Chrissy Metz: “The Red Carpet Changed How I Dress”
In the past year, Chrissy Metz has become a bona fide style icon in her own right, scoring high-fashion shoots in magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and killing every red carpet look she steps out in.
The This Is Us star has become a red carpet fixture after the show’s first season exploded in popularity, skyrocketing her to fame, and finding the confidence to rock a sexy, form-fitting dress is new to her. In an interview with PEOPLE for their annual style issue, the actress says her newfound fame “transformed” how she dresses. “I never wore form-fitting dresses before,” Metz shared. “There are a lot of people who make you feel uncomfortable if you show a chubby stomach, arm, or leg. I was being educated, while becoming part of the conversation on size inclusivity.”
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With all that intense scrutiny, it’s not surprising that she’d worry about the reaction from critics, but Metz has learned how to embrace her status as a body positive influence. “When I started promoting This Is Us, I was worried about how things would photograph, but I slowly gained confidence. I love bold colors and prints now, like the floral gown I wore to the 2017 Critics’ Choice Awards,” she said. “Being a big girl, you want to hide sometimes, but with that dress, it was like ‘Boom! I’m here, in all my embroidered glory.'”
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The American Horror Story actress says one recent look in particular sparked a flurry of backlash: a red latex baby-doll dress to the 2017 MTV Movie and TV Awards. “People were up in arms: ‘There’s a big girl in latex!’ I was surprised, because it was a baby-doll silhouette I’d worn before, but everyone thought it was taboo,” Metz said, before admitting, “I showed a little more cleavage than usual.” In the end, she owned the look: “As people, we evolve, and so do our fashion choices.”
And thanks to her newfound confidence, Metz has become a vocal champion for body acceptance and body positivity.“I want to encourage women to enjoy what they’re wearing, as opposed to just finding a boring black dress that fits,” she says.
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(Photo via Frederick M. Brown/Getty)
