Emma Thompson wears trainers and a tuxedo to Buckingham Palace
Photo via Vanity Fair
Only earlier this week I was eulogising over the multitalented tuxedo and trainers combo; a confidence-boosting outfit that can take the wearer anywhere. And then, HELLO Emma Thompson. Dressed to feel her best, the Academy Award and Emmy-winning actor accepted a damehood at Buckingham Palace in a Stella McCartney tuxedo and Adidas Stan Smith sneakers (a Stella McCartney collaboration, 100% vegetarian). I am not one for outdated patronage but I would excuse Thompson almost anything – and she gave the following explanation:
“They send you a letter saying, ‘Will you accept it?’ You can choose not to. You can choose to say, ‘Well, of course we don’t have an empire anymore, thank God, because it was ghastly, colonial, racist, dreadful undertaking on every level,’ and actually have some moral principle about it. Or you can be like me and think, ‘Hmm, it’s gonna be a really nice badge.’”
(To go with the Fawcett Society button on her lapel).
The versatile combination of trainers and a tuxedo creates a winning outfit that’s good enough for the Palace…
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Discussion (32 Comments)
Maryann says:
I loved the suit but not sure about the trainers. I think she should have worn brogues to make it more dressy but still comfortable.
Francesca says:
I agree with Maryann. The tuxedo is great but the trainers were a tad too much taking the event into consideration. There are plenty of flat shoes alternatives that would look a bit more formal and still be comfortable.
jill says:
I saw this on the news, I thought she looked wonderful, relaxed, comfortable, strong and confident! Bravo Dame Emma.
Claire B says:
I love the suit with the trainers, she looks fabulous! (The colour of that suit is so gorgeous!)
Isobel says:
YES!! Alyson and Emma, you’re both stunning in tuxedo and trainers… the best look ever! I’m doing the same at the next opportunity!
maudie says:
One cool lady! She looks fabulous – morphing into Annie Lennox, perhaps? I agree, it would be trite to refuse the damehood. Yes, it is outdated and probably immoral (the Empire) but accept it on face value and be proud! She deserves it.
Annie Green says:
Good for her all round. She looks happy, comfortable and entirely herself. And deserves recognition for her contributions to acting which are outstanding. It is a nice badge.
Daisy Solomons says:
I agree with Claire & Maryann. White trainers- especially if they are vegan – pure class.
Love her; love her outfit. I think the sneakers are a little nod to the fact that she doesn’t take the whole thing too seriously.
Monty says:
I absolutely LOVE her outfit! What really lifts it is the trainers 🙂 Wonderful woman!!
Gretchen says:
Not keen on the shoes. But, her words about empire and the cheeky remark about the badge-pure Emma. Question about her hair: has she gone grey recently and I hadn’t noticed, or is this a job for a role?
Wendy in York says:
We holiday often near her Scottish country home & the locals we’ve got to know say she is very friendly & down to earth to all . Just the way she seems really .
Mrs Tonia says:
Alyson you are clearly in tune with the zeitgeist if not ahead of the curve.
I don’t have the height or inclination to wear such an outfit as this one or you in similar but with more patterned silk top in a recent post. But I grant you two look good in a nonchalant unladylike way dressed thus. Why not.
For those who can access BBC I-player there’s an excellent in conversation chat between Emma Thompson and Mary Beard on her Late Night Review show. A few weeks ago. Mary who’s really grown on me since I started watching this programme on catch-up describes herself something like nerd in the library whereas Emma was in Footlights theatre group with the cool group. They were more or less contemporaries at Cambridge, a uni I also know well from that period. Check it out.
And Alyson keep up the portraits and profiles of women “of a certain age” as they used to call them of distinction and accomplishment and the creative series ditto. It’s inspiring.Maggie McMillan says:
I think she looks amazing but I too think for this event ( which is a formal one) . I would have chosen a beautiful brogue.
CatbirdFarm says:
Emma is perfection from head to toe. Trousers and sneakers at the Palace – just fantastic! I couldn’t be more delighted to see women everywhere embracing flats for all occasions: sneakers, brogues, sandals – anything but heels please. Heels look so outdated to my eye now.
Brava to Emma for wearing comfortable shoes! I agree with Maggie in that I would have worn brogues or dark sneakers. Thanks for bringing this to us! Brenda
Claire says:
Loved the outfit & the trainers. She looked cooool! And Prince William gave her the medal. Not bad Dame Emma.
SFord says:
Loving Emma Thompson’s look at the moment and that maybe she seems to have stopped colouring her hair, or is it for a role? Either way, looking amazing. She was also on Graham Norton a short while ago and looked absolutely stunning – goals!
c.w. says:
There is no down side to Emma Thompson. For what it’s worth…since she made the comments about the Empire, I felt her sneaks (as we reference them here in the States) was a slight irreverent nod to old traditions. Sure she could have worn another kind of flat shoe, but I think her choice was the perfect non-traditional choice.
I love the candour in this article – thank you. This is a topic where I definitely embrace expletives. I misread your sentence and thought you said that a gin and tonic and a couple of beers in the morning help. Wow, I thought, I should try that! I reread it and saw that you wrote evening. It’s the menopausal mind at its best, worst?, I can’t even tell anymore. I say connect me to the power grid and I’ll light up your entire freaking town with all this free heat. My husband has a gun-looking device for measuring surface temperatures. He shone it at me during a flash and nothing, just a normal reading. ???!!! Insult to injury. I was sure I would break his device.
Elizabeth says:
She looks great. The trainers and business suit combo is very Phoebe Philo (miss you).
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I LOVE this. I was just talking with a friend today about wardrobes … how I would be totally happy to wear bluejeans and flannel shirts most of the time, and how I hate wearing clothes that make me eager to change out of them. This picture just made me feel good. Thanks!