Kim Kardashian says she ‘adhered to dress code’ following backlash over Vatican outfit: ‘Don’t worry’

Kim Kardashian has assured fans she “adhered to the dress code” during a recent visit to the Vatican after she faced backlash over photos showing her wearing a lace dress with cut-outs.

This week, the Skims founder, who is currently vacationing in Italy, visited Vatican City alongside Kate and Lila Moss, during which she could be seen wearing a white lace off-the-shoulder dress, made by Victor Barragán according to Vogue, which featured cut-outs near her hips.

However, the 40-year-old’s outfit choice sparked criticism among some fans, who accused Kardashian of being “disrespectful” by not covering up more, especially considering Vatican City’s dress code states that guests are not permitted to enter the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Gardens if they are wearing “sleeveless or low-cut garments” or “shorts above the knee, miniskirts, and hats”.

“You want to know how far we’ve fallen as a civilisation? Kim Kardashian wore this to the Vatican. And no one stopped her from going inside,” one person tweeted alongside a photo of Kardashian’s dress.

Another said: “I would like to know how Kim Kardashian casually strolled through the Vatican with shoulders exposed. I got yelled at in Italian for wearing a tank top and had to cover up with a scarf.”

“How disrespectful of Kim Kardashian to show up at the Vatican with that outfit,” someone else wrote.

However, according to the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, who addressed the concerns on Thursday, she “fully covered up” with an oversized leather coat while inside St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel.

Sharing photos from the outing to Instagram, which show her posing with her hands in peace signs, as well as various shots of herself and Moss, Kardashian wrote: “We had the most incredible experience touring Vatican City @vaticanmuseums. It was amazing to be able to view all of the iconic art, architecture and ancient Roman sculptures in person, especially Michelangelo’s works. We even had an opportunity to view their private archive of robes worn by every pope in history, dating back to the 1500s.

“(Don’t worry, I adhered to the dress code and fully covered up while inside St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel’s).”

While Kardashian can be seen wearing just the lace dress in most of the photos, one of the photos, in which she can be seen posing with Moss, sees her wearing an oversized black leather jacket.

The KKW Beauty mogul also reiterated that she followed dress code guidelines in another tweet showing her and her friends sitting on the steps in front of the altar in St Peter’s Basilica, which she captioned: “Thank you OC Special for arranging the visit. (Don’t worry, I adhered to the dress code and fully covered up while inside St Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel).”