Photo of Cate Blanchett (styled by Michael Roberts) taken by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair.I've noticed that girls who won't normally wear plunging necklines to the mall seem not to think twice about wearing cleavage-bearing gowns... is it because the more skin you expose, the more festive you look? Or is the formal occasion enough excuse to subscribe (succumb?) to a Hollywood-ized definition of beauty?
When it comes to formal occasions, the need for wearing appropriate attire seems more highlighted (I say seems because appropriate attire is required on all occasions), possibly because it's indicated in the invitation. What makes a dress formal? It's definitely not "more skin," or else beachwear would be formal.
The right dress (a better word would be "evening dress" or "gown," but let's stick to "dress" for more flexibility) for a formal occasion is made of the right fabric (chiffon, silk, velvet, satin, taffeta...) in the right cut (it complements your body type), length (either mid-calf, ankle-length, floor-length), and silhouette (A-line, sheath, empire, mermaid...). I use "right" because all these options must suit the wearer!
Just describing the typical formal gown is making me feel constricted already! But that's just the basic idea; the fun starts in how the lady wears the dress. What color (or color scheme) does she settle with? What kind of shoes does she pair with it? Jewelry? Accessories? Makeup?
Besides all these considerations, there's the underwear to get right: always figure out if your dress needs a slip before wearing it! (Read: Where did the slip go?) Hardly does a dress come with the right lining nowadays.
Now, going back to the question: is more skin-bearing a requirement to formalize the attire? Definitely not! After all, it's all about playing up what looks good on you and not about showing off what you've got. And when each lady dresses the part to celebrate (and not to get attention), the true spirit of the occasion will be better felt.
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