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It鈥檚 not entirely clear what the Cannes organizers mean by 鈥渘udity鈥� in this context. Is it the complete absence of clothing? Do the ubiquitous 鈥渘aked dresses,鈥� which use a clever combination of nude-coloured netting and strategically placed gemstones to trompe l鈥檕eil us into thinking the wearer is in the buff, fall under this prohibition?

Presumably, it would apply to the increasingly popular gowns that 鈥渇ree the nipple,鈥� with just a subtle veil of tulle over the wearer鈥檚 chest. Supermodel Bella Hadid is one Cannes regular who has often worn this style on the Croisette: Last year, she wore a sheer tan Saint Laurent dress to 鈥淭he Apprentice鈥� premiere; that this single appearance resulted in $7.2 million (U.S.) in media impact value (MIV, or a whole lot of eyeballs) for the fashion brand.

The reason for the new rule? 鈥淒ecency,鈥� the statement says with an implied Gallic shrug, as if this should be as obvious as how to knot a scarf in that ineffably French way.

This injunction against nudity is accompanied by another new sartorial ban: No more 鈥渧oluminous outfits, particularly those with a large train that hinder the flow of traffic of guests and complicate seating in the theatre.鈥�

Like the Three Bears and their porridge, there seems to be a 鈥渏ust right鈥� amount of fabric on the red carpet 鈥� somewhere between Rihanna鈥檚 exuberantly trained 鈥淧izza Dress鈥� from the 2015 Met Gala and Julia Fox鈥檚 beige-tulle-and-strategically-placed-strands-of-hair Dilara Findikoglu number from this year鈥檚 Vanity Fair Oscars party.

As to what they鈥檇 rather guests wear instead? Here, Cannes organizers are much more clear on their expectations for a gala screening: 鈥淓vening wear,鈥� defined as a long dress or a tuxedo. In a gesture of magnanimity, they also offer these alternatives: A 鈥渓ittle black dress,鈥� a cocktail dress, a dark-coloured pant suit, a dressy top with black pants; a black or navy-blue suit with bow-tie or dark-coloured tie.

Cannes鈥� middle name might as well be 鈥渙fficious鈥� rather than 鈥渙fficial.鈥澛燭his very late-breaking update to the festival’s dress code joins a long list of contentious red carpet moments at the festival, most notably the unofficial, but widely acknowledged rule that women must wear high heels when walking the red carpets.聽

It was challenged by the A-list likes of Julia Roberts and Kristen Stewart, who took off their shoes and went barefoot in protest. Stewart commented on it in 2018: 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not asking guys to wear heels and a dress, you cannot ask me either.鈥澛�

In the latest dress code update, the heel issue is addressed, stipulating 鈥渆legant shoes and sandals with or without a heel (no sneakers).鈥�

This is the same festival that bans selfies at the top of the stairs before the theatre entrance, and has rules about not lingering too long on the red carpet.

Last year, Kelly Rowland went viral when she stood up to one of the security guards martialing the flow of traffic at a premiere, who seemed to be trying to get the singer and actor to move off the red carpet before she was ready.

鈥淭he woman knows what happened. I know what happened. I have a boundary, and I stand by those boundaries and that is it,鈥� Rowland told The Associated Press afterward. “And there were other women that attended that carpet who did not quite look like me, and they didn鈥檛 get scolded or pushed off or told to get off. I stood my ground and she felt like she had to stand hers, but I stood my ground.”

There聽may be something of a U.S.-France culture war at play here. 鈥淗ave u ever seen a French actrice in a train? I think not,鈥� commented French fashion influencer Camille Charri猫re on 聽by fashion writer Louis Pisano about the new rules. American celebrity stylist Kate Young replied with a coffin emoji, as though knocked dead by this insouciant barb.聽

Charri猫re wrote in a second comment: “Time to celebrate cinema again and refocus on the real reason for a carpet: getting people excited for a movie!!”

It鈥檚 true that Hollywood, with its embrace of scene-stealing spectacle, might do things very differently than its French counterparts. But like it or not, red carpets, and what stars wear to walk them, are now a crucial marketing tactic for films and actors alike.

These appearances can generate reams of talking points and launch breakout stars into the public eye. What is most head-scratching about these new bans is that the sartorial spectacle of the red carpet 鈥� whether that be naked dresses or gowns more dramatic than the films being screened 鈥� is half the reason many of us care about film festivals at all.