Are you ready for a glamorous night out? Dress for your personality and not your appearance, take a leaf from the red carpet
We won’t go to the Oscars. We will not wear haute-couture dresses. And we won’t have the chance to thank a “glam squad”. Or to even know what one is. It’s amazing that we care so much about what actors wear on red carpets. But care we do. OK, I care. However, I am not the only one who feels that knockout dresses can make you appear on the front pages. It’s because of the red carpet that film stars are most famous. Film stardom is not the same thing as acting. Acting is about being a different person. Stardom is about being something greater, a rare and mysterious creature that we look at. We feel as if we are in the presence of a giant panda or snow leopard. The red carpet is where the Hollywood Hills’ pride of majestic lions perform their animal magic.
Red carpet fashion is all about what you wear when people are watching. Many of us are feeling a bit rusty in this area. Although we aren’t all hermits, it is true that blockbuster parties have been difficult to find even when we were free.
It’s back. It’s that thing where you walk into a room and people who have never met you will form opinions about you before you say a word. This brilliant idea was shared by a fashion editor from another newspaper. She suggests that you think about how you want to project your personality when you choose what outfit to wear to a party. It’s all about your personality and not how you look. Perhaps you want them to see you as interesting. Or even fun. Or sophisticated. Or wild. Which one is it? These are two very different dresses.
This is exactly what film stars do. Angelina Jolie always looks dangerous. Jennifer Lawrence made her middle name “adorable”. Tilda Swinton nails avant-garde. You only need to see Zoe Kravitz one time to understand her coolness.
This is a high-stakes celebrity game where you could win a million dollars in perfume contracts if you play your cards well. It’s much more enjoyable to play the same game at a civilian level. For a start, you don’t need to be on-brand. You might feel high-energy one night and ready for anything the next. You choose an outfit that will make all the high-energy, up-for-anything people in your room scream about your swan dress or another garment. You might choose to exude a calmer, more mature energy on another occasion. This is why you wear something that people who are just looking for a glass of wine and snacks can recognize you as a friend.
According to my experience, brightly printed people love to talk. If you are feeling chatty, a print is the best choice. If you don’t feel like small talk, ivory silk can be helpful to encourage people to keep their distance in case they spill something on you. As always, the Oscars red carpet is a masterclass on how to make yourself appear larger than life to an audience. Give it a try next time you are getting ready to go out. Hollywood says you can be anything you want.
