What a year in trends it’s been, Fabulistas!
The red carpet in 2014 was more on fire than ever: We saw stars being more experimental and unexpected, while also pulling out all the stops in classic, closet-staple trends.
Hollywood’s leading ladies were not afraid to sex it up either: crop tops, cut-out gowns and sexy sheer panel illusion dresses became statement pieces (not to mention the ubiquitous underwear-as-outerwear trend).
So have a pencil in hand as you run through our list—you may want to take a style note or two from these leaders in chic.
Power Pantsuits: Nothing like a sleek pantsuit to make you look extra sharp, especially on a red carpet full of gowns. We took notice of three pantsuit looks from this year in particular: Selena Gomez in all-white Versace, Solange Knowles in a shocking pink Gucci pantsuit and Angelina Jolie in a tuxedo-style Saint Laurent suit.
Little Lace Dress: Could these lacy minis be any chicer? (No really: We want one in every color.) In 2014, celebs loved lacy looks—and none so much as the minidress in bright, vibrant hues.
High-Low Skirts: This year was also a testament to the black high-low skirt—which looks good on just about, well, everyone. Really, stars took to the carpet in droves wearing this look. And the most common incarnation? A sexy (and very sheer) lacy skirt.
Iridescent Gowns: There’s more than one way to shine on the red carpet, but our mode of preference is probably the iridescent gown, which, not-so-oddly enough, has the ability to make celebs look more lustrous than they could in any matte color.
Peek-a-Boo Cutouts: Whether a keyhole cutout or sexy side slit, Hollywood’s leaders in chic took precautions to show just the right amount of skin on the red carpet (read: the art of leaving them wanting more).
Black-and-White: Monochrome was major in 2014. We repeat: Major. While the black-and-white trend isn’t new on the carpet, stars did the look justice in 2014 by experimenting with dress prints, silhouettes and fabrics.
Crop Tops: Ah, the crop top—a trend which rose to prominence as casual streetwear a couple years ago and now has made a transition to red carpet mainstay. And we have to admit, we’ve warmed to it: Particularly the chic crop top as eveningwear manifestation of the look.
Visible Undies: Underwear as outerwear is back and sexier than ever. Don’t believe us? Take a look at these ladies, each of whom managed to stun on the red carpet with lacy, see-through garb over their skivvies.
Sheer Panel Dresses: Sheer panel illusion dress, we meet again—said just about every red carpet in 2014. We like this trend because it’s simple but effective: Stars who wear the look show a taste of skin as opposed to the whole shebang in one shot.
Denim-on-Denim: Sure, all-black and all-white have a stronghold the carpet, but no trend ruled the streets more than fierce all-denim looks. The most omnipresent of denim-on denim garb was the button-down and jeans combo, which we saw on Kim Kardashian, Beyoncé, Kate Bosworth, Zendaya Coleman, Jessica Alba and many, many more.
Woven Dresses: Want to look ladylike but still show a hint of skin? Ladies, meet the woven dress. Worn by Kate Middleton on her third post-pregnancy announcement outing, the woven dress offered a sartorial illusion—now we see skin, now we don’t.
