Growing up in the spotlight isn’t easy. Ariel Winter knows all about that given her fame on Modern Family.

Outside of the show, a lot of her choices were questioned, particularly her wardrobe of choice.

Even on Modern Family, Julie Bowen revealed Winter was covered up for the sake of the show.

Dealing with the hate was a tough adjustment for Winter throughout the years.

Back in 2019, she was once again put on blast for her outfit of choice outfit, despite the fact that it was a time to celebrate given her weight loss and Modern Family’s success. This time, Winter decided not to respond. But she does have a tendency to go after fans calling her out. Let’s take a closer look back at what went down a few years ago, and why her outfit was called cheap.

Ariel Winter’s Leather Inspired Outfit Was Called Cheap By Harsh Fans

Growing up in the spotlight is no easy task, and Ariel Winter faced that head on. She grew up on television in front of millions thanks to Modern Family. The actress herself admits it hurt her self-esteem, especially from a young age. She told People about her body changing overnight, “Growing up in the spotlight was quite possibly the worst for my self-esteem,” she says. “I had a hard time finding confidence within myself. When I started [Modern Family], I had a completely different body than what happened overnight at 12 years old. I was stick thin, I had no chest, I had no butt — I had nothing. I was totally flat, and I was so sad about it.” Overnight however, Winter’s body completely changed, and she started getting judged because of it.

She said, “I automatically got this hate and judgment online.”

Sadly, that judgment continued back in 2019 on the red carpet. It should have been a day of celebration as Winter took to the EW pre-Emmy bash in Hollywood California. Not only was Modern Family in the spotlight at the event, but she was also showing off her 30-pound loss of weight loss. Nonetheless, fans found a way to criticize Winter’s look, calling her leather minidress cheap.

Fans wrote, “I have never seen so much bad taste in one space.” Another fan called Winter a “cheap dominatrix.”

Judging by the pics below, fans definitely took things too far calling the look “cheap.”

In the end, Winter should have been proud of her look and transformation. Losing 30-pounds is quite the accomplishment. In addition, Winter admitted in the past that she got used to the harsh treatment online, and handles it differently today.

It Was Far From The Only Time Ariel Winter Heard It From Fans For Her Wardrobe Choice

Dealing with the fans and media over an outfit truly isn’t anything new for Winter, especially at that point. Ariel was constantly dealing with hate. That held true during various red carpet events, including the finale screening during season 8. Once again, Winter’s dress was put on the spot for being too revealing compared to the rest of the cast. This time around, Winter fought back on Instagram.

“Why TF does anyone care that I didn’t dress casual like everyone else for the panel? Why do I have to be like everyone else? Why can’t people just let other people feel good about themselves and do what they want? WEAR WHATEVER YOU WANT PEOPLE! As long as you feel good about yourself that’s what matters. I know I did. Don’t ever let anyone stifle who you are and how your express yourself. Rant over :)”

The dress:

The hate continued at her high school graduation party given that her dress of choice had some “underboob.” Winter said, “Oh my God, I got so much flak for this dress for my graduation,” Winter recalls. “I had a great time at my graduation party and everyone at my party loved my dress, so, ‘Whatever hater!’ I love this dress and I’ve almost worn it four other times. Who doesn’t love a little underboob? If you like your underboob, show your underboob.”

Clearly, Winter learned to handle the skeptics with a little more humor over time.

Ariel Winter Used Sofia Vergara As A Mentor Behind The Scenes

Ariel Winter had great role models on Modern Family, which included Julie Bowen and Sofía Vergara. Winter opened up about working with Vergara in particular, who became a mentor behind the scenes.

“I had a great role model in Sofia growing up, with her being a curvy woman that was super proud of who she was and what she looked like.” “[Sofia] could see that I was struggling a little bit with how to deal with my body, and was always trying to give me advice, like, ‘Here are some brands that would look good on our body type,’ or ‘Wear whatever you want, and feel good about yourself.”

Ultimately, maturity was another major part of Vergara’s growth in truly being herself. “But as I got older, I started to realize that as long as I’m positive in my life and as long as I feel good about my decisions and stick to how I feel and the things I want to do, that’s what’s most important. And that’s what’s going to get me through in life.”

Still only 26, fans are excited to see what’s next for Winter. At the moment, her IG page is filled with cooking tips.