3 Iconic Red Carpet “Backlace” Moments and the Shoes That Balanced the Look

Backless dresses have remained a red carpet favorite for decades, but the styling details often make the biggest difference.

One accessory trick celebrities and stylists continue to revisit is the “backlace” — a necklace worn backward so it drapes elegantly down the back instead of the front.

The look works especially well with low-back gowns, column dresses, and open-back eveningwear because it adds jewelry without competing with the neckline. While the trend is most associated with formal attire, it has also appeared in more relaxed styling over the years, from vintage Hollywood glamour to modern red carpets at Cannes and the Oscars.

Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly wears a backdrop necklace in the 1961 American romantic comedy film Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Credit: Paramount Pictures)

Often referred to as a “backlace” or “backdrop” necklace, this styling approach has quietly become one of the most enduring jewelry trends on the red carpet.

Though most commonly paired with evening gowns, the styling trick dates back decades and remains closely associated with old Hollywood elegance. One of the earliest and most recognizable examples appeared in Audrey Hepburn’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, where jewelry was used to emphasize the clean lines and open backs of formal silhouettes rather than overpower them.

On modern red carpets, backdrop necklaces are still regularly used to complement low-back gowns and open-back couture designs.

1. Jennifer Lawrence: Red Dior Gown, Neil Lane Backlace & Hidden Brian Atwood Platforms

Jennifer Lawrence in a red Dior gown with a carved rock crystal Neil Lane necklace on the red carpet at the 86th Annual Academy Awards held at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 2, 2014 (Credit: WENN)

Jennifer Lawrence paired her red strapless Dior gown with a dramatic Neil Lane backdrop necklace featuring roughly 100 carats of diamonds, allowing the jewelry to accent the clean neckline and open-back silhouette without competing with the volume of the dress.

Beneath the sweeping Dior Haute Couture skirt, she wore towering Brian Atwood “Tribeca” platform sandals, though the shoes were mostly hidden throughout the night. Lawrence famously stumbled on the Oscars red carpet that year, proving that even sky-high platforms could not completely save the gown’s massive hemline.

Jennifer Lawrence wears a backdrop necklace to the Oscars (Credit: WENN)

2. Anne Hathaway: Pink Prada Gown, Tiffany Backlace & Vegan Giuseppe Zanotti Sandals

Anne Hathaway styled her dress with a floral necklace from Tiffany & Co. (Credit: WENN)

While many fashion critics at the time were divided over her pale pink Prada gown, Anne Hathaway later reflected on the Oscars look with humor and honesty during an Instagram post shared ahead of the 2018 Academy Awards.

“I had to change my dress last minute, and so it looked like my nipples were hard, I had full-blown laryngitis and had to sing,” she wrote, before adding that despite the criticism, “It was still the best.”

Anne Hathaway in a pink Prada column gown at the 85th Annual Oscars at Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles on February 24, 2013 (Credit: WENN)

Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar in 2014, Hathaway recalled the last-minute Oscars styling panic with characteristic self-awareness, explaining that husband Adam Shulman encouraged her to stop overthinking the look and head to the red carpet.

She completed the Prada gown with a floral diamond-and-platinum necklace from the Tiffany & Co. 2013 Blue Book Collection, worn backward to emphasize the gown’s clean column silhouette and open back.

Hathaway also paired the look with custom vegan Giuseppe Zanotti satin sandals, a detail that reflected her longtime commitment to animal-free fashion. The actress reportedly requested custom-made cruelty-free heels for the Oscars, giving the polished red-carpet styling a more personal connection to her broader fashion values.

Anne Hathaway wears her diamond and platinum necklace backward (Credit: WENN)

3. Cara Delevingne: Roberto Cavalli Beading, De Grisogono Monkey Backlace & Minimal Black Sandals

Cara Delevingne shows off her De Grisogono statement necklace featuring a little chimpanzee set with 771 black diamonds (Credit: WENN)

Cara Delevingne balanced her heavily embellished Roberto Cavalli gown with sleek black strappy sandals that stayed visually understated against the dress’s dense beading and the playful De Grisogono monkey necklace.

Rather than introducing another statement element through her shoes, she kept the footwear minimal with thin stiletto straps that complemented the open-back styling without distracting from the jewelry draped down her back.

Cara Delevingne in a beaded Roberto Cavalli Spring 2014 dress at the De Grisogono dinner party, in collaboration with Gyunel, during the Cannes film festival at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 20, 2014, in Cap d’Antibes, France (Credit: WENN)

If the necklace is especially bold or heavily detailed, keeping the rest of the jewelry minimal helps maintain balance. Many stylists skip earrings entirely, opting for backdrop necklaces so the focus stays on the statement piece and the open-back silhouette.

Cara Delevingne wears a bejeweled monkey necklace draped down her back (Credit: WENN)

Why the “Backlace” Trend Still Works on Modern Red Carpets

From Audrey Hepburn’s Old Hollywood elegance to dramatic Oscars and Cannes styling moments, backdrop necklaces have remained one of fashion’s simplest ways to transform an open-back gown without overwhelming the silhouette.

The styling trick continues to resonate because it draws attention to movement, jewelry craftsmanship, and the full head-to-toe balance of a look, including the shoes that anchor it on the red carpet.