America’s Love-Hate Relationship with the Red Carpet

Awards show season is now in full swing. That means it is time for America to once again revisit its love-hate relationship with the red carpet. We are so obsessed with this relationship that we have entire TV shows and magazine columns devoted to critiquing celebrities and what they choose to wear to award shows. It is an amazing thing to behold.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the whole thing is the fact that most of the styles celebrities wear on the red carpet can’t be purchased off the rack. It is not like Brad Pitt is shopping at his local mall to find his next outfit for the Oscars. He and all his celebrity friends opt for custom digs furnished by the world’s most respected designers.

So if we can’t buy the clothing ourselves, why do we obsess over it? No one really knows. However, it sure is fun to speculate. Let’s do so, shall we?

Living Vicariously Through Celebrity

How many of us have fantasized about walking the red carpet? We all have dreams of fame and fortune every now and again. Watching awards shows and red-carpet critiques gives us the opportunity to live vicariously through our favorite celebrities. Our vicarious fantasies include red carpet clothing.

It would be fun to drop tens of thousands of dollars on an evening gown. It would be fun to don a tuxedo complete with rhinestone lapels and diamond cufflinks. After all, what good is having a ton of money if you can’t flaunt it?

Laughing at Their Expense

If we were honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that sometimes we obsess over red carpet fashion because it gives us an opportunity for a good laugh at the expense of the rich and famous. Let’s face it, we have seen some pretty ridiculous fashions over the years. We will not name names, but we all know outrageous clothing when we see it.

Let’s also face the fact that the red carpet is good for at least a few laughs with every awards show. And why not? Sometimes we humans have a tendency to take life too seriously. It is okay to let loose and have some fun. If that means getting a chuckle out of calling a piece of fabric barely large enough to be a handkerchief a dress, so be it.

Looking for the Diamond in the Rough

Here’s yet another reason some people obsess over red carpet fashion: they are looking for that diamond in the rough. In other words, they are not big fans of most of what they see on the red carpet. But every now and again they see an outfit that truly impresses. With any luck, that outfit will be on store shelves at some point in the future.

It turns out that designers provide red carpet clothing with an eye on selling their collections. So some of the fashions we see on the red carpet do eventually make it to retail stores. What we can buy might be scaled down versions of what we saw on TV, but the core elements are still there. Self-proclaimed fashionistas can find that diamond in the rough every once in a while. Your local clothing boutique, like the Stockist Shop in Salt Lake City, are often the best place to find cutting-edge fashion. 

Red carpet events are events that we both love and hate simultaneously. It is a curious thing. While many of the fashions displayed by celebrities constitute clothing you and I would never be caught dead wearing, there is a fascination with it, nonetheless. And so it goes, from one award show to the next.