All that glitters really is gold when it comes to Blake Lively’s latest look.
The newly minted 36-year-old went for all the retro vibes at Michael Kors’s New York Fashion Week runway show on September 11, hitting up the Brooklyn venue in a sparkling nude-color fit-and-flare jumpsuit, which she played up with a loose take on disco curls. While the “Dancing Queen” aesthetic is always going to be a perfect fit for Lively, who famously acts as her own stylist, this is one of her best looks to date in terms of sheer simplicity. No, I can’t believe I just described a head-to-to sequin jumpsuit as simple, either, but hear me out.
For one, Lively lets the skintight playsuit do all the work by keeping tailoring to a minimum. In fact, it seemed the Gossip Girl star took a page out of Amal Clooney’s book by allowing the pants legs to drape to the floor, adding even more length to her 5’10” frame. As for accessories, Lively opted for minimal styling, save for earrings, some funky rings, and a skinny nude belt.
The belt, by the way, has to be my favorite part, given the wave of big, chunky belts and hefty metal buckles that have been coming back into style in 2023. There’s nothing wrong with that look—see J.Lo at the Ralph Lauren show!—but it’s nice to see a celebrity like Lively consistently choosing what appeals to her most over what’s trending at any given moment.
So, why does Blake Lively style herself when the biggest names in the industry would probably clamor for the opportunity? “Probably because I have control issues and a big ego—that’s probably the honest answer,” Lively joked in a 2018 before adding in earnest, “I love design and I love fashion, and it’s a way to be creative. In my job, I get to be creative, but it’s over a period of time and so many other people are involved, whereas this is a beginning, middle, and end, and I get to be creative and there’s an end date in the near future.”
She added, “It’s the same reason why I like doing my friends’ hair and makeup or cooking—you get to be creative and finish it. Whereas with my job, you do it, and then two years later it’s finished. It probably goes back to the control issues; it’s like, ‘Okay, I did it, I completed it, it’s done!’”
