If you missed the 2021 Oscar's red carpet, no worries-I did too but still saw everything I needed to see, especially what 2021 Oscar's fashion is telling us about the direction of fashion to come.
Red carpets are like a secondary fashion runways. First, we see what the designers are creating on the runway shows in February. Then, we see some of those styles adopted for all of the major red carpets and celebrities, and those styles and trends get trickled down into different stages of the fashion cycle that we the consumer begin to see in our options from retailers later in the summer and fall. The entire process is cyclical and happens every year. So what did we learn from this years Oscar fashion? Keep reading to find out.
A Return To Getting Dressed Up
The biggest thing I noticed about Oscar fashion is a return to getting dressed, literally. The Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, the governing body of the Oscars, actually had a dress code for this years ceremony along with a list of rules, including no sweatpants and that if an actor was nominated, they must be in attendance and couldn't Zoom; likely to prevent the urge to deviate from the no sweatpants rule.
I think that this highlights an urge to get back to normal. Since fashion often expresses the mood of a period of time without saying a word, getting back to dressing for things is a great way to send a message that we're ready for life to be back to a "new normal".
Dressed To Kill
Don't hold back any punches. Get dressed. Where the jewels, the shoes, the bag....and revel in it! That was a clear message from the opulence, bold, bright, "look at me" colors and styles we saw up and down the carpet.
As a side note, there were a lot of formal crop tops, mid sections and skin shown in many of the gowns that we saw. Don't be surprised if you find more cropped, navel skimming, looser, tailored tops, jackets and the like in your style choices in the next 6-8 months.
Left to right: Carrie Mulligan in Valentino Couture, Regina King in Louis Vuitton, and Zendaya in Valentino. Photos courtesy of Cosmopolitan Magazine.
Color
In addition to the images above, we saw a lot of color and minimal black. A sign that people are ready to be happy and shed the darkness of the past year with a sign of optimism mixed in. Color is often a great way to express happiness, optimism, and excitement for the moment.
I'll also go out on a limb and say that lavender, gold and purple are probably going to pop up in our choices in the next 6-8 months.
Left to right: H.E.R in Halle Berry in Dolce & Gabana Peter Dundas, Angela Bassett in Alberta Ferretti.
What Does This All Mean For You
For you this means that you can take some or all of this information and begin to strategically curate your wardrobe for summer, and fall. Building looks that can interact with the current wardrobe you have and seeing where to add new pieces, if you need them.
NIC TIP: Remember to buy quality pieces that can last season after season to help cut down on disposable, unethical fashion and donate what you no longer need. Also buy in outfits, rather than individual pieces, or be mindful of what you buy and how it can be worn and styled with other pieces that you own. This will prevent you from feeling like "you have nothing to wear".
One things for sure, if you've been itching to start wearing your nice pieces again, it's definitely looking like your wish is close to coming true.
What are your thoughts? Are you ready to start getting dressed again and wearing all of your cute clothes or are you here for the comfy life? Comment below!