'Naked dresses' might be out, but flat shoes are now in at the Cannes Film Festival, as the dress rule says. It feels like this change was needed. In 2015, some women made news when they were not let in to a show because of their low shoes.
The festival did not ever say this was a rule, but Thierry Fremaux, an event boss, said on X in 2015 that there was no heels-only must. He spoke out against the tough stance on women. This sparked small red carpet acts of protest and talks about the sexism in dress rules for men and women.
For the past few years, the festival has let guests wear shoes or sandals, heeled or not, as long as they look "elegant." Slowly, more stars are going with it, even in 2024.
Most of the time, flat shoes were seen as only for old folks, clumsy folks, or people who didn't care about style. In Greta Gerwig's movie "Barbie," Margot Robbie has to pick between a high heel and a comfy shoe. When her feet hurt and her heels hit the ground, the other dolls looked at Barbie like she's a walking germ.
Now, it seems, ballet flats are in style again. Sandy Liang's shiny, dance-ready flat shoe became a big hit, making her known. The first ones she made in 2022 sold out in just two days. Lundström Halbert thinks that flat shoes are back because a new group of young folks, now grown, are in workplaces that are not so strict.
Work dress codes have changed with more mixing of home and office work. "It's now okay to wear things that were once seen as too laid back," said Lundström Halbert. "It makes more sense for many to buy flats they'll wear all summer than high heels that are only for special times," she added.
"I think we're looking at many old ideas anew now about how women should look," Lundström Halbert noted. "We're shifting to how people dress day-to-day, showing up on the big stage to make an impact and shine." Also, as Lundström Halbert pointed out, "there's something that cuts loose from the show of it all. It feels fresh."