Famous Fashion Moments That Meant More Than You Thought

Whenever celebrities walk the red carpet or simply walk out their front doors, people tend to take notice. From fashion writers and editors to designers and aspiring designers, to the fashion-obsessed among us, the fashion choices celebrities make often capture our attention. It's no longer just pick the dress that's the prettiest, however, as celebrities look to make statements with their clothing and emphatically stand up for causes or people they care about.

While you may be used to hearing celebrities talk about causes near and dear to their hearts, more and more seem to be choosing to make a visual statement. Some, like Katy Perry or Joy Villa choose to make clear and overt political statements that aren't in any way hidden or subtle. Others wear clothing with meanings that aren't as easily sussed out. Whether it's a memorial or shoutout to a friend or family member or a cause they think is worth fighting for, celebrities are using fashion to express themselves in a more personal way. Fashion has always been a form of self-expression, but it seems that those in the public eye are wholly embracing this idea more now than they ever did before. When these stars strut their stuff down the red carpet, it's about more than just what meets the eye.

Felicity Huffman's choice of a pantsuit for the Golden Globes may have appeared to simply be a pretty, flattering, and stylish choice, however she made it clear that the choice was made in solidarity with Hillary Clinton, who, of course, is known for her pantsuits (and had lost in the Presidential election a few months before). While walking the red carpet, Huffman said, "I thought a pantsuit in honor of Hillary, right? Love you, Hillary. I'm with her."

Evan Rachel Wood wore a menswear-inspired ensemble to the 2017 Golden Globes ceremony. She told Ryan Seacrest (via Marie Claire) that her custom-made Altuzarra suit was specifically chosen to tell girls and women who aren't into the frothy, sparkly dress look that they should feel comfortable to dress the way they want to, not according to some perceived societal requirement.

DuVernay's gown was designed by Ashi Studio, which is based in Lebanon, according to POPSUGAR. She tweeted, "A small sign of solidarity," expressing that she made a concerted choice to wear a dress from a designer from a majority-Muslim country.

Culpo's gorgeous gown is a custom-made Marchesa, which the fashion house created in partnership with the Stella Artois Buy A Lady A Drink Campaign, which calls attention to the global water crisis, according to POPSUGAR. The glass beads that adorn the gown were made from signature Stella Artois chalices.

Watson's 2016 Met Gala ensemble featured trousers, which she has a history of wearing on the red carpet. This get-up was, according to The Huffington Post, was made of recycled water bottles. Not only that, but Watson spoke to CNN about the overall sustainability of the outfit, which was an important — and conscious — choice for her, saying that asking yourself to commit to wearing a given item at least 30 times means that the purchase you're about to make is a sustainable choice. She also called sustainability "a feminist issue."

Cole took the Red Carpet Green Dress Challenge in 2016 and wore a Vivienne Westwood design crafted from recycled plastic bottles, according to eco-fashion website, Ecouterre. As it turns out, recycled plastic bottles work remarkably well to create fashionable — and sustainable — pieces of clothing.

Sophie Turner also took Amis Cameron's Red Carpet Green Dress Challenge in 2016, wearing an "ethical gown" designed by fashion house Galvan, according to Ecouterre.

The extremely sheer, barely-there number that Madonna wore for the 2016 Met Gala was chosen, as she told Us Weekly, as a deliberate political statement. The singer explained that the dress was meant to stand for women's rights and illustrate what she views as the long fight still to come.

At last summer's Tony Awards, Gurira wore a silver ribbon on her beautiful yellow dress to show solidarity with the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. Many stars donned silver ribbons as a show of support, as reported by The New York Times. The recent event was present in fashion and speeches throughout the night, with Broadway stars preaching support and love.