Throwback Thursday: Celine Dion’s Oscar Tux

Céline Dion was talking about fashion with People magazine recently, and I was glad to learn that she isn’t traumatized by the criticism of the backwards John Galliano tuxedo she wore to the 1999 Oscars.

Céline said:

“When I wore that look, yes it was at the Oscars, and when I wore that, everyone was wearing dresses, not pants. I was the only one with pants in a backward suit from Galliano and if I would do this today it would work. It was avant-garde at the time. And it doesn’t matter, you just have to assume what you wear, you wear, and I did.”

In other words, Céline was way ahead of us basic bitches, but she’s too nice to put it in exactly those words. I appreciate her forbearance, because I was one of those basic bitches, as I admitted in this 2008 post. I’ve evolved even more since 2008. I wrote that maybe I wouldn’t wear that tux to the Oscars. What? I’m ready to give that suit a damn Oscar.

This makes me determined to wear my 2003 white Versace pantsuit somewhere — anywhere! — this summer. I’ve been thinking about it since 2015 when Broad City aired an episode in which Ilana decides to be more professional, leading her to buy a “power suit.” A white suit. That she keeps loudly describing as a “white power suit.”

Also, I do like to take photos of clothes being worn 10 years apart, and the last photos I have of me in that suit are from 2007.

I wore it to a book launch for model Alek Wek …. and check it out! MrB and I took a picture with Alek herself.

My Twitter friend Kim has given me some new styling ideas, using my suit’s long-lost twin: a Thierry Mugler that she found on 1stdibs.com.

So cross your fingers that (a) I fit into the suit and (b) I don’t have an Ilana moment. I don’t want to accidentally attract any of those Pepe the frog fascists!