A Timeless Start to the New ‘20s

2020 Award Show Fashion

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Mina Jung/Talon

2019 was a stellar year for movies and music. It’s no surprise, therefore, that 2020 has had some amazing award show fashion. The first look at the 21st century’s “roaring ‘20s” did not disappoint and, consequently, glitter and pizzaz (as in the real roaring ‘20s) was a mainstay.

This year was about sleek and classic, minimal but still fun, razzle-dazzle without being tacky. Dresses were beautiful and reminded me of the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s with a modern fit. Almost everyone kept it classy and luminous. There were some outliers, especially in the men’s department, but all in all, it was a great year to watch the fashion at the Screen Actors’ Guild Awards and the Oscars.

Starting off with some heavy hitters, Renee Zellwegger, Michelle Williams, Jennifer Anniston, and Zoe Kravitz get my pick as the best dressed of the night at the SAG’s. Zellwegger’s Maison Margiela midnight blue slit-cut strapless gown was sleek and elegant. The high ponytail she sported and her pale complexion looked great in the dress. Williams’ black, off the shoulder dress was also timeless. Anniston looked like a supermodel straight out of the ‘90s, and I loved Kravitz’s homage to early ‘60s, Audrey Hepburn.

What I noticed this year was very different from award’s shows in the 2010’s. Celebrities are no longer trying to be gaudy; overwearing bright colors and bold patterns or adding too many accessories for the sake of being noticed is becoming passé. The excess of the 10’s seemed to have dissipated beside Sarah Hyland’s bright lavender mini dress, one of the worst looks of the night. To me, it seems as though we are longing for the Golden Age of Hollywood again. The future is no longer as fun as it was in the early 2010s.

Smartphones aren’t a beacon of hope anymore, the opposite in fact. Most people, on both sides of the spectrum, are unhappy politically, and there seems to be a wave of general anger that everyone possesses.
Because of this grim outlook, all of the stars, in my opinion, took a piece from the Golden Age of glamour. People want the beauty and lustrousness of the 1950s. They want the courtesy and politeness people once possessed. Celebrities seemed to be saying that we should slow things down. There are some things that are timeless, and new technology or trends can’t replace that. You’ll find that the stars who missed the boat were the ones that adhered to strictly modern looks.

As said, Sarah Hyland’s dress overdid it on the color and was too short. Other stars looked like their dresses were prom dresses worn by 16-year-olds such as Camila Mendes, who, though she looked beautiful, didn’t possess the maturity in outfit most of the other stars had, probably because she really is younger. I’m a longtime Margot Robbie fan, but her SAG dress, especially when compared to her 2020 Oscars dress, had too much going on.

This is similar to the trends I am noticing in fashions in the regular world. Styles are getting simpler and less frilly. Accessories are going away. Colors are becoming muted and patterns are simple. Just go to a Hollister or any other mall store and you will find simple, basic styles.

After watching the SAGs, I am excited for the future of fashion. I’m slightly biased because I’ve always been obsessed with 1940s Hollywood, but I feel new hope for movies and art that I didn’t possess last year. I don’t think we will give up what made Hollywood so amazing. I think film, glamour, and real movie-making will survive. We can’t know the future, but we can know the fashion trends and to me, those trends indicated a brighter, more lovely tomorrow.