On Thursday, the great and good of television swapped the silver screen for the red carpet to attend the NTAs, and as usual, all eyes were on the glittering gowns and sharp suits arriving behind the velvet rope. But you may have noticed the extra special outfits worn by the stars of Loose Women - instead of their usual colourful dresses, they opted for sleek and sharp tuxedos as they arrived to the awards show. These looks gave a new meaning to the term "fashion statement" - a source told HELLO! that the outfits were chosen to champion female empowerment, and make a stand against female celebrities feeling like they have to bare their skin in order to make the pages of newspapers and magazines, while men wear a simple suit.
From left to right: Jane Moore, Nadia Sawalha, Stacey Solomon, Andrea McClean, Coleen Nolan and Saira Khan
BEST DRESSED: See the best dressed list at the National Television Awards
Women should feel empowered whatever they’re wearing, and as successful women, the Loose Women ladies rocked their suits like true fashion icons, Stacey Solomon looked gorgeous in her monochrome ensemble, and we love her bouncy blow dry. Andrea McLean kept her glossy hair loose, leaving her smart tuxedo to do the talking. And Dancing on Ice star Saira Khan looked equally smart alongside her co stars with the most stunning lace top and killer heels. We love a power suit, and the trio certainly looked uh-may-zing.
Saira Khan showing off her finished NTAs look
This isn’t the first time that women have made a stand on the red carpet; during the 2017 Golden Globes, there was a sea of black outfits worn by female celebrities to show solidarity for the Time’s Up movement. The campaign started with 300 women from the entertainment industry responding to sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein (and the the global #MeToo trend that followed), by creating an organisation to “increase women’s safety, equity, and power at work”. Since it began, the Time’s Up Defense Fund has raised more than $22 million, and is partly for women who wish to speak about about the sexual harassment they’re received in the workplace who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to afford legal aid.
It just goes to show what women in the spotlight can achieve with their platform - and we applaud the stars of Loose Women for making their own stand this year. It may just be one outfit, but for what it represents, it will hopefully encourage more women to come together and speak about about industry double standards and inequality. To the Loose Women stars, we salute you.
