8 Red-Carpet Dresses That Actually Have a Detail With a Hidden Meaning

Red carpet events are often synonymous with glamour and style, where celebrities showcase their most exquisite outfits. However, beyond the surface dazzle, some outfits hold deeper meanings, with intricate details woven into their designs.

1. Gillian Anderson arrives at Golden Globe Awards

At the 81st Golden Globes, actress Gillian Anderson wore a dress designed by Gabriela Hearst that caught attention. The dress had a special design sewn onto it, which many news sources, including Gillian Anderson, said resembled female anatomy.

Gillian Anderson wore the dress because she wanted to make a statement, and she’s known for her role in the TV series Sex Education. The unique design of the dress was likely a deliberate choice to align with the show’s message.

2. Laverne Cox at Emmy Awards

Cox, who’s up for an award for her role in Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, looked stunning in a black and lilac gown by Monsoori as she walked the purple Emmys carpet. But what really caught everyone’s attention was her colorful Edie Parker clutch.

Cox shared her thoughts on whether it’s okay to discriminate against gay people at work. Cox’s clutch seemed to be a way to raise awareness about this issue, making sure everyone knows the importance of being kind and tolerant.

3. Kerry Washington at the annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

Kerry Washington sent a message at the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

The actress from Scandal wanted to show support for minority groups. She’s wearing a safety pin to Sunday’s award show to do just that. «I’ll be wearing one of these tonight. On my arm. To show solidarity,» she says.

People use the safety pin as a symbol to say they’ll stand up for people of color, LGBTQ folks, immigrants, and other minorities who might face hate and violence.

4. Saoirse Ronan arrives at the Oscars and the BAFTA British Academy Film Awards

Guess what? Celebrities are joining in on the trend of eco-friendly fashion choices, just like regular people! And here’s proof: the nominee for Best Actress in Little Women, Saoirse Ronan, showed up to the 92nd Academy Awards in Los Angeles wearing a stunning Gucci gown with a peplum design.

While the lilac satin skirt caught everyone’s eye, let’s also give a shout-out to the classic black fabric. It turns out, it was recycled from another one of the actress’s recent red carpet appearances. Pretty cool, right?

5. Taylor Swift at the 66th annual Grammy Awards

Taylor Swift made a stylish statement at the Grammys 2024 by rocking a watch, but with her unique twist. Instead of wearing it on her wrist like usual, the pop star sported it as a chic choker around her neck. This trendy piece is from the renowned jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz.

Now, let’s talk about the time on the watch. It’s set to midnight, which could mean two different things. First, it might be a nod to the fact that her album Reputation was released at midnight. Second, it could be a tribute to her album Midnights, which was up for Album of the Year at the Grammys.

6. Emma Stone at the 89th Annual Academy Awards

If you got lost in the glitz and glam of the Oscars red carpet and missed the little detail on Emma Stone’s dress, don’t worry. But now that we’ve got your attention, we’ve got to highlight it: along with her stunning gold flapper gown by Givenchy, the Academy Award winner also wore a small Planned Parenthood pin.

In a quiet yet powerful move, Stone showed her support for an important reproductive health organization. By adding this tiny gold pin with the Planned Parenthood logo to her outfit, she used her huge platform to advocate for women’s health and rights. Now that’s something worth noticing!

7. Rosamund Pike at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards

The actor looked like she came straight from Saltburn to the fancy event, wearing a fancy dress from Dior’s autumn/winter 2019 collection. Pike wore a strapless black lace dress that went down to her tea-length over a fishnet mock neck long-sleeve shirt with floral lace designs.

Pike decided on something more striking for her headwear. She chose a dramatic piece with lace designs and a small bow on top of her head. But she explained that her choice of headwear wasn’t just about fashion. She had an accident during Christmas, she said on the red carpet. «On the 26 December my face was entirely smashed up, and I thought I need to do something.»

8. Blake Lively at Met Gala

Lively shared on the red carpet that the front of her dress was made to look like the Empire State Building’s architecture.

Zanna Roberts Rassi mentioned that the green part of the dress’s train had a map of the stars sewn onto it. It was inspired by the same 12 zodiac constellations you can see on the ceiling of Grand Central Station in New York City.

She also had a small purse. If you look closely, you’ll see the letters B, R, J, I, and B running down the middle. These letters stand for Lively and Reynolds, and their three daughters — James, Inez, and Betty. The letters are in the order of their daughters’ births.

From subtle nods to personal stories to powerful statements on societal issues, these dresses prove that fashion can be both beautiful and meaningful.