The dare-to-bare fashion statement that Aishwarya and Sonam both love
This bold neckline is having a major red carpet moment
By Hasina Khatib May 23rd, 2017
If 2016 was the year of cold shoulders, Bollywood’s recent stint on the Cannes red carpet has given us a new neckline to obsess over. Behold, the revival of the sweetheart neckline, currently being championed by style mavens from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Sonam Kapoor.
But with a twist: Offsetting the saccharine quotient that the term ‘sweetheart’ suggests, the neckline now comes in a bold plunge guaranteed to show off some power cleavage. And Bollywood’s celebrities are only too glad to rise to the challenge. Aishwarya showed off those fabulous curves in a deep cut Michael Cinco on the red carpet, while Sonam Kapoor followed suit a day later in a glamorous Elie Saab.
3 tips to ace the plunging sweetheart neckline
Since the neckline already promises a healthy amount of cleavage, don’t complicate matters by throwing on a statement necklace. Aishwarya and Sonam both chose to leave the neck bare and instead, opted for stacked rings and small diamond studs respectively.
This neckline favours fuller figures, so don’t fret if you’ve skipped a couple of gym appointments. It also visually elongates the face, helping rounder and angular facial types.
“The right innerwear should always take highest priority on your checklist when getting ready,” recommends Rhea Kapoor, the brain behind Sonam’s stylish Cannes appearances. A strapless bra is your best bet when navigating a plunging neckline. Or if you’re confident that you don’t require the support, it’s always more convenient to have the cups sewn into your dress.
What’s on Sonam Kapoor’s red carpet checklist?
Always wondered how Sonam keeps delivering hits on the red carpet, time after time? Rhea Kapoor let us sneak a peek at her checklist.
Double-sided tape
“You don’t want anything to pop out,” Rhea matter-of-factly distils every celebrity’s worst nightmare. More details on how it works here.
Right underwear
As sheer dresses monopolize the red carpets, the first checkbox on every stylist’s to-do list is the right innerwear. Strapless dresses call for corsets, while nude undergarments are flying off the shelves.
Colour
“I always start with a really good colour, and build on that,” Rhea adds. Sonam isn’t afraid of monochrome ennui, and her head-to-toe pink Caroline Hayden outing proves that.
Good shoes
“You need shoes that are effective and comfortable. Your thigh-high boots can look seriously hot, but if you walk and pose really badly in them, it doesn’t make any sense,” she says dismissively.
“Flawless hair and makeup never hurt anybody.”
Celebrity make-up artist Namrata Soni can personally vouch for that. Here’s how she single-handedly brought the two-toned eyeshadow back in vogue.