Thursday 28 February 2013

Top tips on....How NOT to trip over in a ball-gown


After Jennifer Lawrence's committed quite possibly one of the most embarrassing trips of her life to date while collecting her Oscar on Sunday night, I started to think that when dressing for such big red carpet occasions, maybe the stars need to consider how to actually walk, sit, stand and tackle stairs in their chosen gown in order to pull off the elegance and grace required for such a statement frock. 

The biggest problem with full-length gowns is that while they look stunning, and make us girls feel all ladylike, feminine and elegant, they are completely out of our comfort zone of normal day-to-day attire and in all honesty need a little practice performing in before you step out for a red carpet event.

Luckily for me, I have been to a number of black tie events where I have had the experience of wearing a beautiful full-length gown, from which I have learned a number of hot tips to help avoid that embarrassing moment.


  • Never step backwards when wearing a full-length gown. If you need to turnaround you need to take a step forward and walk in a mini circle round. This way you always avoid stepping on any train your dress might have
  • When walking you need to kick the bottom of your dress out, that way you avoid stepping on it as it will always land in front of your shoes
  • Wear shoes with a strap to ensure they are secured onto your feet, the worse thing to do in a full length gown is lose your shoe which will then make you fall over your dress. Shoes with straps are the safest option for such an important occasion. Also make sure your shoes fit you properly
  • Always have your dress adjusted so it is not too long for you. This is one of the biggest faux pas you can make, a dress that is too long is destined for trouble. If you are borrowing a dress maybe you can tack up the hem and then let down after wards in order to avoid the fatal trip
  • When walking up stairs lift the skirt of your dress to just above your ankles, that way you can ensure that your shoes will not get caught in the hem of the dress
  • Practise walking in the dress, in your shoes, before you set foot out of the door to ascertain how the dress feels, moves and fits to your shape and figure
  • Always use sticky tap to secure any straps in place, or prevent a strapless dress from falling down, not only will this prevent you from showing more flesh than you anticipated, it will also prevent the dress slipping and becoming longer than you than you prepared for. Every inch can count in a long gown so make sure you are prepared for every eventuality
If you obey these rules when showcasing your red carpet number you should guarantee to avoid any mishaps or trip-ups.

Good luck! 

Talking of Oscars a few of my favourite dresses were:







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