Hayden Panettiere set tongues wagging when it was reported that the Tom Ford dress she wore to the 2014 Golden Globes was something she bought off the rack.
What’s so wrong with buying a dress for a special night? It’s what we regular human beings do, right?
Hayden Panettiere caused a stir by wearing an off-the-rack Tom Ford dress to the 2014 Golden Globes on January 12, 2014 (Credit: Apega / WENN)
The controversy stems from the fact that this occurred during an internationally televised awards show, where celebrities serve as walking advertisements for top luxury fashion designers and exclusive global brands.
The actors and actresses may have only borrowed everything they’re wearing, but like any regular ad campaign, all of that was carefully planned, styled, and orchestrated beforehand.
Naomi Watts was supposed to be Tom Ford’s master-planned muse that night. Not only does Tom Ford infamously dress just one star per awards show, but he also chooses to dress only big-name movie stars. So, for TV actress Hayden Panettiere to show up in a dress she bought off the rack is considered a major faux pas.
Hayden Panettiere in her off-the-rack Tom Ford dress at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards, sparking a fashion controversy (Credit: Apega / WENN)
Even more bothersome is how Hayden wasn’t straightforward about the store-bought origins of her Tom Ford dress.
When E! News asked who she was wearing that night, she replied, “Tom Ford. It’s the first time I’ve ever worn him, because I’ve been begging ever since. I feel sexy in it, I feel comfortable in it, and I’m in Tom Ford. I would wear a plastic bag if it was designed by him.”
Was she trying to imply that Tom Ford personally dressed her with that vague response? Moreover, it’s puzzling why Hayden chose that specific black-and-white halter gown, considering it had already been worn twice before.
Jourdan Dunn wore the exact same dress to the Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards, while Julianne Moore wore a long-sleeved version to last year’s Golden Globe Awards.
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If you’re going to pay thousands of dollars for a dress, it might as well be a new one, right?
Julianne Moore in a Tom Ford dress at the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Beverly Hills, California, January 13, 2013 (Credit: Apega / WENN)
One person who doesn’t seem to be bothered by all of this is Tom Ford himself. Hayden Panettiere tweeted this picture of flowers and a card that Tom sent her after the Golden Globes:
Hayden Panettiere shares a tweet expressing her gratitude for Tom Ford’s flowers and note after wearing his dress at the 2014 Golden Globes
Note how she was still being vague about whether she was actually dressed by Tom Ford.
We want to know what you think: Is Hayden Panettiere’s attendance at the Golden Globe Awards in a store-bought, off-the-rack dress trendsetting or tacky?