Southern Style Sunday: Tips and Tricks from the Red Carpet
Recently, the Atlanta Ballet had its Red Carpet Premiere event for the opening of The Nutcracker at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta. As Fashion Correspondent for the ballet company, I was taking notes on the best dressed in attendance and helping coordinate photo ops with the VIP’s and some of the dancers. While I was there, I had the realization that the rules of the red carpet are actually pretty applicable to any formal event where you’re going to go out, get dressed up, be in the public eye for a significant amount of time, and still want to enjoy your evening. With that in mind, and with New Years Eve parties quickly approaching, here are my top three tips and tricks:
1. Wear something that is both fabulous and flattering. If you’re going to be photographed from a bunch of different angles, you want to make sure that you look your best. While it’s not necessarily true that “the camera adds ten pounds,” it is true that wearing something that is ill-fitting or unflattering in order to keep up with the latest trends is going to result in photos that are not a desirable representation of your appearance. Two simple ways to acheive this goal are to wear all-black, or go with the classic, “Old Hollywood” glam look. The best dressed woman on the red carpet actually did both, and looked absolutely gorgeous. If you’re shopping for one of these looks in Macon, Karats and Keepsakes, Rumor Boutique, and Fabrik have excellent options. In Atlanta, I’d highly recommend Anthropologie, Neiman Marcus, or SAKS.
2. Get your hair and makeup professionally done. This may seem like overkill, but it actually serves two key purposes. First, being at the hands of a professional pretty much ensures that you will look flawless the whole night long. Issues like having a bad hair day, or just not being able to get your make-up right for whatever reason, virtually go out the window. It also forces you to sit still for a good hour, take a breath, and relax. For Atlanta events, I would highly recommend Kris Johnson at Laura Mercier in SAKS, or Jana Sciuli at Trish McEvoy in Neiman Marcus in terms of makeup. For hair, Baker Lanier Salon and Spa off of Pharr Rd. I’ve been going there for as long as I can remember, at least 17 years, and Patti Lanier’s abilities never dissapoint. For this particular occasion, I knew I wanted to do a retro-glam look so Patti gave me glossy waves that perfectly complemented the look I was going for.
3. Have a fantastic date. This is by far the most important piece of advice I could give. You can look amazing, but you’re not going to feel amazing if you’re not having a great time, and sharing the evening with someone truly special. For this particular event, I knew that after patiently encouraging me through years and years of rather embarassing attempts on my part at ballet, my mom would be the perfect person to watch some incredibly talented dancers perform the holiday classic. Because I took someone who really wanted to be there, and could fully appreciate the event, we had an absolutely wonderful evening.
I hope that these tips and tricks have been useful and that you all have a safe and happy new year!
-Anna Mae
