Gillian Anderson explains the practical reason for her iconic 2001 Oscar party look

Actress Gillian Anderson has shared the reasoning behind her iconic 2001 Vanity Fair Oscar Party look. In an interview with Elle to promote her new film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, the 58-year-old actress explained that her choice to wear a visible thong was a practical decision.

Anderson noted that the Eduardo Lucero jersey dress featured an extremely low back that reached nearly to the top of her buttocks. She stated that because the opening was so deep, wearing standard underwear was not an option, and she did not want to resort to shaving to avoid hair being visible through the fabric.

During the interview, her co-star Hannah Einbinder joked that the look ‘changed the world,’ a sentiment Anderson laughed along with, noting her satisfaction that the style eventually became a fashion trend.