Dress for Success
Charity Ball Style: Under-the-Radar Maven Diane Kruger
Britany Larsen
Issue date: 11/3/09 Section: Voices
Embrace Trends, but make them look Classic: If you browse through photos of Kruger as far back as 2005 - she never looks dated. Even the trendier items she wears are worked into her wardrobe in a timeless way. In fact - she may be the only person I've ever seen wear harem pants effectively. The takeaway here is that you never want to look back at a photo of yourself years later and think - "I can't believe I wore that." This is most important for major life events like career conferences, birthday parties, weddings and of course - Proms!
Take Risks: The backless beaded dress Kruger wore to the L.A. Premiere of Inglorious Bastards received a range of reactions, from brilliant - to reminiscent of a hedgehog. While above, we covered the importance of not regretting an outfit - as many of us have learned in Brand Strategy, the worst possible thing is to be forgotten. Kruger's ensembles are always memorable, if offbeat. She isn't afraid to do something less commercial - like the 40 bobby pins in her hair and dark red lipstick she wore to another recent premiere. The "hedgehog" dress was out there - but stuck to the structured mini dress shape that she knows works for her. She took a risk in one area, not several - and thus was able to make it work.
Don't ever look too "done" - Kruger donned a side ponytail with a frothy Chanel Haute Couture ball gown, subtle lipstick with her over the top lavender Marchesa mini and isn't afraid to wear a hot pink shoe with a neutral dress. She knows how to mix it up. If one element of your outfit is really dressy, take the rest of it down a notch. Because you don't want to look like you're going to an actual high school prom - this means keeping the gloves, up-dos and rhinestone jewelry to a minimum and balancing out the formal elements of your look.
So with these ideas in mind, I wish you the best of luck shopping! I can't wait to see everyone on November 14th when we take over the Tavern on the Green. And for good measure - here's a few more to watch for everyday style inspiration.
Take Risks: The backless beaded dress Kruger wore to the L.A. Premiere of Inglorious Bastards received a range of reactions, from brilliant - to reminiscent of a hedgehog. While above, we covered the importance of not regretting an outfit - as many of us have learned in Brand Strategy, the worst possible thing is to be forgotten. Kruger's ensembles are always memorable, if offbeat. She isn't afraid to do something less commercial - like the 40 bobby pins in her hair and dark red lipstick she wore to another recent premiere. The "hedgehog" dress was out there - but stuck to the structured mini dress shape that she knows works for her. She took a risk in one area, not several - and thus was able to make it work.
Don't ever look too "done" - Kruger donned a side ponytail with a frothy Chanel Haute Couture ball gown, subtle lipstick with her over the top lavender Marchesa mini and isn't afraid to wear a hot pink shoe with a neutral dress. She knows how to mix it up. If one element of your outfit is really dressy, take the rest of it down a notch. Because you don't want to look like you're going to an actual high school prom - this means keeping the gloves, up-dos and rhinestone jewelry to a minimum and balancing out the formal elements of your look.
So with these ideas in mind, I wish you the best of luck shopping! I can't wait to see everyone on November 14th when we take over the Tavern on the Green. And for good measure - here's a few more to watch for everyday style inspiration.
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