Have you ever seen an old photo of yourself and wondered what in the world could’ve convinced you that that outfit choice was a good idea? I have. In fact I have time and time again. But that’s the beauty of fashion: It’s always changing.
As time passes, trends change, our style evolves, and we like to assume it’s always for the better. But who’s to say… what if we look back on what we are wearing now in the years to come and seriously question the trends we're all following in 2018? I can imagine it now: “transparent purses, teeny tiny sunglasses, yellow… what we were thinking?”
Only in retrospect do we realise how much trends have evolved, and sometimes following along with celebrity outfits over the years makes spotting fashion fads even more obvious. After all, celebrities tend to have much more sartorial freedom. With a never ending stream of events to attend, a larger clothing budget, and a reason to go bold with their looks, celebrity style often epitomises an era that everyday outfits don't quite capture.
While scrolling through Instagram, I recently stumbled across a photo of Kate Winslet on the red carpet in 1998, and I was definitely taken aback. Though we like to assume we’ve fully re-embraced '90s fashion in recent days, her dress confirmed that we’ve only adopted certain aspects of the decade back into our wardrobes, leaving others to remain in the '90s forever (hopefully).
While Winslet didn’t look bad per se, the style of her dress seemed so dramatically dated that it was almost as if the actress wearing it was completely different from the woman we know her as today. Of course, I couldn’t help myself but to investigate a little further by tracking Winslet’s red carpet outfits over the years.
If you’re not convinced yet that celebrity style is an apt representative for tracking trends, this will likely have you sold. From lacy detailing to slick body-hugging silhouettes, Winslet’s red carpet dresses have evolved alongside the general consensus for the past decade; and along the way, it seems like she's found some favourite styles. Click through the gallery below to see how her fashion sense has transformed, reflecting what was “in style”, since 1998.
Here, Winslet is at the Golden Globe Awards with Leonardo DiCaprio. This is the photo I first came across… Needless to say, it looks very dated by today’s standards.
This is more of the '90s vibe we’ve been copying in 2018. It’s hard to imagine a trench coat on the red carpet today, though.
At the 2000 BAFTAs Winslet stepped out in an all-black ensemble, once again complete with a long coat. Today, we're used to seeing something a lot more formal at the awards show.
Is it just us, or does this leather dress look slightly modern? We’re beginning to sense that Winselt likes an all-black theme.
This red dress was super-flattering on Winslet at the 74th Academy Awards. Though the floral element does remind us that red carpet dresses used to feel a lot more costume-y than the couture we see today.
Once again opting for a sleek black number, Winselt reminds us of the early-2000s obsession with empire waists.
The halter neck, the boho-chic vibe, the metallic shoes. This look couldn’t be more reminiscent of the early 2000s.
Winslet’s periwinkle dress at the 77th academy awards fit her perfectly, and the beaded detailing was very of-the-moment in 2005 (we weren't quite over the glam boho thing yet).
At The Times BFI 50th London Film Festival Winslet opted for two of her favourite styles: Mostly black, and a one-shoulder silhouette
At the 79th Acedemy Awards, it looks like Winslet really hit her stride with the one-shoulder look that flatters her figure so well.
Winslet gave her signature styles (one-shoulder and black) a very 2008 twist with the sparkly detailing and silky peeptoes.
By this point, Winslet knows exactly what she likes. She did change it up a bit, opting for grey instead of her usual black.
Are you even surprised at this point? We must admit, however, this style does look fabulous on her.
This dress is a distinct departure from her black one-shoulder gowns, but the bright colour and simple cut seem like something we’d see on the red carpet today.
Looks like that red dress convinced Winslet of her new favourite silhouette: Capped sleeves with a plunging v-neck.
She even wore the style while pregnant.
At the European premiere of Divergent, the actress relied on her old favourite: Simple, fitted, and black.
At this point, we’re convinced that the actress will be rocking one-shoulder dresses for as long as she’s still walking the red carpet.
At the 88th Academy Awards, Winslet mixed up her trusty black dress by opting for a shiny fabric that still looks chic today.
This white dress is a decidedly different choice for Winslet, but the black lace detailing does hearken back to her 1998 style.
Winslet’s very 2018 jumpsuit included two of her favourite elements, as it was black and v-neck.
Feeling inspired? We found a little black dress on Net-a-Porter that Winslet would definitely approve of.
Related: The BAFTAs Red Carpet Looked So Much Like the Golden Globes
