Chin up; shoulders square, Strike a pose, say cheese, ‘click’. Being picture perfect is more than donning the perfect high-end outfit or wearing that perfect ‘attention seeking’, pardon me, statement jewellery that stands out in a class of its own; it’s more than the perfectly flawless makeup cum sleek hairdo, the trending ‘I woke up like this’ kind or that perfectly manicured nails smeared with the perfect nail polish. My red carpet philosophy is: Without the perfect pose, the perfect ensemble becomes an imperfect perfection.
‘The pose’ tells a lot. It speaks volume of your personality and mood. At that moment, it tells if you’re relaxed or complacent, confident or fidgety, bold and daring or shy. It can generally elevate your status making you look nothing short of elegance or dapper-ness, it can also leave you looking drab, making you wish you listened to that little voice in your head telling you to sneak past the red carpet or just stick to ‘African time’ (no offense to Africa). I must confess striking the right pose isn’t as easy as reciting the alphabets. It takes effort and continual practise to get right. So these are several pointers to help:
Google is your friend. Everyone loves Google! Who wouldn’t? It’s the fastest way to get whatever information you want. If you cannot afford to have an instructor, use Google to your advantage. You would find several go-to poses that have worked in the past and still works. Draw inspiration from these while still infusing your personal style and staying true to yourself.
Practice, Practice, practice. Not to sound to cliché-ish, but practice they say makes perfect. Before every red carpet event, it won’t hurt to play dress up and strike different poses until you get it right. Getting it all wrong in front of the mirror beats being a complete ‘fail’ on the red carpet. Remember, it’s all about having fun, so do not take it too seriously.
Know you. Ever heard of ‘your best side’? Yup, it is important to know your body and know what pose flatters your figure most. Explore your ‘selling point’ and make it a focal point, do so without looking like you’re trying too hard to showcase yourself or impress because it will show. Pictures don’t lie (well minus the Photo shopped ones).
Work the outfit. Aside from knowing body, know your outfit. Presuming you are wearing a Jlo inspired kind of gown; the one with the thigh high slit in front, this requires you to stand in a particular way that will flatter your legs and the outfit graciously. It’s all about subtlety, and flattering what needs to be flattered.
Exude confidence. Being the centre of attention and having camera lights flashing at you can be quite intimidating to say the least but you cannot give room to tension. Camera’s pick up every emotion and you are likely to appear stiff, so breathe in and out, relax, chin up, act like the world is your oyster and let your confidence shine through.
Smile to the camera; Pose, click.
Image: wotyougot.com