The only joke which really landed and made me chuckle was the one about Ozempic, the diabetes drug which is being widely used/abused in Hollywood to drastically lose weight quickly. Jimmy Kimmel joked that everyone in the auditorium looked nice and “I can’t help but wonder, ‘Is Ozempic right for me?’” I bring this up because…Mindy Kaling was one of the presenters at the Oscars. She wore two Vera Wang gowns – the white one for the carpet, the black one to present. We’ve talked about how small she is these days, but her weight loss was really driven home in these dresses. Plus, the dresses are just… bad.
Janelle Monae also wore Vera Wang. Like, when did Vera Wang get so funky? Wang used to make pretty and simple gowns in pastels, stuff which looked vaguely “ice-skater princess.” Now it’s traffic-cone orange skirts and structured bustiers? This skirt is tragique, by the way, and not just because it’s orange. Janelle is so beautiful, I wish she made different style choices!
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Janelle Monáe arrives on the red carpet of The 95th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023.,Image: 762305601, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Kyusung Gong / Avalon
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- Mindy Kaling arrives on the red carpet of The 95th Oscars® at The Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 12, 2023.,Image: 762312933, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: AL / Avalon
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- Mindy Kaling arrives on the red carpet of The 95th Oscars® at The Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, March 12, 2023.,Image: 762314744, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: AL / Avalon
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- Janelle Monáe arrives on the red carpet of The 95th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023.,Image: 762327115, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Michael Baker / Avalon
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- Mindy Kaling and John Cho present the Oscar® for Original Score during the live ABC telecast of the 95th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023.,Image: 762338508, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: SI / Avalon
I don’t understand what is happening with Mindy’s skin behind the strings of the white dress. Is there some kind of tinted plastic back there covering her body? Because it’s the wrong color, sallow and bumpy. If you’re gonna show your skin, do it. I don’t hate the white dress, I’m Just confused. And then the black one is nothing special, just more cut outs that I guess are there to prove something to someone, but I don’t want to know and do not care.
I think it’s illusion netting underneath. Plus, the black and white dresses are the exact same dress but just different colors.
Yes, designers and stylists think illusion netting covers up a multitude of “imperfections.” Kaling’s weight has gone down rapidly (thus Kimmel’s Ozempic crack) and as GOBO noted, slightly aging skin doesn’t bounce back as fast after a big weight loss. But it’s obvious Kaling wanted to wear a “sexay” dress like all the kids, and she and her stylist must have agreed that it was now or never. Unfortunately, both dresses were bad choices. Wang can do well dressing stars when they’re young and toned, and Janelle is a perfect example: her dress was amazing and she looked utterly confident wearing it.
I think it’s like a mesh fabric
Illusion netting. When a body loses weight quickly the skin doesn’t downsize to the same degree. Illusion netting helps to give the appearance of smoother, taughter skin.
It’s like ice-skater netting. I don’t understand it either. I get that some presenters change outfits but it’s kind of bizarre that it’s the same dress in different colours?
I actually think the choker is bringing Janelle’s look down. If I put my finger over it and imagine some diamonds or something I quite like her look!
I like Janelle’s look. The dress works on her. She looks fabulous. I’m sick of the naked see through dresses so I’m impressed when someone doesn’t wear one.
I agree, Janelle needed some jewelry. But I loved her dress!
I actually thought proof of plastic surgery. Not sure now.
I like the black version better. Don’t mind it at all.
I actually totally dig Janelles skirt and the whole outfit. But I’m in my orange phase 😄
May I join you in that phase? I love orange and loved Janelle’s dress. I also have a thing for Sandra Oh’s dress. Can’t help it – orange is my thing and I hate that a deranged orange man has tainted that color for life.
That skirt is a gorgeous color and she can pull it off. She just needed a better top. That said, she looks wonderful and memorable here–mission accomplished.
I love, love, LOVE Janelle’s skirt. I love the draping, the fabric, the fit, and especially the colour.
And I don’t even like orange!! This skirt made me a new fan of orange.
I’m with you, I LOVE how the skirt sits on her hips like it was placed there but isn’t clinging. It just beautifully cascades over her.
I LOVE this look. The shade of orange is what—deep papaya? Not traffic cone, lol. There’s too much red in it. It’s very rich. And paired with the deep black, wow. Janelle pulls this off like nobody’s business. Swooning.
Agreed. That skirt loves Janelle’s hips. I would not change a thing.
Same here, not an orange fan, but that skirt is fantastic. I don’t love the top though, but wow is Janelle beautiful.
+1
This is pretty much exactly how I would expect Janelle to look! I dislike orange in general, but this is a pretty shade and Janelle is stunning!
Janelle can make anything look good.
I absolutely LOVE everything about her entire look and I also love orange–my fave color since I was a kid.
I love the orange skirt. Wish it was not topped with that bustier, though.
I can not fathom how Kaiser could not live that orange skirt! It looks like she was poured into it, like it’s caressing her hips. And the way it moved as she sashayed her way down the carpet!! It’s such an on-brand Monae look. I don’t even like orange and I’m obsessed with it.
Don’t know how long you’ve been commenting around here but Kaiser famously despises anything orange. Bangs and orange frocks of any style are a no-go.
I’ve learned over the years Kaiser and I have VERY different tastes in fashion lol. What I hate she loves and what I love she hates. I do love how I’m not in the minority about the orange skirt. Not a color I usually love. The top isn’t great but Janelle is rocking the eff out of that skirt.
I like it too. This shade of red-orange is great on her, and the draping and fit of the whole ensemble is excellent.
She looks so good. Her face!
Right??! Janelle was one of my best-dressed for sure. I thought it was amazing
Janelle was one of my favorites of the night. She looks amazing! What a great body. Sexy as hell. Plus she took a risk that worked.
Same, I love this look on Janelle, but I definitely have a thing for orange. Also, the fabric looks so rich and lovely. Can we also talk about the always handsome John Cho here! Love his velvet coat.
I dig the skirt but the top looks like it’s dragging her chest downward. A fun play on white men’s shirt or a full corset top would have been so much cooler.
@BananaPanda, I am glad I am not the only one seeing that with her top. I have tried bras that are designed that way and just no. But I for one love, love love! that skirt! The drape, color and texture all are extremely pleasing to my eye.
Aww BananaPanda, I didn’t even notice the top til you said something and now it’s driving me crazy. She looks like a goddess in that skirt- the way it glides and caresses her figure is beautiful, I just can’t believe that black top is the best they could find to go with it
Ooh, a shirt over the top of the bustier, tied, would have been lovely.
I liked it too.
Mindy isn’t the only one who is clearly using it. Lady Gaga looked so tiny. She goes up and down depending on what she’s working on, but I thought she looked super tiny in that ugly black dress from the carpet.
But GaGa has been that thin. She’s a dancer. I would t be so fast to attribute it to Ozempic
Yes gaga was slim from her “Just dance” debut. But she never has been as skinny as during the fame monster period, in the Bad romance and telephone music videos (i miss blockbusters music videos era so much) . So ozempic mayhaps.
No Gaga got very thin vey fast so I’m inclined to believe she used Ozempic.
I’m not sure what her being a dancer has to do with it. JLo and Beyoncé are both dancers and are that that thin.
I think it was the dress and makeup that made her look smaller — she’s thin, but during her performance in the ceremony (in minimal makeup, a tee, and jeans) she looked pretty normal thin for her.
Mindy is feeling herself and she seems so happy. Let her show it off. I hated the white one. The black was nominally better. I actually liked JM’s look. She is so stunning and she wore the hell out of her look. Stunner.
Mindy probably should have flipped it and worn the black one on the white carpet and the white one on the dark stage.
Or just wore the black one for both?
I agree, but at the time I wondered if she ultimately decided to swap them because she knew the nominees for best female lead would also be in white — like a “don’t take attention away from the bride(s)” kinda thing
I love Janelles look. She looks great to me . Mindy is at the point where the weight loss is all I think about when I see her. Which I guess is unfair because she is entitled to look however she wants. I didn’t hate her dresses. But what is up with her showing up everywhere with bj Novak. Like what is going on there? It’s odd to me .
I’m so torn these days because on the one hand, discussing individual celebrities and their body/weight is not something I want to do. On the other hand … the trend in Hollywood is undeniable. Skinny is back and I hate this for young women and girls.
I don’t like any of these dresses but the ladies themselves look great.
Did skinny ever go out of style though?
Even the small societal strides we made towards accepting curvier body types has morphed into an obsession with an almost cartoonish hourglass body type that isn’t attainable for most people without surgery. We’re just so effin broken when it comes to acceptable body standards..
@jaded- totally agree, skinny never went out, we just changed what body parts should be skinny. Obviously the kardashians are the prime example of this and the rise of the BBL and those waist trainers that they promoted to give you that unrealistic “snatched” waist.
No, it was never completely out of style. But in recent years, women who didn’t fit the model-skinny mold were becoming more visible and successful. It was fine to have some curves (and then the Kardashians took it too far because we can’t have nice things). More mid-priced fashion websites feature models above a size 2 now. It was a slog and I’m not saying it was all great. But it was a conversation.
But like I said in another post recently, I keep seeing extremely skinny actresses on TV who are so thin that I’m actually distracted. Not to mention how so many formerly average-sized celeb ladies have shrunk down drastically.
Something’s happening and I’m not the only one to notice.
Sadly, when we make the tiniest bit of progress as a society — in this case, having women not model-sized becoming more visible — an immediate backlash ensues and the pendulum swings back to stricter, more conservative standards. Just as we are seeing backlashes to LGBTQ+ and racial equity, as well as the #MeToo movement, the return of extremely thin beauty standards coincides with this push to go farther right on social issues.
I’ve lived long enough to see skinny come in and out, and it always comes in with some crappy consequences for the average person. Celebs typically get skinny in unrealistic or unhealthy ways and one of the reasons that skinny is in is because it is so hard to achieve when you’re a grown woman. So it ends up upping the demand for short-cuts that may well be worse than 10 extra pounds.
This rings so true and now that I’ve entered into my 40s it’s really hitting me. I used to be able to loose weight if I did certain things, stuck to certain foods and exercise, nothing extreme though, but now those aren’t even working and I look at those celebs that are older than me and so much thinner and wonder how?
Just here to say – Mindy may have a lot of reasons for losing weight. And she may have done it totally safely. I’ve noticed that she’s slowly been losing weight for maybe like a year now. I’m a year younger than her and in a similar life stage (I had a baby at 37). I carried around a lot of baby weight for years and coincidentally/not coincidentally had some weird minor but could turn not minor health stuff. Realized I need to be around as long as possible for my kid (and other reasons of course!) and lost weight by watching my calories (and I’m not hungry and haven’t cut any foods out) and working out. I’m in such great shape now and feel great, my bloodwork is better, and yes I look skinnier. I just think we have to be careful about our assumptions and should continue not talking about weight.
Mindy lost her mother to cancer and had kids at an “older” age. There may be a lot going into her decision, and I don’t think we should assume Ozempic is the cause or that she’s starving herself. My anecdotal perspective is making me pause on judgements here.
I’m so sad that people turned on Mindy. I’ll always root for her.
I think Janelle looks amazing! That skirt is gorgeous. Mindy looks good, although I think I prefer the black version over the white one. But that is odd to wear the same dress in two different colors.
It was an extremely odd choice for Kaling. I wish she had just stuck with the black.
Janelle oozes in her red/orange skirt and it looks phenomenal on her!! I wish that Wang had taken the same fabric choice on top too as the other top just ruins her final look.
Janelle’s look was one of my favorites! I loved everything about it.
She looked great!! When she walked out on stage with Kate Hudson my husband said, “She has so much presence on camera, she commands your attention” and it’s so true. Can’t help looking at her!
Janelle look > Mindy’s only because Janelle commands your attention in clothes. Mindy is talented and beautiful, but she doesn’t quite have the presence to wear an avant garde look like that. It’s very much wearing her.
I don’t follow Mindy that closely but in the few interviews I’ve read or heard she regularly speaks about food in a problematic way. It makes me cringe to think what is going on behind the scenes. Was not a fan of these looks in particular but I don’t think they were awful.
Janelle’s look worked for her. I don’t think everyone could have pulled that off.
Mindy’s looked bad and yes I have thought for a while now, something is going on. She regularly wrote about hating to work out and loving to eat and was up front about not being below a size 12 or whatever she used to be. And it’s real obvious she’s had plastic surgery too.
I am a solid size 9/10 and it was so refreshing to see Mindy for years. Now, I feel a bit cheated. At 42, I workout with a personal trainer 2 times per week, do cardio another 2 times on my own(so 4 times per week total), no caffeine, no alcohol, low carbs and sugars, and I am stuck. I personally don’t want to take Ozempic because I know I’d be on it forever and I dont want to take something so new. I also had stomach issues for years and finally got those under control in my 30s by eliminating foods I am sensitive to (eggs, red kidney beans, bananas, pineapple, peanuts, wheat)and worry about Ozempic’s side effects. I worry now people, especially women will be like you arent trying hard enough, you should just go on Ozempic. It just is defeating honestly because I know this will be embedded in our culture now and I am actually finally happy with my body being toned but overweight.
Agreed. One of my friends was really sad about Mindy jumping on the skinny train. I was like well she’s taking something.
I highly doubt Ozempic is going to get “embedded in our culture”. This is the same as the phen phen fad and whatever that diet thing was in the 90s that gave people the oily shits.
Mindy’s entitled to look however she wants, and to do whatever she wants to look that way, but I’m just bummed about how she’s been lying about it. She did some interviews saying she wasn’t really doing anything different, just eating less of what she loves. Which is just as cheap and fake as those new moms who say they lost the baby weight from chasing their kids around the park and doing yoga. I always liked Mindy, because she seemed honest, approachable and transparent – normal, in a world of shallowness. Now, she seems just as dishonest and vapid as the next celeb.
Whenever women have dramatic weight loss after becoming mothers and say it’s because they started leading a healthier lifestyle for their children, I always read that as they used to drink a lot and now they don’t. I have a couple of friends like that. They weren’t alcoholics before but heavy drinkers, would eat most meals out, never really exercised. Then they got pregnant, quit drinking, started exercising a lot to manage the anxiety they had been self medicating with booze, realized they weren’t so much foodies just liked getting drunk in pretty places, and then when the children came some kept the healthy habits in place and became teensy. I could DEFINITELY see Mindy falling into this camp.
100%, this is my sister.
I lost my baby weight naturally post 4.5 months but it was breast feeding. Breast feedings takes a lot of calories and a lot of moms naturally lose weight just from that. I didn’t do any exercise or diets.
It’s especially shocking and dishonest because it directly contradicts her past interviews. She stated that the skinniest she had ever been was at one point on The Office and it was because she and BJ had broken up and she was not eating. The Mindy Project, which was a blatant self-insert, documented her anxiety and struggles with her weight and while promoting the show she had said she “works out a lot to look this bad”, indicating that exercise was having a nominal effect on her for weight management. Let’s face it, she’s finally living the fantasy she’s always dreamed about and we’ve kind of lost her to that.
She was always honest about her feelings around weight and being considered plus sized. This is another journey for her. She was never yours or ours to loser. We don’t have rights to these women (or mens) lives because we’re fans or like their work.
It’s insane to me that Mindy would ever be considered plus size. The modeling and entertainment industries have so skewed our perceptions.
I think same for Adele. She didn’t suddenly learn how to eat differently. She looks great but let’s be honest.
I believe Adele has definitely been using something. Same with Red Drummond… Pioneer Woman.
I’m just stopping by to shout that, yet again, JANELLE LOOKS FABULOUS
I didn’t like Mindy’s dresses. She wanted to show off her new figure. She looks beautiful. I don’t blame her. I didn’t hate Janelle’s but I didn’t like it either. The top bothered me. I did love the bottom part. I love the orange. I do love the choker. Really set off everything.
Please no weight shaming OK?
I don’t think Mindy looks tragic. Would I have chosen those gowns, no, but they fit her just fine and there isn’t anything particularly awful about them. She is obviously happy in them and wants to show off her figure, which while it is less weight than she used to carry, still appears PERFECTLY NORMAL size for an active woman her age and not at all “skinny.”
I don’t hate the dresses, but I’m not a fan of the illusion netting that looks a tad to big and the details of the bra top. I just don’t think you need to provide an illusion if you’re set on wearing a bra and a skirt.
But I like this look in general on her. It’s different and if she’s feeling her oats, I say go for it.
It looks like there may be illusion netting and shapewear, which is contributing to the less than smooth appearance just under the bustline.
I hope Mindy felt good. I definitely noticed how her appearance has changed and had some thoughts on her revenge body dresses, but mostly, I hope she got whatever she was hoping to get out of the experience so she can feel good in her body no matter what size it is.
I don’t think it’s fair to assume every person who has lost weight did it using Ozempic. Mindy has been slowly losing weight for a while. She actually looks a bit toned. No one is slamming Post Malone, who also has lost a lot of weight. He said she stopped drinking soda and starting eating super healthy. People believed him. Unless a celeb actually says they used the drug, let’s not assume. This is a dangerous road we are going down here.
I could be wrong, but I believe Mindy was the one that had a Ozempic park at her house.
There’s a lot of chatter about Mindy hosting Ozempic parties.
I meant parties
I do like the black dress on Mindy more than the white.
But I so wish she hadn’t tweaked her mouth and lower face into that Joker-ish look. She had a lovely, natural mouth and chin before. While she has every right to do whatever to herself that she likes, I deplore that whatever social conditions she’s subject to made her feel that this was necessary.
I was wondering too what mindy did to the lower half of her face. I wasn’t sure if she had had a stroke or Botox. If she is on ozempic or not that’s her business. She has the right to be skinny if that’s what she chooses. She shouldn’t maintain a certain weight just make other people that can’t lose the weight happy.
There has been so much tweaking she looks like a completely different person from before. Her skin is lighter, her nose is narrower, her chin is sharp…this is a slow Kardashiation that’s happening right before our eyes.
Again, people can do whatever they want to their faces and bodies but one can’t help but notice that her features look more anglicized. A lot of East Asian celebrities fall into this ideal of beauty also—skin-whitening, nose jobs and double eyelid surgery, etc. I know it’s not about “looking white” (clarifying: am East Asian) as many white celebrities are also going for the same look (Kim Kardashian, Megan Fox, Blake Lively, Bella Hadid etc). All I know is this very narrow idea of “acceptable beauty” is sadly cookie-cutter, especially for the multitude of girls who are trying to find real representation.
The lace front visible on Mindy makes me wonder if she’s having Ozempic-related hair loss?
Mindy always has had issues with thin hair; early on in The Mindy Project she began to comb over her forehead from the side and wear hair extensions (some of which did not match and you can see the difference in certain lighting). When she does not wear the extensions on the show, you can see how thin and flat her hair is overall. And at times you could see her wearing a topper that wasn’t blending well into the rest of her hair. I’m guessing she has hairline problems and fine hair overall, hence the supplementary pieces.
Yes she had extensions for YEARS. Maybe she’s using wigs now. But when she did use extensions, she had some unfortunate hairstyles that showed how badly blended the extensions were.
I find it…interesting…that the second Mindy lost all the weight, BJ Novak starts sniffing around and dropping hints like he’s the father of her kids. He’ll finally be ready to love her in public once he thinks she’s good enough for him, which means, more weight loss and body upgrades to come.
I’ve noticed, too. He is so bleurgh
Her make up is really bad, makes her look like a wax figure. I have a Desi friend that absolutely loathes her, says she’s a white fratboy inside a desi woman haha
Janelle looks gorgeous and LOVE her outfit. It’s FASHION!
Mindy is a great example of the trauma that happens to Black and Brown kids when they grow up by themselves surrounded by white people. Parents make choices thinking they are giving their kids more “options” without realizing that it can be hard to focus when you’re dealing with white people with unexamined white supremacist programming for days and years on end.
This. I’m Indian and while I hope I’ve done the work to have moved past it, the shit I internalized for decades as a brown person in a sea of white people is intense. I’m not disappointed in Mindy, but my heart hurts for her.
What’s going on with her chin, though? Is it an implant, or did she just lose so much weight from her face that it looks like it? She’s always been beautiful. I’m makes me really sad that she apparently feels this pressure.
She got a chin implant a few years ago in addition to having her lips done. The weight loss just makes it more apparent.
Wonder what she thought of jimmys drug weight loss jokes ? 😂
I thought it was gross. Just like last year, men think they are funny/clever making fun of women’s appearance. It’s actually a boring old bit.
It’s long past time for men to be making jokes about women and their weight. Such misogynistic attitudes that have no place in this century or the last.
BTW, I can’t stand Kimmel so I am glad I didn’t watch it.
I’m not going to be mad at Mindy because she lost some weight and I’m not going to speculate on it.
This trend to cut-outs this year, is mostly unflattering to everyone and after seeing a dozen versions looks gimmicky.
It’s always jarring seeing present-day Mindy Kaling after watching early episodes of the Office, which I do when I need something familiar and soothing. Her skin was darker, her lips were thinner, and her face shape was different (pre-chin implant). She was ADORABLE. She’s still attractive now, but so, so different looking and it’s not because of aging. I’m half South Asian and I’m acquainted with the pressure to be thinner, have lighter skin, etc., and certainly that pressure is far, far greater in Hollywood. I don’t really have a point other than it’s maddening how narrow beauty standards continue to be.
The faux corset look rarely looks good and it did not on Mindy either. She has worn better gowns recently, including one at an event celebrating South Asian film.
As a woman, I’ve heard plenty of commentary about my body and appearance, and I empathize with how painful it is for someone outside of my body to speculate and assume anything about me based on my appearance. One never knows the full story from the outside. MK’s weight and face are her business, not mine, and I personally do not appreciate commentary or speculation about my size, face, weight, or appearance. I’ve had a “friend” shout at me that me loosing weight was a horrible betrayal because I’m supposed to be the f** friend, accused me of having an ED because she was so enraged that how dare I think I am a fit person! I’ve had a parent shout at me that I’m f**, and then shout at me that I’m an****** when I was fit and healthy. This type of commentary hurts. Those who have experienced it know how hurtful this type of speculation and commentary is around weight. Sure, I’ll comment about dresses and fashion, but body commentary crosses the line, in my opinion and in my experience.
This. I hear you.
Ugh I’m so sorry you had to listen to that kind of talk from a supposed friend
Why are’t we talking about how skinny Austin Butler and Paul Mescal were?
The skinny trend really goes for both genders it seems. So sad…
I cant tell with Paul Mescal but YES to Austin Butler. Man is disappearing before our eyes!
I don’t understand the comments about MK’s weight loss. She looks to be at a healthy weight. Good for her! That dress though…is unfortunate.
Her face looks like a Kardashian. I know we all have a right to do what we want with our bodies (I am fiercely pro choice). But it does sadden me when women (and it seems to happen more with women) get work done and end up looking generic instead of their individual selves. The entertainment industry drives women to it, imho, because how are women supposed to stand their ground if it means losing out on work? But I’m still going to complain about it.
I really like all three of these dresses. /shrug
I don’t like visible boning on corset dresses, it just looks cheap to me. I think Mindy Kaling looks lovely, but has definitely given in to some Hollywood pressures.
The skirt is an actual color and Janelle Monae is always gorgeous, so I’m fine with it. Ask me again when everything isn’t black and white and beige.
I don’t care about her weight loss. I need for us to talk about her terrible wigs. Lace fronts require skill. And biiiiiiitch you have money. Go to a professional. She’s not the only one, but she was the most egregious at the Oscars. I think you should automatically go on the worst dress list if you don’t pluck and shade your lace front. I said what I said.
I liked the way Mindy looked before, but I also think she looks great now. It feels like people aren’t willing to accept if she wants to change in this way. I also love Janelle monae’s dress And the way it skims and hugs her curves. I would love to look like that in a dress!