The Cannes Film Festival Has Some Strict Fashion Rules

Every year in May, the glitterati and film industry stars flock to the Cannes Film Festival. But no matter how famous they are, attendees are still expected to follow certain style protocols — some of which are stricter than you may have realized. Evening wear is required for nighttime screenings, and there are several caveats, mostly for female attendees. The main rules for women include: No sheer "naked" dresses; no sneakers (only elegant shoes or sandals are allowed); and nothing too "big," including long trains and voluminous dresses.

The rules are presumably in place to maintain the glamorous vibe of the festival, and also for practicality. Long, dramatic trains can cause traffic jams and tripping incidents on the red carpet, while big, poofy gowns could make anyone seated nearby feel cramped. Naked dresses have been banned for fairly obvious reasons, and showing up in something sheer can come across as inappropriate.

But what happens if you don't abide? For example, several celebs broke the 2025 Cannes Film Festival dress code, but were there repercussions? The festival's official website says that the event's welcoming teams will "prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules." However, we haven't seen a single example of A-listers being denied entry. While they run the risk of looking disrespectful and entitled by disregarding the strict fashion rules, a number don't seem to care.

There were several celebs who disregarded the dress code at Cannes in 2026. Riley Keough, Bella Hadid, Kelly Rutherford, and Demi Moore all wore sheer gowns during the festival. But it doesn't seem that any of them got any pushback, and Demi Moore was even praised for rocking some of the most stunning looks from older women at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.

There was one celeb, however, who flouted the rules more than others — and that was Kristen Stewart. The "Twilight" star not only landed on the list of worst-dressed celebs at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, but she arguably broke more festival fashion rules than anyone. For a photo call, Stewart wore a sheer Chanel outfit with saddle shoes, and we're guessing saddle shoes don't qualify as "elegant." Then, for a red carpet event, the actor paired her stunning Chanel gown with black high-tops, thumbing her nose at the "no sneakers" guideline.

Stewart previously discussed her dislike of the Cannes Film Festival dress code in a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, but her opinion wasn't exactly popular. A clip of the interview on Facebook garnered hundreds of comments from fans who didn't appreciate her attitude. "You are wrong, Kristen," one commenter wrote. "They have every right to require a dress code ... If you don't like it, don't go." However, like other celebrities who broke the dress code at Cannes, there haven't been any reports of Stewart being escorted away from the events, so we expect her to return in the future, disregarding the strict fashion rules as she pleases.