50 shades of boring: why white grey, black and beige stole the spotlight on the Oscars red carpet

WHILE designers have been touting that whimsical silhouettes and a riot of colour will reign supreme this season, there wasn’t a risk-taking dress in sight on the Oscars red carpet.

Felicity Jones on the Oscars red carpet. Picture: AP

WHILE designers have been touting that whimsical silhouettes and a riot of colour will reign supreme this season, there wasn’t a risk-taking, taxidermy inspired swan gown or kaleidoscope dress in sight on the red rug, with the new Hollywood set seemingly content to become one big beige, white, grey and black blob.

They opted for a lacklustre colour palette of putty, nude, taupe, vanilla, cream, black or alternatively storm grey- the colour of dishwater and winter skies.

Yep, 50 shades of boring is impending in fashion too now.

Julianne Moore. Picture: AFP

Lupita Nyong’o. Picture: AP

So what was the gravitational pull that saw A (and a few B) grade celebrities end up being cookie-cutter versions of each other, all wearing a different shade of biscuit? And the ones that did opt for colour, chose red; ensuring they would still blend into the rug.

Now I haven’t donned my togs and visited the public pool for a little while, but I imagine this unworkable system not dissimilar from what I envisage has been happening in the couture change rooms of LA.

You have the slow lane, the fast lane and the medium paced lane. The majority want to play it safe in the medium lane, but that’s packed to the gills, so you try to be adventurous and hop into the fast lane, but its far too hard to keep up there so feeling like you just hit a wall of death, you slip back to the slow lane- here you are comfortable, you are unassuming and unthreatening.

Cate Blanchett. Picture: AP

Margot Robbie. Picture: Getty Images

And there you have it. Why be gold when you can be beige? Why be the vixen when you can be the girl next door?

So despite the fact that fashion tried to make this season the visual equivalent of a ghetto blast, the celebs have taken it upon themselves to make us lust for more of a dull hum in the background.

Before you can say “Team Aniston” your winter pastels in steel blue and slate, soft cashmere in blush and taupe and a bit of a side smile will be what the fashionable corner of your heart desires.

Originally published as 50 shades of boring: why white grey, black and beige stole the spotlight on the Oscars red carpet