For that often-confusing business casual dress code, those moments when you need to show your ex both sides of you that they're missing out on, or those mornings when you just have no idea what to wear, singer-actress Janelle Monáe has you covered. And we're not kidding when we say it's probably the most genius thing we've seen since that time Karlie Kloss wore literally every garment at once.
At Marie Claire's Image Maker awards last night, Monáe took to the red carpet in a Thom Browne number that's essentially two looks in one. The dress is a version of a floor-length metallic look seen on the designer's spring 2017 runway, and we're guessing Monáe's look was custom-made for the Moonlight star. While we typically see Monáe sporting black and white getups — mostly different takes on her tuxedo fixation — this might be our favorite mashup yet.
But if you're just tuning into the treat that is Janelle Monáe, let us catch you up on her style for a second. Where some folks might have thought Evan Rachel Wood's custom Altuzarra suit at the Golden Globes this past weekend was refreshing (especially given her reasoning for wearing it), Monáe has actually been doing this her entire career. And her commitment to a uniform of sorts is good reason, too. During her acceptance speech at the Black Girls Rock! awards back in 2012, Monáe explained why she's always in black and white.
"When I started my musical career, I was a maid. I used to clean houses. My mother was a proud janitor. My stepfather, who raised me like his very own, worked at the post office, and my father was a trash man — they all wore uniforms. And that's why I stand here today in my black and white, and I wear my uniform to honor them," she told the audience. And when a Twitter troll tried to call her out for her shtick, Monáe's clapback was strong and poignant. We're happy to see that no matter where her career takes her, she's not planning on compromising her style anytime soon.
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