Gabrielle Union in Sophie Theallet at the 2016 TIFF/InStyle/HFPA Party

Gabrielle Union attends the TIFF/InStyle/HFPA Party during the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, Canada.

We love Miss Gabrielle and we generally love the designs of Sophie Theallet, but this is asking a lot of us:

A whole hell of a lot. There’s just way too much going on here for a picture-taking situation.

We try not to impose style rules, but we think it’s safe to say that capes should be very sparingly deployed on the red carpet. For every Lupita in Ralph Lauren, there’s a half-dozen of … well, this. And while we wouldn’t call the following a rule, we do count it among the best bits of style advice we ever gave out: If you’re not sure about a garment, describe it out loud. Go ahead and say “metallic velvet cutout dress featuring a lace wrap bodice with a layered lace cape” and see how far you get without laughing.

Style Credits:
Sophia Theallet ‘Imaan’ Metallic Velvet Cutout Dress Featuring a Lace Wrap Bodice with a Layered Lace Cape from the Fall 2016 Collection

[Photo Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images, IMAXTree]

• Festivals
• Gabrielle Union
• Red Carpet
• Sophie Theallet
• Toronto International Film Festival