The Most Controversial Outfit HGTV's Erin Napier Has Ever Worn

Between the controversial schooling choice that divided her fans and the fraud scandal her husband Ben found himself caught up in, HGTV star Erin Napier, of "Home Town" fame, is no stranger to the occasional bit of online backlash. However, despite any alleged shortcomings on the part of the Napier family, one thing you can't really accuse Erin of is being much of a provocateur. After all, she and Ben have built their entire brand around old-fashioned family values. The issue is that, in doing so, they've also attracted a like-minded audience. As such, any perceived breach of that identity is going to result in some pushback from the "Home Town" faithfuls. For instance, when Erin's outfit choice for the 56th Annual CMA Awards caused a stir among some of her fans.

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Erin walked the red carpet at the 2022 CMAs in Nashville sporting a Marchesa gown with a deep v-cut, showing off more cleavage than "Home Town" viewers were apparently used to. Just look at some of the comments about the dress posted in a Facebook fan group. "The dress is beautiful and Erin wears it well," one user wrote, adding, "I do not find the low cut cleavage something that I expect to see on Erin. I hope the celebrity this show has brought to Ben and Erin has not changed their lives so much that their wholesome Christian lifestyle changes into celebrity status." Others were less nuanced in their remarks. "She's very pretty, but the exposed area should be reserved for her husband's eyes only, in my opinion," one individual commented. Another user simply wrote, "Stay more modest!" So, while other users did come to Erin's defense, it was a bit of a tough crowd overall.

Interestingly enough, the Facebook commenter we quoted wasn't entirely off base when they speculated that Erin Napier's celebrity status impacted her fashion decisions heading into the 2022 CMAs. In an Instagram post after the show, the HGTV star made no apologies for her low-cut gown, though she did acknowledge that it represented a step outside of her comfort zone. Nevertheless, she wanted to put her best foot forward, given that she and husband Ben Napier also presented an award that night. "I've never felt so lovely and fancy and outside my norm," Erin wrote, adding, "It helped me feel like I belonged when I was so nervous."

As for who turned her onto the dress in the first place, in the same post, Erin credited Drew Barrymore with acting as her fashion mentor. As she explained, the "Home Town" star had always been a big fan of Barrymore's, and finally got the chance to meet her when she and Ben were invited to appear on her talk show. This, of course, gave her an in. "I nervously reached out to her to ask: Where do I begin to find a dress? I found one I loved but couldn't find my size ... Drew asked @marchesafashion to help me, and help they did."

A little-known fact about Barrymore is that the "Scream" alum has actually maintained a close bond with the Napiers since their initial interactions. In February 2023, Barrymore even posted in Instagram reel in which she can be seen gushing over her friendship with Erin as the latter spoke highly of her on an episode of "Home Town." So, we're going to go out on a limb and say that Barrymore's opinion matters more to Erin than some Facebook comments.