Shailene Woodley’s stylist addresses ‘rude, mean’ backlash to star’s Emmys look
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Of all the outfits we saw at the Emmys, one sparked more discussion than the rest – and now, the stylist behind it has responded to “rude, mean” criticisms.
In a sea of gowns, Shailene Woodley hit Monday’s red carpet in an unusual ensemble: gold beaded pants, a plunging blue top, burgundy leather opera gloves and a bold gemstone necklace. The combination divided opinion, attracting some rather zesty commentary from viewers and fashion critics.
Shailene Woodley’s Emmys outfit got everyone talking - and her stylist has now entered the chat. Getty
Woodley’s stylist Karla Welch clearly saw the feedback, and has now offered her two cents in a post on Threads.
“Love or hate something, fine, but it’s an opinion and it can even be a conversation,” she wrote.
“But being super rude and mean and taking glee from it, well that says a lot more about the mouths it’s coming from. 🖤.”
The actress wore beaded pants and a top from Balenciaga with leather opera gloves. Getty
Welch also poked fun at the backlash when she shared a photo of the Motor City star’s look on Instagram.
“Trigger warning,” the first slide of her carousel read.
In the caption, the LA-based stylist praised Balenciaga creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli and the label’s team for “[making] haute couture magic”.
Woodley’s glittering wide-legged trousers and powder blue top were drawn from Balenciaga’s Fall/Winter 2026 runway.
Karla Welch addressed “super rude and mean” discussion of the outfit she styled. Getty, Threads
Welch received plenty of support in the comments to her Threads post, with some lamenting how nasty fashion commentary can become.
One commenter defended the look, writing, “The whole point of fashion is to play and try new things and be adventurous!”
“Most importantly, [Woodley] looked so happy and at ease.”
However, some doubled down on their criticism of the outfit.
“There’s a difference between simply not liking the colour or style and an outfit that doesn’t fit properly because the details weren’t thought through,” one commenter wrote.
“The top needed wider, lower underarm cutouts, and the pants looked like they were almost falling off.
“How can you let her walk out like this, especially for such an important occasion. This feels like such a huge letdown.”
Woodley, for her part, is yet to address the conversation around her outfit.
Woodley subbed out her top and gloves in favour of a t-shirt for the Emmys afterparty. Getty
However, it seems the actress was so happy wearing it on the night, she didn’t bother with an after-party costume change.
For the Walt Disney Company’s soirée, she simply switched out the blue top, gloves and necklace for a black graphic t-shirt.
Sometimes, silence says it all.
