Black is the new black

Fashion on the Golden Globes 2018 red carpet

By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor

If you were to see me in person, you might fully comprehend what I mean when I say that I love the colour—or “shade” for all you sticklers—black. The majority of my wardrobe makes me look like a trendy Tumblr slob applying for the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position at Hogwarts. So, when I learned that pretty much everyone attending the Golden Globes this year would be walking the red carpet looking like they were about to stomp the yard at the world’s most fashionable funeral, I was ecstatic!

After I got over my initial happiness, I did go to the effort of finding out why everyone was donning black this year. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately, depending on how you view it—it was to protest the rampant sexual harassment in Hollywood. This made the feminist in me kind of mad, but also kind of happy. I love when fashion has a purpose other than just “looking good.” That being said, there were a couple low-lights to this year’s event, so let’s talk about that.

The first misstep of the night was Saoirse Ronan, wearing a black and silver asymmetrical gown from Atelier Versace. The gown itself is beautiful, but putting a dress with such wide shoulder pads on such a petite figure creates fit issues where there shouldn’t be. Not saying that petite people can’t wear shoulder pads, but you do have to be careful with how extreme you go. Had Versace tailored the shoulder pads better, this would have been a great way for Ronan to give the illusion of a much more powerful silhouette. However, because the shoulder pads are so large, it also throws the bust of the dress off so the outline of the shoulder pads is very apparent when it should look seamless.

Next up is Outlander star Catriona Balfe wearing Chanel. Unlike Ronan, I don’t think there is any way of saving this look—it’s just hideous. Looking at runway photos, even the model looked ridiculous. The problem with this dress is that it is weirdly proportioned. Not enough so that it is cool, but just enough that it makes whomever is wearing it look like they have a super long torso with tiny little legs. The issue here is that the seam for the ruffle at the bottom is designed to be just below the knee, when—in this style of dress—it should hit directly above it, partially for movement’s sake: It makes it easier to walk, but it also exaggerates a woman’s natural shape, i.e. it hugs the curve of her thighs and hips before tapering down. When the seam is below the knee it gives the illusion that the knee is a lot lower down on the leg, which in turn throws off the entire look and sections the body in a strange way.