Gillian Anderson faced a dilemma on the night of the 2001 Vanity Fair ‘s Oscar After Party.
Originally planning to go commando for the low back number, Anderson noticed that doing so would reveal a little too much of herself to the public. So she opted for a little black thong.
A paparazzi photo of the thong peeking out caught the world’s gaze and a pragmatic, last-minute decision was being hailed as punk, kickstarting the Noughties look of showing off your underwear, championed by the likes of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton.