Princess Diana was in an off-the-shoulder minidress when Prince Charles went public with his affair. Mariah Carey in a hip-high slit after leaving her tumultuous marriage. Ariana Madix in a fiery-red cutout set in the wake of Scandal after she caught her longtime boyfriend Tom Sandoval cheating on her with her friend Raquel Lewis. And most recently, Ciara Miller has been filming the post-10 reunion of “Summer House” in a Revenge bra and maxi skirt look scamandaWhen Miller’s best friend Amanda Batula started secretly dating her on-again, off-again ex-boyfriend West Wilson.
The idea of ​​revenge is nothing new, but it remains at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Inspired by the black mini worn by the Princess of Wales in the 1990s, the modern avenger look is fashion at its most communicable. It’s bold, fitted in silhouette, and in red or black or cream. It features a deep neckline and distinctive cutouts, a high split and an open back. It’s a comeback story, presented sartorially.
Despite the lasting legacy of revenge, I always felt uneasy about it. How tantalizing is a sultry outfit, anyway? A better act of revenge would be to, well, cheat back, as Chloe Bailey sings. Furthermore, the concept of “revenge dressing” presents a woman’s wardrobe and appearance as her primary weapon of power. What about the Revenge achievements? The art of revenge? Revenge career? Why is it that – after a woman has been wronged – the statements that really make an impact focus on how she looks?
I’m also not put off by the idea of ​​dressing with an offensive side in mind. Fashion is a personal, intimate act for me; I dress based on my mood, my desires, my social calendar for the week. I don’t want that process to be hijacked by anyone else, let alone someone who has harmed me.
(T)here’s something empowering about the Avenger costume. It speaks of the confidence of a woman who knows that her value is greater than how she is treated.
But I learned from experience – that there is something empowering about dressing up as revenge. It speaks of the confidence of a woman who knows that her value is greater than how she is treated.
The story of my Avenger costume is very specific. Several years ago, before the pandemic, I found myself on the brink of a breakup. We were so in sync; Our chemistry was amazing; We saw a future together with kids, pets, and even some business ventures. But when I signed in to his Netflix account, I saw a newly-created profile with another woman’s name on it – one he’d reportedly visited once to help fix a broken water pipe. I inquired about it and our relationship was soon resolved. He was combative and I was crushed. And the New Year’s Eve party invitation I’d accepted a few days earlier was hanging in the balance.
I was in no mood to dress up and be among people. But then I reconsidered; I usually enjoy a night of fun and I refused to let her take that away from me. I landed on a dress that expressed that mood perfectly. A sequin micro mini with exaggerated sleeves and deep neckline. It was just the boost I needed to feel like myself again.
This is the same energy that Tina Turner manifested when she walked out of her abusive marriage in 1986. She wore a skin-tight leather Azzedine Alaia gown with four cutouts on the side, her hair in a golden spiked mullet. Becky G had similar confidence as she wore a black lace dress to the iHeartRadio Music Awards — the same day her fiancé addressed cheating rumors.
Being ready for revenge is less about vengeance, and more about a bold declaration of self-love. It’s putting on a brave face and a cutout dress or a bra and a maxi skirt – and letting the world know that what happened to you didn’t break you and it won’t define you.
Keep scrolling to boost your confidence with the best celebrity revenge moments of all time, from Princess Diana to Ciara Miller.
