Tracee Ellis Ross Is Pleasing in Pleats
When one thinks of pleats, normally one thinks of something rather casual and flowing. Of course, the late Issey Miyake made a career off of the idea that pleats don’t always have to be so lithe, and can actually hold a beautiful structure if manipulated correctly. Tracee Ellis Ross’ latest look, however, falls somewhere in between a classic pleated dress and Miyake’s Pleats Please, and it strikes an exciting, and intriguing balance because of that.
On Tuesday, Ross stepped out in a full pink look by London-based designer Robert Wun. The ensemble is takes the idea of a basic suit but goes above and beyond with the pleating. Ross’ bell bottom pants expanded and encircled her feet, as the the collar and sleeves of the shirt emerged from out of the jacket with strong points. A pleated skirt on top of the pants completed the drama of the look. Given the over-the-top nature of the ensemble, Ross and her stylist, Karla Welch, smartly kept the styling simple, pulling the actress’ hair back in a tight braid, and adding just gold hoops and a red lip.
Ross wore the look for an appearance on Good Morning America, where she promoted her upcoming Hulu docuseries, The Hair Tales. “It's an exploration on the identity of Black woman told through the metaphor of our hair, so using hair as sort of an organizing principal to talk about our humanity,” said Ross who is the executive producer, co-creator and host of the six-part series, which will feature guests including Oprah Winfrey, Issa Rae, Chloe Bailey, and Marsai Martin. “It really is about the joy and the celebration and the discovery of the identity of Black women.”
As Ross entered the GMA studio on Tuesday morning, she did so pleats first, high kicking to really show off her look. “It felt like it needed a little shimmy, you know what I mean?” she asked. “I love an outfit. God, I love a look.”
In fact, Ross has been showing off quite a few extravagant ensembles while promoting The Hair Tales. In addition to GMA, she also took on The Today Show in a Carolina Herrera spring/summer 2023 look that found her in head to toe pink florals, wearing skintight pants, heels, and a long-sleeve top with a asymmetric ruffle detail all rendered in the same pattern.
Possibly all colored-out, Ross then finished off her fashion-filled Tuesday in a nude, long-sleeved Versace fall/winter 2022 corseted dress for a chat with Gayle King during Hearst Magazines' Celebrate Black Style Summit Launch Event. Even that ensemble, though, she spiced up with red tights and heels.
