To commence the first awards ceremony for 2024, celebrities flocked to the red carpet of the 81st Golden Globe Awards wearing a variety of designer formalwear. Typically reserved for voluminous floor length gowns, we witnessed a new, rather sophisticated, hemline re-enter the chat: the tea length gown.
With a fascinating history in the world of fashion, the tea length gown has experienced periods of popularity throughout the 20th century thanks to its timeless charm, versatility, and association with cultural shifts. In the 1920s, the tea length gown – which falls somewhere between the knees and ankles – emerged as a symbol of liberation, favoured by the fashionable flappers who embraced shorter hemlines for a relaxed and modern allure.
Following the austerity of World War II, the 1950s witnessed a resurgence of elegance and femininity in fashion, with tea-length dresses becoming a staple characterised by full skirts, cinched waists, and petticoats, embodying a silhouette of grace and charm. Think: Audrey Hepburn’s black dress designed by Hubert de Givenchy in the film Sabrina (1954).
In contemporary fashion, however, the length has been a style that has been very much associated with the royal family balancing modernity with modesty. Meghan Markle’s official visit to Ireland in July 2018, she wore a black tea-length dress designed by Emilia Wickstead while Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, opted for a white lace tea-length dress by Alexander McQueen to attend the 2017 Royal Ascot. Even Princess Margaret, the sister of Queen Elizabeth II, famously wore a tea-length wedding dress for her marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960.
As celebrities Brie Larson, Rosamund Pike, Ayo Edebiri and Cailee Spaeny sport this ever-elegant length on the Golden Globes red carpet, we can’t help but appreciate its roaring return. Not only does it proclaim femininity, but it also turns our attention to the shoes, namely the Prada pumps!
How the celebrities styled the tea length gown
Proving that the tea length dress can be tailored to a variety of personal styles, though sharing a similar length, these celebrities’ unique aesthetics couldn’t have been more different. Pike’s was gothic and ominous channeling her Saltburn character; Spaeny’s delicate and playful; Larson’s classic and glamorous; and Edebiri’s very tailored and modern (that bow detail at the back? So chic).
Priscilla star Cailee Spaeny wears Miu Miu, Bulgari jewellery, and Christian Louboutin shoes. Ayo Edebiri, who won Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for her role in The Bear, wore a red Prada dress with matching Prada satin pumps. Rosamund Pike wore a dramatic black lace vintage Dior gown with a Philip Treacy headpiece for her nomination in Saltburn. Brie Larson, nominated for her role in Lessons in Chemistry, wore a lavender Prada gown and grey Prada pumps.
Expect to see more column dresses with an above-ankle length and full floral retro skirts invade the edits for wedding guests, eveningwear and even brides.
Image credits: Brie Larson via Instagram, Cailee Spaeny via @Golden Globes, Rosamund Pike via @Dior, Ayo Edebiri via @Prada.
