Devoted followers of fashion don't often pass up an invitation to dress up — like, really dress up. However, a formal dress code comes with a very specific conundrum: Fancy clothing can be really expensive, so we're always looking to factor re-wear opportunities into the cost. But that's not all that realistic if you don't have a ton of black-tie functions on the calendar. So, it's all about getting creative and challenging what constitutes "daytime" wear in order to make a snazzy dress work. Ariel Winter gave us a sort of reverse-inspiration at last night's Emmys, showing the red-carpet equivalent of a column gown we'd seen before in its mini form.
The Modern Family actress wore a glimmering Yousef Al-Jasmi, bedazzled with silvery sparkles in an art-deco pattern over a nude slip. With slicked-back hair, minimal accessories, and barely-there sandals, Winter put her best Old Hollywood redux foot forward in her own interpretation of the dress silhouette that has become a red carpet standard.
So, now that we've seen the awards show-apropos version, how, exactly, could this work for daytime? It may be hard to picture this garment on your morning coffee run, but Kylie Jenner did just that during New York Fashion Week, in fact. The reality star went out for a "casual" stroll in the minidress version of Winter's Al-Jasmi number, pairing it with a frayed denim jacket (worn off the shoulder, because, street style) and clear Yeezy heels.
Maybe we're just so accustomed to the Kardashian-Jenner's daytime Balmain cameos that this styling feels totally feasible. Hey, for some folks, fresh-off-the-catwalk garments can, indeed, be everyday wear. But we're willing to give this interpretation of a gown a chance, if only to give the fancy-dress section of our closets more mileage. Karlie Kloss, too, has tried the hem-trim trick to make a gown after-party-worthy. We might attempt this, as well, whenever the next occasion to wear a gown comes along (albeit with the help of a skilled tailor).