How much of a chokehold does the “fear of looking bad” have on our favorite fashion girls?
Each time a new award season approaches (which usually is right after the Emmys), the discourse on how the fashion community will be inevitably disappointed resurfaces. I am all for the referential premiere looks that we’ve seen on Zendaya, Margot Robbie, and Dakota Johnson. I’ve even been surprised and pleased with Ayo Edebiri and Greta Lee’s well-tailored Loewe and Prada looks. However, when I look at pictures from the Hollywood of years ago, it’s easy to see that a fearlessness and lack of polish are lost.
I hate to reference a very obvious moment but it’s such a memorable look for a reason. I don’t even need to add a visual, but I will: Julia Roberts looks joyous in every picture from the 1990 Golden Globes. Her hair is curly, her gray suit is almost too big on her, and she’s wearing a men’s tie. It’s the bravery and naturalism that makes it one of the oft-repeated images on many a mood board.
As much as I enjoy romanticizing the ‘90s and what that era meant for red carpet events, the real task on our hands translates to all corners of the beauty world: what does glamour mean to an online community that doesn’t really know what it wants to see? We love drama, archival looks, and when muses truly embody a designer’s vision and brand palette. But we don’t really love when there’s too much going on; when the pieces don’t look wearable or comfortable on the person; when the subject tries too hard or doesn’t risk enough; or when we know contracts on celebrities restrict them from wearing something flattering or less safe.
We (I) also don’t know how big a stylist’s role truly is from celebrity to celebrity. Some take a hands-on approach (Law Roach); others merely offer small suggestions. Do they have the power to dictate what celebrities cannot wear? I don’t think anyone can say how much of what we see on a red carpet is the star’s true taste, even when it comes to glamorous looks where they have the chance to showcase their most personal style.
Though the public (online, offline, anyone who consumes pop culture) could have expectations that are too high, they’re still very much based on the pendulum of what’s trending. Right now, the more effortlessly flawless the makeup, hair, and attire are = the more glamorous. This is much more evident than before, in the sense that the look has to deliver on all fronts: while moving, in a close-up, in flash photography, on video, on high-speed slow-motion cameras, and in candid pictures. Achieving that is nearly impossible. It’s unrealistic, but we adore when it does happen, when it clicks and satisfies what we had in our heads for a premiere look, for the Oscars or the Met Gala. Effort is loved but unreasonably looked down upon when noticeable.
This could be a greater societal taste indicator, but I would like to keep a mindset that’s as least judgemental as possible. What causes excitement and admiration is obviously very personal, and if we gravitate towards the public figures whose style we admire, maybe the universal term of glamour is no longer useful. These events are the only ones that can really fulfill our craving for glamour, and remind us why we still (kind of) revere Hollywood. Maybe now the truth is that celebrity is no longer this mysterious, magical, all-encompassing prism. Nowadays, we know the reality of how much effort goes into red carpet looks — and the real feat is making them look easy.
What is holding back these appearances could be a lack of jewelry, as has been mentioned many times on social media: the art of wearing a good necklace is lost. Anne Hathaway is one of the last celebrities to understand its importance, thanks to her Bulgari contract. And, too, consider the fact that the presence of natural curly hair on the red carpet is lost. But what could also be the cause of celebrity fashion’s degradation is simply the notion of how effortlessness can never be the same as flawlessness. A look being effortless itself already makes us believe it is flawless — not because it looks polished in every angle, but because its distinct characteristics have aligned and shown personality, beauty, and fashion sense all at once.
In an interview with blog WORTHY in 2021, celebrity jewelry stylist Michael O’Connor mentions specific eras that show how the pendulum has swung: “Throughout the late 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, celebrities still wanted the ‘WOW’ factor, but they wanted a more modern feel. This era seemed to herald the ‘death of the necklace,’ in an effort to modernize and minimalize a look but still create ‘wow!’ As a result, earrings became the most important piece for many celebrities.” He mentions 2009 as an important year for the return of the necklace, with both Nicole Kidman and Amy Adams opting for statement pieces for the Oscars.
This makes me believe it takes a select few necklaces to start the trend again. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a maximalist moment (see Ayo Edebiri’s and Jenna Ortega’s simple silver chains at the 2024 Emmys), but it has to add some kind of “glamour” that we don’t get to see anywhere else. It adds to the new definition of glamour of our time, and it can be the rounding out of an already tasteful look.🌀