March of the red army: the Santa-approved shade of the season

There’s no need to be afraid of crimson at Christmas time
Run of red: Rihanna, Karolina Kurkova, Liya Kebede and Kate Moss demonstrate the hue
Emma McCarthy17 December 2014

Never mind the mince pies and the three wise men, if there’s one thing that defines the festive season it’s our unfaltering ability to throw caution to the wind.

See drinking two bottles of prosecco on a Tuesday, wearing a totally ridiculous sequined flashing Santa sweater to the office and abandoning your 5:2 diet for a weekly regime that demands that you consume 3,000 calories on a daily basis.

It is this ability to indulge ourselves at Christmas that places red — a colour that leaves many of us cold throughout the year — right at the top of our winter dressing wish lists.

And we’re not alone. Over in celebville, many of the most photographed inhabitants are embracing the silly season by stepping out in traffic-stopping frocks.

Red army - in pictures

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At the start of the month ruby hues proved a popular choice among the model set gracing the red carpet at this year’s British Fashion Awards, from Tali Lennox to Karolina Kurkova and Liya Kebede, while at a charity ball last week hostess Rihanna ensured all eyes were on her in a fishtail blush rose satin gown by Zac Posen.

Jennifer Lawrence and Jourdan Dunn, meanwhile, have been hard at work disproving the theory that dresses shouldn’t be scarlet and thigh-skimming in their respective Antonio Berardi and Alaia finery, providing you’ve got the attitude (and the figure) to pull it off.

When selecting your little red dress this season, it’s worth noting that there’s more to the shade than Santa scarlet. Juicy cranberry and cherry shades are just as jolly yet easier to wear than most hues in the spectrum, while a bright tomato will ensure you stand out more than Rudolph’s nose on a foggy Christmas Eve. As for accessories, all your red dress needs is a plain black sandal and matching red lipstick, as per the ever-effortless Eva Green.

If you’re still in any doubt, seek inspiration from Kate Moss. For her starring role in David Walliams’s film adaptation of The Boy in the Dress, the supermodel knew that a simple LBD wasn’t enough to make a lasting impression. Not like a billowing scarlet Vivienne Westwood gown could.

With her über-glamorous appearance set to air on our TV screens on Boxing Day, may we suggest you take her lead and slip into something fabulous instead of slobbing about in your PJs all day. ’Tis the season, after all.

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