Photo of Cate Blanchett (styled by Michael Roberts) taken by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair.I've noticed that girls who won't normally wear plunging necklines to the mall seem not to think twice about wearing cleavage-bearing gowns... is it because the more skin you expose, the more festive you look? Or is the formal occasion enough excuse to subscribe (succumb?) to a Hollywood-ized definition of beauty?
When it comes to formal occasions, the need for wearing appropriate attire seems more highlighted (I say seems because appropriate attire is required on all occasions), possibly because it's indicated in the invitation. What makes a dress formal? It's definitely not "more skin," or else beachwear would be formal.
The right dress (a better word would be "evening dress" or "gown," but let's stick to "dress" for more flexibility) for a formal occasion is made of the right fabric (chiffon, silk, velvet, satin, taffeta...) in the right cut (it complements your body type), length (either mid-calf, ankle-length, floor-length), and silhouette (A-line, sheath, empire, mermaid...). I use "right" because all these options must suit the wearer!
Just describing the typical formal gown is making me feel constricted already! But that's just the basic idea; the fun starts in how the lady wears the dress. What color (or color scheme) does she settle with? What kind of shoes does she pair with it? Jewelry? Accessories? Makeup?
Besides all these considerations, there's the underwear to get right: always figure out if your dress needs a slip before wearing it! (Read: Where did the slip go?) Hardly does a dress come with the right lining nowadays.
Now, going back to the question: is more skin-bearing a requirement to formalize the attire? Definitely not! After all, it's all about playing up what looks good on you and not about showing off what you've got. And when each lady dresses the part to celebrate (and not to get attention), the true spirit of the occasion will be better felt.
Define 'more skin'. Kathy and I were [seemingly] arguing before Cla and I were about to give a talk on prom with the 3rd year highschool girls of Rosehill.We have to be reasonable and not give them a list of donts or else theyll get turned off. Yes you can wear sleevless, venus cut and strapless and still look modest. As long as it hides private parts (arms and shoulders are not private parts) and it suits your body type
ReplyDeleteThe formal dress should suit your body type. E.g. The pear shape. To camouflage big hips and balance a small upper body, you can either a) draw the eye up (shift emphasis to shoulder) by wearing a Venus cut gown) or make your shoulders appear bigger to give the illusion of slimmer hips (can be done with padded shoulders or big shoulder pads) The latter looks good on the boardroom but I dont think it would be proper for prom. Wear a floor length dress with big shoulders and youll look like a heroine from an old Hitchcock film.
It depends on the total look, not its not just black and white of whats immodest or not. My sister was wearing a Venus cut dress for prom (shes very thin of course, the same dress would look different on a busty or plus sized person) and no one found it immodest, the school directress even said she looked very elegant.
I guess the reason why evening gowns are more revealling than daywear is because it is more embellished fabrics are shinier and usually more expensive. Wearing a heavily beaded sleeveless dress would look dainty, and wearing a heavily beaded longsleeved dress would look like an overkill.
*sorry wrong grammar USES more embellished fabrics or thinner more flowing fabrics that wont fall right when made in tailored silhouettes.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with strapless dress is that it tends to show cleavage plus it is not so comfortable because it gives the sensation that it's going to drop anytime. The tendency is to keep pulling it up. Perhaps a bolero or shrug will solve this problem. I really admire those hollywood celebrities in formal clothes who look stunning without baring their bodies, for example, Kate Bosworth. She looks so classy in her formal attire.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments Pia and Lani!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Pia: giving a don'ts list can REALLY turn off a lot pf people--and while writing this, I kept wondering how to stress the need to conceal and still leave elbow room for a lot of creativity... Thanks for the suggestions--even with just those, you can really see how true elegance can be achieved with a real brain-storm.
I forgot to add one crucial thing: Poise! The way a lady carries herself while wearing the dress determines whether or not she ends up looking elegant. And one contributing factor to poise is the ability of the dress to stay in place. Like what Lani points out, a girl wearing a strapless gown will tend to keep pulling at it (even if it fits)--kaya, wa-poise na siya! D:
The same thing happens if a woman wears a plunging neckline (in red carpet events, Hollywood stars resort to tape to keep their dresses in place--it kinda defeats the first word in "dignified dressing," doesn't it? I know using tape is normal nowadays, but taping the dress to the skin makes me think of school projects exhibited on Family Day for all to see, and then discarded after the day is through and the grade, given.)
Methinks if a dress is prone to wardrobe malfunctions, then it is best left on the closet--or better yet, the store. :D
If one really gets down to the basics, besides serving to protect the body from the elements, dressing is meant to reinforce and enhance the dignity of the wearer. And part of appreciating one's dignity means appreciating her own intimacy.
ReplyDeleteI think wearing strapless and backless pieces of clothing, and even short shorts, could be an indication that a person is still unable to understand and appreciate intimacy. The intimacy of a person deserves to be protected and honored.
I think using coverage of the body's private parts as a standard for what's modest or immodest dressing is setting the bar too low. Would this not mean, then, that even a bandeau and hot pants constitute modest dressing since they keep private parts covered?
So, the way I see it, strapless, backless and such cuts work against helping to protect the intimacy of the wearer, thus failing to reinforce her dignity.
As for formal occasions... when an occasion is a formal one, it goes without saying that more care ought to go into preparing for it and presenting oneself at the event. Does this not indicate that persons in attendance should look even more dignified?
Hope this helps.
Ay,,,,,,,,extreme naman yung backless. it wont protect you from the elements na you will catch a cold especially in an airconditioned ballroom. Neither would a bandeau and short shorts protect you from elements.
ReplyDelete