What Happened To Accessories On The Carpet?
At the heart of award season, Hollywood’s elites rush the carpets with luxury gowns and extravagant jewelry. Except maybe not, considering many celebrities have opted out of accessorizing; some wear little to no earrings, rings, bracelets, and especially no necklaces.
The zero jewelry trend has plagued red carpets for some time, leaving people questioning why many celebrities aren’t accessorizing anymore. Stars used to flood the carpets with the most sparkling jewels serving as the perfect way to elevate their looks. And now, the no-accessory trend has left their outfits looking incomplete.
One of the most recent star-studded events was the 80th Golden Globes, where we saw more stars accepting gold than wearing it.
Selena Gomez wore Valentino at the 80th Golden Globes styled by Kate Young. This Valentino look has a strapless v-neckline, perfect for a necklace. But unfortunately, it is not styled with one.
Image Courtesy: People.com
Jessica Chastain wearing Oscar de la Renta at the 80th Golden Globes styled by Elizabeth Stweart. Considering her dress has a high neckline, a necklace wasn’t needed, but since her hair is pulled back, earrings would have been a good addition.
Image Courtesy: Vanity Fair
The same dress but styled with earrings. The earrings don’t take away from the detailing of the dress, but it does work beautifully, elevating the look.
Image Courtesy: Oscar De La Renta
None of these celebrities are likely dressing themselves, as many have stylists. So, why have stylists excluded jewelry from celebrities' red-carpet looks? One of the possible reasons could be the recent trends of the Clean Girl aesthetic and Heroin Chic.
The “clean girl” aesthetic, popularized through TikTok, promotes the "effortlessly gorgeous" look. With a few components, including a no-makeup-makeup look and minimal accessories. Heroin chic, popularized in the 1990s, has also made its way to TikTok with its androgynous attributes and emaciated features, meaning collarbones are the star accessory.
The trend hasn’t just been on the carpet and the runway. On Jan. 23, Schiaparelli had their Spring 2023 Couture show in Paris. Schiaparelli is known for their eccentric and witty accessories, although throughout the show, several looks had no accessories at all.
Other than aesthetics, stylists could be limiting the accessories they use on celebrities in a way to make them not look pretentious. Considering the recent pandemic, they most likely fear appearing ‘out of touch.’ Wearing expensive accessories with diamonds and other jewels doesn’t make them exactly look relatable and humble, which has been a recent trend amongst influencers and celebrities.
In a 2021 Fuse interview with social media personality and rapper Bhad Bhabie, she admitted to having and wearing fake jewelry. “I have real chains. I have fake chains. I have replicas of a lot of my stuff,” she says. She then continued to explain that she does not wear any more real jewelry out because of the possibility of getting robbed. “Ever since I heard that Kim K did that sh*t, I was on it.” she continued.
In 2016, Reality TV star, Kim Kardashian, was robbed at gunpoint in a hotel in Paris. The robbers stole millions from her, including two diamond Cartier bracelets, a gold and diamond Jacob necklace, Lorraine Schwartz diamond earrings, a gold Rolex, and other items. What happened to Kim was a wake-up call for many celebrities. Reducing items that make them more vulnerable to theft is most likely why they don't accessorize as much on carpets anymore, especially when they are far from home.
As much as we may love to see accessories from luxury brands like Bvlgari and Cartier on celebrities, maybe it's a good thing they stay away from the flashy jewels. Maybe more stars will follow Bhad Bahbie, and fake jewels will be the next big trend.
Strike Out,
Morgann Rhule
Boca Raton
Morgann (yes with 2 n’s) is a content writer for Strike Magazine. Her best friends describe her as a shopaholic bookworm who gives the best advice. Born in Jamaica, she wears it proudly with a beaded red, green and gold necklace she never takes off. You can reach her on insta @morgannrhule or email morgannrhule@gmail.com
