Should she have worn a dress?

[LunaMay]

I know im a bit late and sorry if this has been asked but....

Just that really? Why does making 'an effort' automatically mean wearing a dress anyway? I love her jacket..

thefix.ninemsn.com.au/2016/03/02/15/03/jesinta-campbell-clashes-with-reporter-who-says-mad-max-oscar-winner-should-put-on-a-dress

[GreenTomatoJam]

To be honest, I think good on the Oscars for presumably not having the awful dress code nonsense that Cannes did.

I don't think she should wear a dress, I know it's black tie, but she was one of the people being honoured, she was nominated, and she won - I don't think that you can dictate to that kind of guest what they should be wearing (and I certainly don't think you should dictate the bifurcation of her lower region garments)

[MyBreadIsEggy]

No she didn't "need" to wear a dress just because she's a woman attending the Oscars....
But in my opinion, she needed to wear something a lot smarter and suited to the occasion that a fake leather jacket, a scarf and plain old black trousers That's something I would wear to go out shopping or something, not to the academy awards and I'm not one for posh frocks either!

[Thefitfatty]

I think she should wear what she wants. Which she obviously did. Good on her.

[Millionsmom]

I think she wore what she wanted and she didn't want to wear a posh frock or even 'make an effort' - though, I think, the scarf was probably her making the effort. She has said she wouldn't look good in a posh frock, so good on her for being confident to wear what she likes.

[Catnuzzle]

Watching the clip of her walking to accept the award is awful. Hardly anyone is clapping. So disrespectful.

[VikingVolva]

She needn't wear a dress, but it's a black tie occasion and she was not following the dress code.

After all, the men are all in black tie, or extremely high end other suits.

Nearly every other woman was in long. Those who aren't are in shorter-length very glam, or equally glam trouser with tux type outfits.

ithink the reporter was wrong to issue an instruction to her. But I think she make a poor choice when going for such a stand out outfit.

[momb]

I think she looked underdressed for a formal occasion. I did wonder if she'd come in a mad max inspired outfit, but no, she decided that this was dressed up for her and thus enough. A strange mistake to make for someone who dresses others for every occasion/role and does it so well (hence the two Oscars she's won).
When she was striding down the aisle, smiling and looking back at her mad Max colleagues who were all clapping like mad, it looked to me as if the people she passed weren't clapping because they didn't realise she was the winner: more a random person coming in to pass a message or something, and thus they only started clapping when she mounted the stage.
No need to wear a dress, but something more formal would have been more appropriate.

[BarefootAcrossHotLegoPieces]

Haven't. Seen mad. Max. But assume. The skull on the back was a nod to it.

All the actresses get to borrow their dresses, I imagine. The support team players don't.

And finally, that is obviously her style, given the bafta comments as well.

[WomanWithAltitude]

She was there for her talent, not as a clothes horse. In the absence of rules to the contrary, she should wear whatever she likes.

[nooka]

I can't believe quite how rude so many of the audience were, not clapping, arms folded, disapproving expressions etc. Mad Max had great costumes (fabulous looking film generally, which deserved its wins) and she was honoured for that. Aren't creative types supposed to be interesting looking?

I see last time Jenny Bevan won an Oscar she wore a tuxedo, so I assume she's never really been a dress wearer (and most of the dresses worn at the Oscars are quite ridiculously OTT with a really unhealthy obsession with the women's appearance, virtually no comments on what the men wear of course).

Did she look a little scruffy, well sure, but it's a technical award for a behind the scenes person who presumably was being awarded their award for their skills, which have nothing to do with the way they look. She is great at making other people look fabulous though!

[VikingVolva]

I agree that a dress code does not have the same force as 'rules'

And actually, yes, it is the norm for the recipients in the support categories to follow the dress code.

[squashtastic]

None of the men were clapping, just giving awful looks. Horrid [eurgh]

[BarefootAcrossHotLegoPieces]

Viking, my point was, the "support staff" probably don't get free dresses but have a pay packet a fraction of the actors!

[BarefootAcrossHotLegoPieces]

I would not go to the Oscars like that, but I think she looked perfectly at ease and happy, which is the main thing, for sitting through a 5 hour show!

No doubt a dress or tux would've attracted its own criticism as well, because women's looks are fair game, especially grey haired, non-skinny women (see also Mary Beard)

[BarefootAcrossHotLegoPieces]

And i would rather be criticised for my choice of outfit than my looks, personally.

[nooka]

That's a really good point too.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

I can't find a picture of her but if the description of an event is black tie and you can't be bothered, then don't go. She didn't need to wear a dress or high heels , there are plenty of other options.

I find the "Ooh I'm so non conformist,look at me defying convention " attitude of peopleceho do this tedious, self-indulgent and showy - off.

[squashtastic]

I can't find a picture of her but if the description of an event is black tie and you can't be bothered, then don't go.

Yes and when the award was announced and they said "Jenny Bevan could not attend because she didn't want to wear the Oscar's dresscode, but would like to send her thanks to the Academy", you'd have nothing to say about that either?

Also, people did discuss her looks they said she didn't look cleanb. She looked perfectly clean to me. People think natural unsurrendered "unkempt" curly hair is dirty.

[Lottapianos]

Totally fine for her to not wear a dress and I'm a non-heel wearer myself, but I thought she should have dressed much more smartly. I would say exactly the same about a bloke who attended the Oscars in a black leather jacket, scarf and black trousers

That doesn't excuse the po-faced rude miseries who weren't clapping (looking at you, Inarritu) when she made her way up to accept the award

[MrsJayy]

She could have been dressier but she didnt need to wear a dress but its up to her what she wears i guess but I cant be doing with im an individual look how non conforming i am types. If you go out to a formal do you make more of an effort although the reception she got was just rude

[MilkTwoSugarsThanks]

I'd be pretty pissed off if one of the bridal party turned up at my wedding looking like that tbh.

There are dress codes all over the place that people seem to manage to stick to - not sure why the Oscars should be any different.

And yes, I think a lot of people didn't clap because they didn't realise who she was. They were seen clapping as she went on stage.

[LassWiTheDelicateAir]

Yes and when the award was announced and they said "Jenny Bevan could not attend because she didn't want to wear the Oscar's dresscode, but would like to send her thanks to the Academy", you'd have nothing to say about that either?*

What? That makes no sense. They would not say that. The event was formal black tie- if you disagree with formal black tie events - don't go. Turning up and making a point of not conforming is having your cake and eating it.

As for the suggestions she couldn't afford something classier- she's a costume designer, presumably she or her team could have run something up?

[Hovis2001]

If she had dressed up, would the media then have just said she'd obviously taken Stephen Fry's comments at the BAFTAs to heart? I suspect after the attention on her clothes then that she'd have been damned if she did and damned if she didn't for the Oscars.

Somewhat derailing, but I spent four years going quite frequently to formal events with varying dress codes, and it always got my goat that the dress code was expressed in terms of what the men wore. What the heck does a 'lounge suit' mean in terms of a dress?

Also, some of the men bend the definition of 'black tie' pretty far...

[WomanWithAltitude]

Surely the fact that she was allowed in means that there isn't a forml dress code? If they wanted everyone to comply, then they would make it a requirement - you either wear black tie or you get turned away.

If it had been me, I'd have worn a dress. But there's no reason people can't wear what they want provied the organisers are happy to let them in like that, which they obviously were.

[WomanWithAltitude]

I also think weddings are different. Showing up at a wedding looking scruffy is a conspicuous way of expressing disrepect for the individuals getting married. Individuals who you presumably know well and are supposed to care about.

Wearing a non-formal outfit to the Oscars isn't aimed at an individual, it's not a mean dig at a friend or relative. The organisers have the option to turn you away or enforce dress requirements, so it's their choice.