Red Carpet Style Tips from Celebrity Stylist Negar Ali Kline

My view from behind the camera at Costume Designer Guild Awards Red Carpet in 2012 (photo M. Hall)

In 2012, I attended the Costume Designer Guild Awards. I covered the event here on The Recessionista and also on The Huffington Post.  That year,  Hallie Berry was the LACOSTE Honoree at she stepped out on the red carpet in a gorgeous Ellie Saab red gown.  She was stunning.  When I first started going to Hollywood events and New York Fashion Week, I was more concerned about writing .  After all, I am someone who is primarily behind the screen. For a long time I was only  behind the blog.  Now, things have changed.  It’s the era of the selfie and social media and all of us need to pay more attention to how we look and our appearance, which is our personal brand.  Because of that, I asked stylist  Negar Ali Kline to give me some tips as I prepare to attend this year’s Costume Designer Guild awards as the guest of Carefree Liners. As I prepare to get ready,  Ms. Kline gave me some great styling tips.  These are things any woman can do to look and feel her best at a special event.

The 17th Annual Costume Designer’s Guild Awards precedes the Oscars and it this week on Feb. 17, 2015 in Los Angeles

This year the annual Costume Designer Guild Awards  will feature Naomi Watts accepting the LACOSTE Awards and Actress Emily Rossum as the host.   Naturally, I want to look my best for this special event.   The Costume Designers Guild Awards are just a few days before the Oscars. The atmosphere is more relaxed than the Oscars, but fashion is at the forefront of this event as the very talented designers who create costumes for film come together.

Here are  Negar Ali Kline’s easy to follow the style secrets that carry her celebrity clients through awards season.  The best part about these tips is that women everywhere can incorporate into them into their everyday style routines

• BE BOLD: Celebrities and everyday women alike love a little black dress, but for red carpet events (and personal red carpet moments like date night, holiday parties and weddings) try items with a bolder, more saturated color that complements your skin tone. (Hallie Berry did this very effectively when she wore that beautiful red gown to the  CDGA when she was the LACOSTE honoree.)
• GET THE RIGHT FIT:Rarely do off the rack garments fit every body type perfectly, so find a seamstress to take that blazer you got on sale and make it look like a high end designer piece by perfecting the fit on you.( Fit is so important– one of my friends who regularly attends the Writer’s Guild Awards told me she  frequently shops at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus during award season because these two stores offer alteration services for customers.)
• CARRY A SECRET WEAPON: All stylists have their kit. I think every woman should have her own kit at the ready with the essentials for a fashion emergency such as topstick, fashion tape, static guard, and a lint roller. (Check out the Fashion First Aid Kit--I discovered this at New York Fashion Week last year.  This little kit has tape, band aids and little garment guards for under your arm pits.)
• ENLIST A FRIEND: For a special occasion, have a friend photograph you from different angles to make sure your outfit looks good from every perspective. This is what stylists do in a fitting, and all women can benefit from this exercise.
• BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE: Confidence is the best accessory for any look, whether you’re red carpet-ready or more casually attired. Wear Carefree® Acti-fresh daily liners to keep your undergarments clean, dry, and flawless.  (When a celebrity like Kim Kardashian admits to peeing her  Spanx, a little extra protection can be worthwhile.)

Follow me on Twitter @Recessionista for real-time updates from the 17th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards (CDGA).  I’ll be following  Negar Ali Kline’s tips and may even post a selfie or two 🙂  In the lead up to the Oscars, the winners of the Costume Designers Guild Awards are usually the favorites to win an Academy Award.  Here is the list of nominees for the CDGA 17 Awards.

NOMINEES FOR THE 17TH COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS:

EXCELLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY FILM
Birdman – Albert Wolsky
Boyhood – Kari Perkins
Gone Girl – Trish Summerville
Interstellar – Mary Zophres
Wild – Melissa Bruning

EXCELLENCE IN PERIOD FILM
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Milena Canonero
The Imitation Game – Sammy Sheldon Differ
Inherent Vice – Mark Bridges
Selma – Ruth E. Carter
The Theory of Everything – Steven Noble

EXCELLENCE IN FANTASY FILM
Guardians of the Galaxy – Alexandra Byrne
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – Bob Buck, Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 – Kurt and Bart
Into the Woods – Colleen Atwood
Maleficent – Anna B. Sheppard, Jane Clive

OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY TELEVISION SERIES
House of Cards – Johanna Argan
Ray Donovan – Christopher Lawrence
Saturday Night Live – Tom Broecker, Eric Justian
Scandal – Lyn Paolo
True Detective – Jenny Eagan

OUTSTANDING PERIOD/FANTASY TELEVISION SERIES
Boardwalk Empire – John Dunn
Game of Thrones – Michele Clapton
The Knick – Ellen Mirojnick
Mad Men – Janie Bryant, Tiffany White Stanton
Masters of Sex – Ane Crabtree

OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TV MOVIE OR MINI SERIES
American Horror Story: Freak Show – Lou Eyrich
Houdini – Birgit Hutter
The Normal Heart – Daniel Orlandi
Olive Kitteridge – Jenny Eagan
Sherlock – Sarah Arthur

EXCELLENCE IN COMMERCIAL COSTUME DESIGN
Army ‘Defy Expectations, Villagers’ – Christopher Lawrence
Direct TV ‘Less Attractive’, with Rob Lowe – Mindy Le Brock, Jessica Albertson
Dos Equis ‘Most Interesting Man in the World Walks on Fire’ – Julie Vogel
Kia Soul Hamster Commercial Featuring ‘Animals’ – Anette Cseri
Smirnoff ‘The Mixologist’ – Laura Jean Shannon