Inappropriate Outfits That Were Worn On Live TV

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should — and that definitely applies to on-air attire. "What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language," Miuccia Prada once said, and let's face it, the legendary designer knows a thing or two about style.

You would think Karl Lagerfeld would too, but he claimed, "One is never over-dressed or under-dressed with a Little Black Dress" (per Harper's Bazaar). However, that's highly questionable, as it depends on context, circumstance, and geography. For example, one would be considered exceedingly under-dressed in a "Little Black Dress" if they were strolling the streets of Kabul right now.

Dressing appropriately for whatever situation is key to projecting a suitable, on-tone image and air of self-confidence -– even more so if you're going to be appearing live on camera. Because, in this day and age, as we all know only too well, everybody has an opinion about everything and access to a public platform to shout about it from. Some celebrities, TV hosts, and reporters purposely dress to provoke; others unintentionally. Even presidents can slip up in the style stakes (looking at you 44!). So can a president's offspring (shout out to 45!). As Joan Rivers has sadly passed on to the great red carpet in the sky — we're slipping into her fashion police uniform to examine some of the most inappropriate outfits that were worn on live TV.

KTLA meteorologist Liberté Chan was dressed to the T for a Saturday morning broadcast in 2016. The reporter was clad in a strappy, sparkly little black dress. And girlfriend was rocking it. However, per CBC, not everyone out there sipping their coffee appreciated Chan's snatched style, and the station was flooded with complaints.

As a YouTube clip shows, Chan was mid-report when an arm suddenly appeared to the right of the screen, dangling a gray sweater. "What's going on? You want me to put this on?" a confused Chan asked as the cardie was waved up and down. "We got a lot of emails," the off-camera arm man explained. "What?!" Chan exclaimed as the anonymous arms helped her into the sweater. "There you go, there you go. That's it," the arm man reassured her once her body was more covered up. "I look like a librarian now," Chan said. "That works!" Arm man replied. "A librarian who's gone to a cocktail party."

Social media was divided after the clip went viral. Some people called out the station for sexism, while others opined that Chan's outfit was inappropriate. It didn't take long before #SweaterGate began trending (via CBC). But Chan — who had reportedly "been involved in an on-air mishap" at least once before, per the Express – didn't delete a Twitter video of herself showing off her outfit. "Even if it's early in the AM, can't beat a black beaded dress," she wrote (Karl Lagerfeld approves of this message).

It might be the 21st century, but it's still a man's world, especially in certain parts of the Middle East. A Kuwaiti game show host learned this the hard way after a complaint about the "inappropriate" outfit she was wearing. She posted a photo of the below-the-knee, figure-hugging white dress on her Insta.

Amal Al-Awadhi was just coming to the end of presenting her weekly game show "The Winning Touch" when the ax fell — on live TV, no less. Per Step Feed, a government official had reportedly called the station to complain that Al-Awadhi's dress was not suitable. So, the camera feed was immediately cut, and she received her marching orders. There's been no official statement as to why she was fired, and Al-Awadhi is as much in the dark as everybody else.

"I heard someone saying, 'take Amal Al Awadhi off air now, or I'll shut down the channel,'" she said in a video posted to her Snapchat (via the Celebrity Arabic Instagram page). The 29-year-old claimed she hadn't violated any of the rules of her contract. "Because my show was airing during Ramadan, I was extra cautious about not going against any of our traditions," she insisted. "I took care of what I wore and how I spoke." According to the Daily Mail, Kuwaitis took to Twitter to argue over the firing decision. Some supported it, claiming "the dress should have been more modest," while others disagreed with the government-owned TV station's actions.

Amanda Kloots' thigh-flashing outfits got the U.S. daytime TV audience in an uproar. "The Talk" co-host's style on the show has evolved to include mini dresses and short skirts, revealing her long legs. However, per The U.S. Sun, the 39-year-old's clothing has been "slammed as 'inappropriate' and 'too sexy.'"

CBS has been flooded with complaints, and social media warriors have taken to Twitter to critique Kloots' attire. Bizarrely, many blame "Dancing With the Stars" for her new sassy style, "as she has worn a crop top and mini skirt, a low-cut dress with slits and more for her performances." This makes zero sense because she also wore a number of long, glitzy gowns, as well as grisly prosthetics and a black wig to dress as a blood-soaked, tortured zombie from the slasher-horror "Saw" when she danced the Argentine tango and a Cruella de Vil ensemble to dance the paso doble. Yet, those looks definitely haven't contributed to how she dresses and appears on "The Talk."

Kloots' husband, actor Nick Cordero, died in June 2020 from complications related to COVID-19, per The New York Times. As Kloots continued to grieve and deal with online haters, who also criticized her for going on dates, her gig on "The Talk" became a bright spot during a challenging time. "It gave me an opportunity to get dressed up and have an adult conversation for an hour, which, when you live by yourself with a two-year-old, you're not getting," she told Vogue. So, give the woman a break.

A Colombian women's cycling team kit that they wore for the 2014 "Tour of Tuscany" in Italy left pretty much everybody speechless. Well, for a milli-second anyway, then everyone had plenty to say. The six Bogotá Humana-San Mateo cycling team members were subjected to the spotlight as they stood on a podium on live TV, causing a sportswear scrutiny uproar that could be heard around the globe.

"Is this the worst sports kit EVER?" Britain's Mirror asked. "As [they] took to the stage ... all eyes were drawn to the unusual nude-coloured cloth used around their groin areas." The tabloid went on to quip, "Let's hope the camel-toe victims didn't get the hump too badly." USA Today also played fashion police, writing, "The flesh-colored, translucent uniforms feature red, yellow, and white. But in the very place where opaque would have been best, it's nude. The final look is so appalling, Twitter has flagged the photo as sensitive material."

However, Angie Rojas, a member of the cycling team and the uniform's creator, explained and defended her design during a live TV press conference (via On Demand News). Rojas insisted that the mid-panel was actually supposed to be gold. However, it turned flesh-colored during the manufacturing process. "But the color and everything that composes the uniform, clearly we will continue to use it for the rest of the year," she vowed resolutely — despite the head of the Cycling Union ruling that the kit was "unacceptable by any standards of decency."

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on March 9, 2020, as COVID-19 rampaged through Florida. Stay-at-home orders were issued as the Sunshine State began locking down, per Click Orlando. Jessica Lang was one of the Floridians who had to work from home, which for many people is a major plus. Not so much, though, if you appear on live TV — oh, and you live with your parents.

It certainly proved a stumbling block for Lang after an inappropriate outfit worn by her dad -– or rather, not worn by her dad –- made an unexpected appearance. The Suncoast News Network reporter was broadcasting from the kitchen when her father stumbled on camera with his bare belly front and center before pulling a T-shirt over his head. "Holy crap! Dad!" Lang exclaimed after noticing him.

"Work from home they said, everything will be fine," she tweeted on March 28, along with a clip of the snafu. The incident likely proved a tad embarrassing for Lang. However, it resulted in a fittingly hilarious video to remember her father by, as sadly he died just 14 months later. "My daddy was reunited with my sister in heaven. I am so envious of that reunion," Lang shared on Twitter. "He was the strongest fighter. He always danced through life with a smile on his face. He could fill a room with laughter. He's everything I want to be. I'm missing you, daddy. Love, pumpkin." 

Nicki Minaj is the queen of controversy and inappropriate outfits. However, the bubblegum pink latex bolero jacket, transparent plastic tutu, skintight leggings, and lime green, boob-busting, nipple-skimming crop-top/sports bra ensemble she wore for a live TV appearance in 2011 was pretty outstanding, even by Minaj standards.

The rapper's attire scores her a place in the inappropriate outfits that were worn on live TV hall of fame –- especially when you factor in that it was for a "Good Morning America" performance. After a bump and grind with her backup dancers, Minaj really started getting into her groove. She began repeatedly jumping up and down. Hmm. Repeatedly jumping up and down while wearing a super low-cut, too-tight crop top -– what could possibly go wrong? Well, the inevitable.

Minaj's cups runneth over, resulting in a NSFMTV nip slip. The unintentional flash went unnoticed by the singer for what seemed like forever. It worsened as she began jumping up and down again. But it was actually just one minute and two seconds before she realized and pulled her top up. However, it was long enough to, inevitably, cause outrage. Per TMZ, the Parents Television Council slammed the "inappropriate" outfit malfunction, deeming it not suitable "for children and families." ABC was quick to issue a mea culpa. "We are sorry that this occurred," they apologized in a statement to Reuters. Although, what did they expect when they booked Nicki Minaj for a GMA performance?

Miley Cyrus has come a long way from her "Hannah Montana" days. The former Disney star has grown up in the spotlight. She's had her every romantic interlude, indiscretion, controversy, and scandal splashed across the tabloids. And, just like teenagers do, she's messed up along the way — as well as experimenting with her style and image. Over the years, the singer has worn some pretty outrageous attire. However, Cyrus really ups her inappropriate outfit game for the MTV VMAs.

Who can forget the nude-colored latex bra, panties, and giant foam finger from 2013's show? Cyrus wore the jaw-dropping ensemble for her twerk-fest performance of the problematic anthem "Blurred Lines" with Robin Thicke. It proved to be a segway from child actor to full-fledged, grown-up pop star. "Not only was culture changed, but my life and career were changed forever," she told Wonderland magazine (via People).

However, the 2015 VMAs, which Cyrus hosted, was the motherload of inappropriate outfits. There was the barely-there silver Versace suspender strap thing and matching thigh-highs ensemble she wore on the red carpet, the flesh-flashing Versace cut-out number with pom poms strategically placed that she later changed into, and the outstanding plastic see-through Mamadoux dress with just a few buttons to save her dignity that she busted out with — matched with some utterly ludicrous white Courrèges sunglasses. Oh, and the pink latex just-about-nip-covering strap and crotch-skimming pants. Yep, Miley's gone and got herself all grown-up.

The most surprising thing about Katy Perry's 2013 AMAs geisha get-up was that nobody on her team advised her it was an inappropriate outfit to take to the stage in. Perry went full-on Japanese geisha for her live rendition of "Unconditionally." She whitened her face, rocked a silk floral kimono, and even used a wagasa as a prop.

Perry kicked off her cultural appropriation performance with traditional geisha dance moves behind a backlit shoji screen. She westernized (or sexed-up) her look by including slits to the hips on her kimono and a chest-baring, cut-out panel. However, she still had a sacred Shinto worship shrine and a flurry of falling lotus blossoms on stage.

You can argue that people weren't so aware of how problematic cultural appropriation is eight years ago. But its recognition as a "thing" and the subsequent movement dates back to the late '70s (per PBS). The singer was slammed for her performance by several media outlets. "It's these kind of stereotypical visuals that plays into white fetishization of Asian women — something Perry doesn't have to deal with when she takes off her costume," The Atlantic wrote. She apologized in an interview with BLM activist DeRay McKesson. "I listened, and I heard, and I didn't know," she said. "And I won't ever understand some of those things because of who I am. I will never understand, but I can educate myself, and that's what I'm trying to do along the way."

Barack Obama was under fire from the right-wing all throughout his two-term presidency. He consistently met with resistance and was criticized for pretty much every move he made. At one point, he was even slammed for his clothing choice. The ever-dapper 44 was attacked for wearing a light beige-colored suit, white shirt, and beige-and-white striped tie.

Obama wore it for a news conference in 2014 about the Islamic State and Russia. Per BBC News, within minutes of the speech's start, Twitter was ablaze with critiques and jibes. Critics mauled Obama for the color of his suit, claiming it was an inappropriate outfit given the gravity of the presser's subject matter. "Obama hopes to frighten Vladimir Putin into submission with this suit choice," The Truth Revolt's Ben Shapiro tweeted. "The emperor has no taste in suits," The Weekly Standard's Mark Hemmingway opined in a tweet that's since been deleted.

However, as The Washington Post points out, "Ronald Reagan wore tan suits during his presidency. So did Dwight D. Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush." And none of them caused any kind of reaction –- negative or otherwise –- let alone creating a so-called "scandal." Per WaPo, Obama's "light-colored suit became a matter of national import." With style and image professionals discussing it on cable TV and even "man-on-the-street interviews to find out what the people of Northeast Ohio thought of the controversial look."

When it came to the 2018 Winter Olympics Team USA speedskating suit design, it was all about the crotch — which resulted in some decidedly inappropriate-looking outfits being worn on live TV. The black-and-white, fitted spandex uniforms featured a light gray oval patch centered around the top of the athletes' thighs and nether regions. According to The Scottish Sun, "One website said the design — which was on the men's and women's outfits — resembled an 'alien's vagina.'" Another joked that they must have been designed by "Pervy Tom the crotch ogler."

Unsurprisingly, the sportswear sparked a social media frenzy, not to mention some serious questions about who, how, what, and why on earth? Per the Daily Mail, Twitter ignited with a flurry of reactions. "So who designed the US speed skating uniforms? That crotch-highlighting look is a little tone-deaf," one tweeter wrote. "Wait until you get a view from behind. Looks like they have a target on their cornhole," another remarked.

Apparently, however, there was actually a legit answer to why, and it involved a hella lot of science. Yahoo! News revealed that the strategically placed patch is called "ArmourGlide," which "is a super slick material that apparently reduces friction up to 65%." It was designed to replace the previous "skin suit" worn by Team USA. The uniforms had to be scrapped midway through the 2014 Winter Olympics, resulting in the USA's first failure in 30 years to score a medal in speedskating.

The world learned many things about Donald Trump throughout his presidency. One was his adherence to the saying, "Do as I say, not as I do." The Daily News reports that The Donald's hypocrisy reared its head countless times during his four-year tenure, including when he lectured the public on "the importance of working hard" while spending an inordinate amount of time tweeting and watching TV -– and spending more time on the golf course than any other U.S. president.

Let's not forget when he talked about "courage" and the importance of serving your country but dodged enlistment himself by using "a fake diagnosis of bone spurs." So, it's not shocking that Trump's kids have learned a thing or two about duplicity. Ivanka Trump, for example. Per Fox Business, the former president's 2017 address to Congress included a rousing speech about the importance of buying products designed and manufactured in the USA and hiring U.S. citizens. However, his oldest daughter clearly didn't get the memo.

During Donald's buy U.S. decree, Ivanka was filmed giving a standing ovation. She clapped in agreement while clad in a fuchsia-colored, off-the-shoulder $1,868 dress –- made in the U.K. –- by a French designer, Roland Mouret (via the Independent). Given the circumstances, many people believed it was a highly inappropriate outfit to wear. But, for the Trumps, it was just business as usual, like Ivanka's shoe line being manufactured in China by a factory that was accused of "labor abuses," per AP.

There are some colorful characters on Mexican TV. A clown presented a daily hard-news panel show up until 2016 — a literal clown, Brozo el Payaso Tenebroso (Brozo the Creepy Clown) — and Mexican weather reporters are renowned for wearing controversial and revealing outfits on live TV. They're all glamorous young women in super-short, clinging dresses, booty shorts, and skin-tight, low-waisted pants.

However, totally winning in the warm weather front stakes is Yanet Garcia, the ultimate queen of flesh reveal. There's a reason she was dubbed "The World's Sexiest Weather Girl" by lads mag Maxim. She knows how to play to her audience and regularly quenches her 14.4 million Instagram followers' thirst with steamy pics. Garcia really ups the ante when it comes to wearing inappropriate outfits on live TV –- so much so that she makes Kim Kardashian look prudish.

The meteorologist, model, and aspiring actor guarantees that her viewers get hot under the collar by rocking a variety of lycra, butt-hugging mini-dresses that would leave even Sir Mix-A-Lot speechless. However, one of Garcia's outfits caused a storm in 2015. Per the Daily Mail, Mexican social media went into meltdown over a latex, nude-colored miniskirt she wore one morning. Commenters claimed the skirt made it look "as though the 24-year-old presenter wasn't wearing anything but a tight flowery tank top."

Chrissy Teigen enjoys pushing boundaries. In March 2021, the model deleted her Twitter account after accusations of sl*t shaming by Courtney Stodden (via Vox). Teigen's social media exit merited a mention on "Saturday Night Live." Pete Davidson joked during a May 2021 episode, "If there's one good thing about the pandemic, besides getting Chrissy Teigen out of our lives ... I'm relieved." However, Teigen decided to blow caution to the wind and return to Twitter in October (per People).

Teigen has long been a polarizing figure; people kind of love her or hate her. And, for the most part, she seems to give zero Fs. Teigen is renowned for causing controversy — whether intentionally or not. But there's no question that her clothing controversy at the 2016 American Music Awards was definitely intentional. The model left little to the imagination in a barely-there, safety-pin fastened Yousef Akbar "dress" that was split to the armpit on one side and to the chest on the other.

There's no doubt Teigen looked stunning. However, the dress definitely fit the definition of an inappropriate outfit –- even for the notoriously flesh-flashing AMAs. Per Allure, things became even more inappropriate after Teigen suffered a serious wardrobe malfunction, which was hardly surprising given the lack of material and strategic placing. Teigen apologized for unintentionally flashing her private parts on live TV. "Apologies to anyone harmed mentally or physically by my hooha," she wrote on her Insta.

You'd think Ryan Gosling would be able to splash out for a decent tailor, but the Canadian appears to prefer still buying off the rack and not checking if anything fits before he wears it –- even if it's for live TV. Because what other explanation could there be for the suit he wore on a 2016 "Jimmy Kimmel Live" appearance?

Let's just say the suit's pants left nothing to the imagination, especially in the very closely fitted crotch area. The actor and director kept his hands crossed over his lap for most of the interview, obviously aware of what was being highlighted courtesy of the way too-tight-pants. At some point, though, he felt compelled to address the elephant in the room –- so to speak.

"I have to admit something. I didn't try this suit on before I came out, and I realize that it's so tight," Gosling told Kimmel. "It's wildly inappropriate," he admitted. "I feel like I'm going steady with these pants." Kimmel attempted to help defuse the embarrassing outfit malfunction by offering Gosling a coffee mug to cover his clearly outlined bulging bits. "No, because I don't want that to be the view," Gosling replied, choosing instead to keep his hands crossed firmly in place. However, the studio audience didn't seem to mind one iota. And, it looks like it's doubtful Eva Mendes has any complaints in that department either.