flashed more flesh than she meant to”—uh, you mean naked-dress Rihanna?) and guilt-tripping (“Did Bella Hadid make a huge mistake by going braless?”) that makes these articles feel so gross. Maybe it’s the insistence that celebs were “caught” accidentally exposing skin, rather than making a DGAF fashion choice. (And if they’re so convinced it’s an accident, maybe the chill thing would be to not publish multiple pics?) Maybe it’s the not-so-subtle way the wardrobe malfunction narrative ignores women’s creativity and style in favor of an obsessive focus on their bodies.

It’s a kind of objectification that’s relatable, even for non-celebs. Every woman knows what it’s like to put together a sick outfit and hit the pavement, feeling yourself, only to be harassed by people who assume you dress to put your body on display. Or to feel like you have to throw on a bra before running errands because you don’t want people staring at your chest all day.

There’s little chance this dubious trend will go away anytime soon. But let’s remember that Gomez has spent the last few years slaying in some of the world’s hardest-to-wear fashion statements—this is not a woman who gets dressed by accident. It may be more titillating to write that she or other female celebs were “caught flashing skin,” instead of choosing to go sans bra. But to do so is to deny the savviness and creativity behind their style choices, and we think she and other fashion-loving celebs deserve more credit than that. Something to think about next time you find yourself trapped in that right rail of shame.

Related Links:

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