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Of all the places you’d expect to see a woman walking barefoot, the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival is probably not one of them. And yet, this has become a somewhat regular occurrence at the annual shindig, where A-list actors, models and directors gather in their finest gladrags. Sure, the festival is ostensibly about celebrating the best of cinema. But it has also become one of the most significant events in the fashion calendar, with stars taking the opportunity to make both sartorial and political statements. However, out of all the trends that have prevailed, from cutout gowns to sheer sequins, the one that continually seems to trump them all is none other than women’s feet. And it’s already made headlines again this year, thanks to the likes of Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lawrence and Isabelle Huppert, all of whom have made their own subtle nods to the political powers of their own feet. Traditionally, the Cannes dress code is rather strict: in 2015, a group of women in their fifties were reportedly turned away from a screening because they were wearing “rhinestone flats” instead of high heels. The story immediately prompted a backlash and accusations of sexism, with the festival’s director, Thierry Frémaux, denying that heels are mandatory: “The rumour saying the festival insists on high heels for women on the red carpet is unfounded,” he wrote in response to critics on Twitter. Nonetheless, female actors were quick to respond, with Emily Blunt saying at the time: “Everyone should wear flats, to be honest. We shouldn’t wear high heels.” The following year, Julia Roberts and Sasha Lane attended Cannes events barefoot. “The carpet was for our film and I was dressed in a very elegant gown and there’s a ton of stairs, and I’m walking around all day… so I will go barefoot,” Lane said in a later interview. “Why is anyone against that? I’m still here and well-dressed.” Lane’s comments were also echoed by Kristen Stewart, who once said of strict female dress codes: “I feel like you can’t ask people that anymore. If you’re not asking guys to wear heels and a dress, you cannot ask me either.” The Twilight star famously took off her sky-high Christian Louboutin heels on the red carpet at Cannes in 2018, proceeding to walk the rest of the carpet barefoot. Official rule or not, there’s no mistaking that even now, in 2023, the pressures placed on women at black tie events such as Cannes are different to those placed on men. Sartorial convention has long defined occasionwear as anything that leaves your feet uncomfortable. Whether it’s a pump, sandal, or stiletto, the shoe needs to add some sort of height to your look in order to be considered formal and appropriate. It might seem like a small imposition, but if there’s anything this year’s red carpet has taught us, it’s that it can serve as a microcosm of much wider inequalities. Take Cate Blanchett, who last weekend at a Cannes party presented an award to the French-Iranian star Zahra Amir Ebrahimi. “I am going to take my heels off, in honour of the women of Iran,” she told the crowd, before holding up Ebrahimi’s pointed trophy to joke: “This is to stab everyone who stands in the way of women’s rights. Up the vajayjay!” The sentiment has also been referenced by Portman, Lawrence and Huppert at this year’s festival. On Saturday, while talking about her new film May December, Portman spoke about the idea of “performing femininity”, telling attendees that it’s something she’s “very curious about”. “The different ways that we as women are expected to behave – at this festival, even – compared to men,” she said. “How we’re supposed to look, how we’re supposed to carry ourselves.” Meanwhile, Lawrence arrived on the red carpet for the Bread and Roses premiere in a scarlet Dior gown paired with flip-flops. And as for Huppert, a perennial style maven at Cannes and beyond, she made a subtle nod to the shoe-less protests in a pair of Balenciaga heels that had been specially designed to resemble a bare foot. All this serves as a reminder that despite societal progressions, women’s bodies are still firmly policed in the public eye. If it’s not via their footwear, it’s via their actual outfits. Think supermodel Irina Shayk, whose outfits at Cannes events this year include a leather two-piece by Mowalola that exposed her entire torso, and a sheer black dress worn over a matching set of Gucci underwear. Elsewhere, we’ve seen Julia Fox don a completely see-through bodice with a white flowing skirt, while Naomi Campbell walked the red carpet in a scarlet gown with cutouts across her chest. Showing skin is nothing new among the fashion set, particularly given the resurgence of Y2K trends on the runways that continues to maintain its stronghold on the industry. (There has been talk of “naked dresses” for several seasons now, with influencers and stars all partaking in the art of wearing sheer gowns to formal affairs.) But bringing it to Cannes feels particularly poignant and in keeping with the barefoot brouhaha when you consider just how easily offended people are by such ensembles. The body-shaming prompted by Florence Pugh’s see-through Valentino frock last summer is just one example that springs to mind. Flashing a foot is, of course, somewhat different to flashing a nipple, but fundamentally the underlying message is the same. It’s about subverting the social conventions that oppress us. It’s about showing the world that women are fed up of being told what is and is not an acceptable way of presenting their bodies. And it’s about asking why we should still conform to dress codes informed by sexism when, as Blanchett pointed out, women’s rights continue to be subjugated around the world. With all this in mind, we’re not asking for much. The least people can allow us is to take off our heels or flash a little flesh without it having to be headline news. Read More Subversive? Dangerous? Boring?: How the red carpet became a barometer for modern masculinity Hostage to fashion: Margot Robbie’s Chanel problem speaks to a wider red carpet crisis Can casual sex ever really be casual? All the best-dressed stars at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Jennifer Lawrence stuns at Cannes Film Festival in red Dior gown - and flip-flops Amber Heard supporters react to Johnny Depp’s Cannes welcome

A jet-setter has been hailed a "genius" after sharing a hack to avoid paying extra baggage fees. In a viral TikTok circulating across the platform, Julie Waters (@dance.likenooneswatching) sported a fishing vest as part of her airport outfit filled with extra items to see whether she could successfully board the flight. The savvy traveller claimed to have packed a week's worth of clothes in the vest while flying with Spirit Airlines. "No one batted an eye, but a friend did make a comment that someone could have thought you were some kind of crazy Unabomber-type person so that would be the biggest downside," she told the Wall Street Journal. "What I really want to try is the pillowcase one, where instead of a pillow it’s full of clothes." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter @dance.likenooneswatching Will this packing hack work? Extra bag fees??? No thanks! ? #travelhacks #airplanetiktok #airplanehack #traveltips #savemoney #fishingvest #airportoutfit #airportfit #losangeles #lax #spiritairlines #frugal #travel #packing #flight #packinghacks This fishing vest is a great packing hack! Don’t pay extra baggage fees for your flight. This fishing vest held a week’s worth of clothes. I got it from Dick’s Sporting Goods. ??? Go get your’s! Follow me for more great life hacks! ?? The concept was also explored by fellow TikToker, @cheapholidayexpert, who also took to the platform with her packing hack. She managed to pack everything from a bikini, a deck of cards to a portable speaker, a laptop and deodorant. “After stuffing my pants in a neck pillow and using a duty-free bag, it was only time before I reached the heady heights of leisurewear,” Cheap Holiday Expert jokes in the video’s caption. The clip racked up almost two million views and hundreds more comments. @cheapholidayexpert Packing hack #3 - A FISHING VEST ? After stuffing my pants in a neck pillow and using a duty free bag, it was only time before I reached the heady heights of leisurewear ? Not only is it super stylish (?) but it has about twelve million pockets for stuffing your bits in. Honestly - this one is daft but also… COMPLETELY LEGIT???!! It’s a winner for me ? WOULD YOU GIVE THIS A GO? And let me know if there’s any hacks you want me to test out for you - I AM WILLING TO GIVE ANYTHING A GO ? Just call it #inv#investigativejournalism♀️ ? Don’t forget to save this hack or tag someone you think will like this!! #t#travelhacktravelhacks #pac#packinghacke#cheaptraveld#budgettravels#easyjeta#ryanairzzair "This and cargo pants?? life changing," one fellow TikToker commented, while another added: "I spent so long looking for a travel jacket with tonnes of pockets I don’t know why I never thought of this!" A third person asked what happens when she went through security, to which she replied: "You always take your jacket off at security! And they’re not checking allowance, just liquids and illegal items." Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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