It’s not everyday that we get the chance to dress for a red carpet. Even though I’ve been attending the Toronto International Film Festival for a few years now, choosing my outfit for events still takes a lot of thought. Luckily, I’ve developed some sort of system that has made it a little easier for me and I hope that it’ll help you to dress appropriately for the occasion.
Most festivals, like Coachella for example, have some sort of un-written dress code. But at TIFF, you might start the evening at a gala screening where little black dresses abound, move on to an industry event packed with men in leather jackets and women in jeans paired with Louboutins and, finally, cap the night in a dive bar rubbing elbows with Drew Barrymore as she throws back beer in an Alexander McQueen frock (yes, this actually happened).
So, my strategy has always been to leave the spotlight on the celebs and dress “toned-down glam” which somewhere between casual and refined. Perhaps a pantsuit onsie with fabulous heels, a simple shirt and pant combo with a stand-out statement piece or my personal favourite is a fit and flare dress that you can easily take from day to night. Spend more attention on a great hair-do and flawless makeup because, realistically, celebs can only see faces in the crowd so if you’re trying to get Leonardo DiCarpio’s attention, he’ll be looking at your face.
I also want to take a few minutes to talk about wearing shoes that you are comfortable in. The festival and red carpets happen on the streets of Toronto where there are grates, pot holes, indents on the sidewalk etc. If you’re attending a red carpet event, you’ll be standing for a LONG TIME. Even if you’re just catching a movie, I’ve seen a woman take a tumble from the stairs walking down from her seat (you know, because it’s dark and all) and it was terrifying. I love heels, heels look great, but don’t compromise your comfort too much. Beauty hurts, but it shouldn’t kill you. At the end of the day, TIFF offers an opportunity to think openly about special-occasion dressing so take full advantage and get your glam on.
