The old Hollywood glamour rules that work for all ages

As the stars took to the red carpet at the Golden Globes in Los Angeles on Sunday night, the looks that really shone borrowed from the Hollywood playbook of yesteryear – structured silhouettes, sheeny, complexion-flattering fabrics that captured the light beautifully, and softly-coiffed hair. These are the classic style lessons that apply to real life too.

Add some shine, subtract ten years

Head to toe sequins might be a bit much for your next dinner party, but a little shine, or its more genteel cousin, sheen, is always flattering – literally a light diffuser on the face – as well as an easy way to inject some glamour into an otherwise low key outfit. A silky satin blouse or tunic with velvet or crepe trousers/skirt; a satin blouse with tweed; pearls mixed in with something cosy – these are all full-proof formulae that allow for plenty of interpretation. Or, place a large, attention grabbing brooch around the neckline. It worked for the late Queen – and on Sunday, the men got in on the act too. Don’t let them hog it.

1930s bias cut satin slip dresses and full skirted 1940s ball gowns were popular. Cate Blanchett, in a Louis Vuitton draped-torso dress she has previously worn at the Cannes Film Festival, went for antique gold. It was almost too warm a shade for her cool blonde tones, but those silvery crystals across the yoke saved the day. Mindy Kaling in gold and silver beading was a smart idea, while Eiza González’s yellow gold sequinned Gucci sheath dress was the ideal tone for her – and another hit for the brand’s until recently beleaguered creative director, Sabato De Sarno, who seems to be finding his stride. Cara Delevingne also opted for Gucci sequins. Hers were steel blue – another good choice, although her underwear could have been slightly more supportive.

Whatever your size or shape, tailoring is your friend.

Kate Winslet, patron saint of all “normal” sized women (ie exceptional and “brave” sized in Hollywood), continued her run of Erdem trouser suits with a stand-out, ivory silk wool one with black beading that subtly showed off her curves without going down the tried and tested road of va va voom. Lee Miller – the woman she portrays in the film Lee – would, you feel, have approved.

Mind you, if you’re going to do tried and tested va va voom, then Zoe Saldana and Zoë Kravitz, in striking similar silhouettes from Saint Laurent (aren’t the directors of VIP services at these brands supposed to avoid near collisions like these?) demonstrated how effective these can be. They wowed, I think, because apart from the plunging, corseted necklines, they looked relatively simple and unfussy. No fishtail skirts – that would have been de trop – and just one extra statement, the white sash for Kravitz, and Saldana’s taffeta cape.

The main take out is that tents, however fashionable, never look quite as good as they feel, especially in photos.

A sliver of bare skin is the vermouth in your martini

It’s cold, it’s peak slob-out season. If some of these stars could have worn a Swarovski smothered onesie on Sunday without their agents immediately Whatsapping to demand why they’ve come off Ozempic, they probably would have. Except years of practice have taught them that some bare skin puts the party into the dress. Take Michelle Yeoh’s high-necked fish tail. With sleeves: it’s sad Goth. Without, it is, at the very least, interesting. Ditto Jodie Foster in her sleeveless black, jewel edged Dior – the exception to the tent rule and I liked the relaxed hands-in-pocket vibe, even though I wondered how she’d look if her dress were a bit more contoured.

Ariana DeBose showed us why chiffon, especially on arms, is a woman’s best friend. Lace is another. Both fabrics offer glimpses of skin without being prurient.

How to do this for real? Bracelet length sleeves, trousers that show a bit of ankle, (very) sheer black tights with a midi or knee length hemline. Teeny cut-outs at the back of a tunic – but make sure you have the right lingerie so that any reveals look intentional.

If bare is really out of the question, then a strikingly light colour close to the face, will see you through. See Tilda Swinton’s cream Chanel Jacket and black maxi.

Choose the right colours and you’re on a home run

Sunday’s red carpet was a ho-down for colour therapists. So much time, money and machiavellian horse trading, yet so many stars in colours that do nothing for them. Aqua green may be the latest trend in men’s evening wear, but if it’s not in your palette, it might be an idea to speed walk away from it.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, too many women still opt for black. We all get it. Black seems safe and sophisticated – and two weeks after Christmas indulgences, it represents a veritable refuge. But Zoe Saldana is one of the few exceptions, who doesn’t have the life blood drained from her by black. The celebrity stylists are missing one of the biggest style tricks.

And a word or two on this season’s fashion choice. If colours have personalities, just about any shade of claret, burgundy or maroon is the party bore who looks as if they’ve had one too many from the get go. Fine below the waist, especially in velvet, which gives it depth. A joy-slayer above.

On a high note, the Luke Littler bullseye goes to Emma Stone, who wore a soft, mid-red that looked stunning with her skin tone and new auburn pixie cut that’s perfect for her gamine features. The fact is, there’s a shade of red for most skin tones. Stone’s modern play on classic Audrey Hepburn style was one of several sartorial wins for Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière, who has modified his Big Fashion Statement approach to red carpet dressing in favour of more classic, light-touch designs.

Softness is (almost) always a strength

When it comes to dressing up, no matter how dramatic and defined you want to be, keeping make-up soft and smoky – and hair shiny and away from the dreaded fossilised helmet approach – should always be front of mind. With hair, particularly, it’s a balancing act. What might look sexily tousled in the mirror can look a mess in photographs. Jodie Foster and Keira Knighley’s artfully understated (i.e. expertly cut and blowdried) bobs, with a few whisps of grey-blonde round the temples in Foster’s case, hit the right note. As did Emma Stone’s pixie cut, Cara Delevingne’s soft waves and Allison Janney’s wispy side sweep.

Make like Natalie Wood in West Side Story – or Zendaya

This has split the jury. It’s quite stage-y, but works for Zendaya, not just because she can carry off a stagy moment, but because the colour is unusual and striking. It’s also good for creating an elongated, streamlined silhouette and in this instance, it’s hard to think of any other choice that would have had the same effect. Meanwhile, for “real” life, as designer Emilia Wickstead once told me, “it’s a rare look where a pair of shiny black court shoes or kitten heels doesn’t do the trick”.