Inappropriate Outfits Giada De Laurentiis Has Been Caught Wearing

Chances are even if you're not into culinary shows or even cooking that you've still heard of TV chef Giada De Laurentiis. The Italian culinary queen rose to fame in 2003 thanks to her hit Food Network show, "Everyday Italian," and has since appeared in several other cooking series for the network, as well as made appearances on talk shows as a celebrity chef over the years.

Despite her successes in the kitchen and on TV, De Laurentiis has definitely experienced the downsides of fame, too. Not only has the mother-of-one been accused of having affairs with musician John Mayer and fellow chef Bobby Flay, but she's also been criticized for not eating what she cooks, as well as for how she interacts with fans. Yet, it's safe to say what De Laurentiis is mostly called out for is how she dresses, often coming under fire for how much skin she shows, in particular. However, it seems that she hasn't let the haters stop her from wearing what she wants, even if she doesn't always love the sex symbol status that comes with it. In 2011, De Laurentiis revealed to Redbook, "It's almost ingrained in people that, just like you can't be a smart model, you can't be a good-looking cook." 

Whether the "Simply Giada" star is using her outfits on purpose to break down those barriers or not, she doesn't appear to mind causing a little controversy with how she dresses — so let's break down some of Giada De Laurentiis' outfits that many have deemed inappropriate.

Her plunging bathing suit led to a wardrobe malfunction

Some might argue that any outfit that results in a wardrobe malfunction is probably inappropriate, and that's exactly what happened to Giada De Laurentiis when she was wearing a blue bathing suit while at the beach in Miami in 2019. The suit's plunging neckline apparently wasn't made for splashing around in the waves since the TV chef had a bit of a nip slip when emerging from the water, per the Daily Mail.

Unfortunately for De Laurentiis, the paparazzi were there to capture the exact moment that she fell out of her suit, and when the photos hit the internet, many were quick to judge the TV host for wearing the outfit in the first place. For example, one person wrote on the Food Network Gossip blog, "Giada is ALWAYS advertising. She was already uncovered, so it's to be expected that even a slight wave would take the pic a step further." Another commented, "The key word is 'thirsty.'"

Yet De Laurentiis didn't seem to mind that the bathing suit may have caused her to show more than planned. She posted a photo of herself wearing it alongside her daughter on her Instagram, captioning the snapshot with, "Beach day w/ my girl." Of course, some did feel the need to comment on her look there, too, writing things like "Cover Up" or, as one fan put it, "Your suit is not leaving much to the imagination Giada! You might as well have been topless out there."

Viewers find Giada De Laurentiis' TV outfits too revealing

Giada De Laurentiis has often been criticized for what she wears on TV since many viewers find her dresses or shirts too low cut. The Food Network star is also frequently accused of showing off excessive cleavage or her midriff, which some find inappropriate for cooking shows. Yet the star told Redbook, "I didn't want to be known as the sexy cook. I wanted people to think I really had some cooking chops." In fact, De Laurentiis revealed to Parade that viewers' perception of her from her clothing actually makes things harder. She dished, "When you don't fit the image people have [of a chef], it's difficult to break that wall down."

Some have even gone so far as to start an online petition for De Laurentiis to have to cover her body on the Food Network, claiming, "She is a disturbance and promotes sexuality to innocent viewers." While one specific outfit hasn't been blamed, it seems anything that shows her body off is deemed improper by some.

De Laurentiis' looks even apparently caused her problems before the fame. "I developed breasts when I was 9 years old," she recalled to Redbook. "... I would literally sit in class hunched over because I was so embarrassed about my body." However, these days she's more about embracing it for her daughter's sake, which could be the reason behind her clothing choices. "I felt like I had to show Jade [her daughter] that her mom is proud of who she is," she said.

She wears designer but preaches affordability

Wearing expensive designer clothing is nothing new for most celebrities, but some might feel it's inappropriate when Giada De Laurentiis does it since it's against what she preaches to fans. For example, when offering styling tips to SFGate, the star suggested inexpensive items, claiming, "I believe in accessories — they are affordable and can really enhance an outfit." De Laurentiis even pointed out, "I have a lot of inexpensive bracelets and earrings." In 2013, she also promoted a clothing line at Target on the "Today" show's website, saying "it didn't break the bank."

While it makes De Laurentiis more relatable to fans when she delivers economical fashion ideas, she then seemingly contradicts herself when she flaunts her splurges (though, to be fair, she does have an estimated $30 million net worth). In particular, the "Behind the Bash" host has worn the high-end Italian designer Missoni multiples times, most notably to the 2012 Daytime Emmy Awards. She also gushed to SFGate that she's "madly in love with [her] Hermes belt with the classic 'H.'" Even on her website, Giadzy, the chef has advised readers how to shop on an exotic Italian vacation, advocating they buy leather in Florence and designer goods in Milan, which for many of her fans isn't a very realistic way to spend their money. 

These days though, it seems that De Laurentiis is making an effort to find dresses that those on a budget might afford: For the 2021 Daytime Emmy Awards, she donned a design that could be purchased for less than $500.

The TV chef celebrated her 50th birthday in a bikini

Giada De Laurentiis rang in her 50th birthday in a sizzling bikini and took to her Instagram in August 2020 to post a photo of herself wearing it. While some fans thought the TV chef looked amazing, other followers found it inappropriate — whether it was that someone her age was wearing a bikini or her lack of clothes — and took to the comments to let her know. One person wrote, "Loose morals and full of herself," while another commented "hard cringe." Others sadly used the "Simply Giada" star's bikini post as an opportunity to criticize her body. One troll wrote, "Too much information...knock knees and rolls!" and another wrote, "Give me a break you look anorexic." 

Unfortunately, De Laurentiis is probably used to getting judged for her slim figure anytime wears something that shows off her body. According to Health, the chef frequently is asked how she stays so thin around all the food she cooks. She dished to the outlet, "That is the number-one question, and the answer is I eat a little bit of everything and not a lot of anything. Everything in moderation."

Despite De Laurentiis' claims, a source told Page Six that the TV personality apparently "spits out" the food she tastes on her show. The source claimed, "They have a dump bucket that is brought out the second they cut." Still, De Laurentiis has continued to preach a healthy lifestyle as the reason, saying, "I do yoga with an instructor for an hour three times a week. ... And I go hiking."

Giada De Laurentiis' voter shirt caused a stir

Giada De Laurentiis caused some controversy in 2020 for a t-shirt she wore in an Instagram post. This time, the uproar wasn't due to what the "Giada at Home" star's outfit showed off, but instead because of what it read, which was simply, "I am a voter." De Laurentiis posted a photo of herself wearing it while pointing at her daughter, Jade, who was wearing a similar t-shirt that read, "I am a (future) voter." 

The mother-daughter duo may have promoted civic duty, but De Laurentiis never pushed for any particular candidate or even mentioned who she was voting for in the post. Yet, some of her followers felt it inferred other things, with one writing, "liberal voter ... disgrace!" Another thought quite the opposite, commenting, "So happy you voted early for President Trump." However, one fan was upset that De Laurentiis' shirt wasn't political enough, writing, "Silence is complicity. Voted Biden/Harris to save the USA from brainwashed, entitled racists." Either way, De Laurentiis couldn't win, and her t-shirt definitely got people fired up, with another person commenting, "this comment section reeks toxicity."

De Laurentiis may have been expecting some push back, considering this wasn't the first time her fans got worked up over a seemingly innocuous albeit political post. When she shared a pic of herself wearing an "I voted" sticker on Facebook and Twitter in 2018, hundreds used the comments sections to debate their politics. Despite the ongoing criticism over her outfits, we have no doubt Giada De Laurentiis will continue to wear what she wants.