Top 10 Most Painful Red Carpet Looks of All Time

In 2016, Jennifer Garner was the epitome of elegance when she arrived on the Oscars red carpet in a stunning black Versace dress. The custom made, full length, one shoulder gown was class with a capital C. However, underneath all the glamor, Garner was in fashion agony. The “13 Going on 30” star later revealed to Jimmy Fallon that the dress featured a metal corset which squeezed her ribs. A real trooper, she managed to conceal her discomfort and get through the evening without breaking a sweat. Honestly, we think she should have won an Oscar for this performance!

Where there is a will, there is Anne Hathaway! While attending 2024’s Milan Fashion Week, the Academy Award winning actress arrived wearing a dress that can only be described as red hot! The leather Versace number included a super small bodice that was so tight, it looked like it could squeeze water from a stone. Hathaway shared a video on her Instagram demonstrating to designer Donatella Versace how it was impossible for her to maneuver in the dress. Never one to give up a good fashion moment, “The Idea of You” actress powered through. Miranda Priestly would be proud!

For the 2023 Victoria Secret Fashion Show, Doja Cat wanted to keep things simple but the night had other plans in store! Arriving on the pink carpet, Doja was decked out in a black slip dress that included open back and thong. Looking effortlessly cool and glam, instead of “Painting the Town Red” like she had probably hoped, the dress saw her seeing red. Taking to her Instagram, she revealed in graphic detail how uncomfortable and intolerable the deceivingly simple dress was. At one point, Doja even compared herself to a “block of sharp cheddar cheese” being sliced and diced by the ensembles' straps. Yikes!

In her 2020 documentary “Miss Americana,” Taylor Swift reveals a lot about herself, including how she really felt about one of her most famous red carpet moments. Dressed in head to toe Balmain, her look for the 2018 American Music Awards was serving disco ball glam. The micro mini dress and matching boots was a silvery chic moment that had Swifties applauding the bold look. But behind the scenes, as cameras rolled, Swift confessed that the tight dress made it difficult to breathe. Careful, Balmain, you might just be called out in her next single!

Now a staple of the Met Gala, Kylie Jenner was once a newbie to the biggest fashion event of the year. While attending her very first Gala in 2016, Miss Jenner appeared in a silver jewel encrusted Balmain dress. After the night was said and done, she took to her social media to share some startling insight into the reality of fashion. On her Snapchat, “The Kardashian” reality titan showed followers how the dress scratched her leg and her shoes left her feet “purple.” She followed the post up stating that her minor injuries “were worth it,” but here’s hoping her other Met looks have been less painful.

The 2018 Met Gala theme was Heavenly Bodies but for Priyanka Chopra Jonas, it was anything but divine. Dressed in a velvety crimson Ralph Lauren dress, complete with a cape and golden jeweled hood, the “Love Again” star understood the assignment, taking home an A+ for being on theme. However, the devil was in the details for this celestial look. In a now vanished Insta post, the actress admitted that her lungs were feeling the pressure from the gown’s corset. She also confessed that it made it difficult for her to sit and could barely eat. Most concerning, she stated that it “reshaped” her “ribs!”

It’s not always a tight fitting bodice or rib cracking corset but an accessory that can turn a fashionable moment into a painful experience. Take for instance, supermodel Bella Hadid’s look at the 2018 Met Gala. Draped in a black Chrome Hearts dress, she sported a matching veil by Chrome Hearts x Gareth Pugh. While it definitely completed the ensemble, Hadid was struggling to keep the heavy hair accessory up. According to her social media, the veil weighed a whopping 10 pounds! Barely able to move, Hadid still managed to stroll through the red carpet effortlessly.

They say beauty is pain but at what cost? While attending the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, Elle Fanning passed out and it all was thanks to a very unlikely culprit: her Prada dress. The prom inspired getup made Fanning look like the belle of the ball, but the tight gown proved to be too much. Fortunately, the actress had a lot of experience wearing constricting 18th century costumes on her period series, “The Great '' and quickly recovered from her fainting spell. Perhaps Prada’s garment should come with a warning label!

From covering herself in head to toe fabric to dropping a dangerous amount of weight to wear a famous Marilyn Monroe dress, Kim Kardashain will risk it all in the name of fashion. And her appearance at the 2019 Met Gala was no exception. Collaborating with retired designer Thierry Mugler, her dress gave the illusion that she had just emerged from the water but it was her teeny tiny waist that was the talk of the evening. Kardashian later revealed that she’d never experienced such pain, even having to take breathing lessons in order to make it through. Sorry, Kim! The dress was a 10/10 but no amount of glam is worth this torture!

In only a matter of years, Zendaya has cemented herself as one of the biggest fashion icons of her generation. From her incredible Met Gala looks to her innovative red carpet outfits, she never misses. While promoting “Dune: Part 2”, the former child star knew she had to think outside the box for the flick’s London premiere and dusted off a vintage Thierry Mugler couture metal suit. The look which could only be described as futuristic robot glam made headlines. However, underneath the armor, Zendaya was overheating causing her to feel“light headed.” Luckily, she opted to only wear it for the red carpet and change into something a little less heavy duty afterwards. Guess there is a downside to looking so cool!