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How to Handle a Wardrobe Malfunction Like a Pro, As Demonstrated by Celebs

How to Handle a Wardrobe Malfunction Like a Pro, As Demonstrated by Celebs

Bethenny Frankel, Nicole Kidman, Hailee Steinfeld and more stars have suffered nip slips, pasty problems and butt blunders in the name of red carpet fashion. Here’s how to make sure the same doesn’t happen to you

By Alex Apatoff

Updated May 01, 2018 03:17 PM

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BETHENNY FRANKEL

Credit: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty

The Oops: The star's lace dress didn't stand up to flashbulbs, revealing pasties that she joked made it "look like my nipples are the size of Texas."

The Advice: Consider a bodysuit under any dress that has headlight-flashing potential - and if you do find yourself showing off a bit more than you intended, take a cue from Bethenny and keep your sense of humor about it. "Is it possible for me to do anything without being a clown?” she asked in an Instagram story after the event. “I just would like to know.”

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CONNIE NIELSON

Credit: WENN.com

The Oops: While signing autographs outside of the AOL building during her press tour for the new Wonder Woman movie, Connie Nielson accidentally flashed fans when a breeze lifted up her skirt.

The Advice: Aside from staying ever-vigilant for the rogue gust of wind, a slip is always a girls best friend.

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EMMA ROBERTS

Credit: Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan/Getty

The Oops: Emma took a chance on a flirty, diaphanous Chloé dress - and the dress turned on her. “My sleeve almost fell off and completely exposed my body!" she told PeopleStyle.

The Advice: When wearing tissue-thin, sure-to-tear pieces, be prepared, as Emma was: "I had nipple covers on in case that happened.”

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NICOLE KIDMAN

Credit: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP (2)

The Oops: Nicole kindly went to hug one of the tour bus attendees at the Oscars - at the expense of the delicate bejeweled straps of her custom Armani Privé gown.

The Advice: If you're in couture, avoid any sudden movements. And if you do find yourself in a similar situation, hope that your date is as resourceful as Keith Urban was - he fashioned the gown's criss-cross straps into a halter.

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HAILEE STEINFELD

The Oops: One of the perils of a custom gown fitted to your measurements exactly is that there is absolutely no margin of error, as Hailee found out at the Oscars when a tiny tear in her Ralph & Russo Couture gown got bigger every time someone stepped on her train.

The Advice: Don't breathe, sneeze or walk too fast - and be sure to pose like a pro, as Hailee did, to cover any evidence until you can get to a safe space to stitch it up.

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CHRISSY TEIGEN

Credit: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock

The Oops: Chrissy knew her incredibly high-slit gown, fastened only with two safety pins on either side, was going to be a risk - and lo and behold, she ended up giving viewers an eyeful with one slightly too-long stride on the AMAs red carpet.

The Advice: If you're Chrissy, you just DGAF - and you use social media to mock those who were scandalized. (Plus, you thank your waxer while you're at it.) She followed a similar strategy in response to her Super Bowl nip slip.

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BEYONCÉ

Credit: AKM-GSI

The Oops: Perhaps lured into complacency by the relatively covered-up nature of her paisley silk suit, the star didn't realize things were sliding "to the left, to the left," until she was halfway to her car.

The Advice: Even Queen Bey can't will a plunging neckline into submission. Relying on a healthy amount of double-stick tape and perfect posture is key to pulling off sexy suiting.

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JENNIFER ANISTON

Credit: AKM-GSI

The Oops: She forgot to take the tags off her Céline coat, and wore it "about four times" before the paparazzi caught it.

The Advice: Before you wear anything new out of the house, turn it around and inside out to check that everything you don't want (including inside care tags and stitched-shut coat vents) has been carefully snipped out with nail scissors.

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ROSAMUND PIKE

The Oops: While playing a game with Jimmy Fallon, the star paused, shocked: "I might have just fallen apart from behind!”

The Advice: If you haven't got a jacket or wrap on you, you may have to borrow the nearest suit coat (in this case, Jimmy's) until you can make your exit.

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DREW SCOTT

Credit: Drew Scott/Twitter

The Oops: The Property Brother had an unexpected open house when the seam of his pants ripped - a problem, he confessed, he has a lot with his jeans.

The Advice: If you too find yourself wondering "How does one butt rip so many pants?", bring your favorite pairs to a tailor to get the seams reinforced.

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CAITRIONA BALFE

Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage

The Oops: Cannes first-timer Caitriona learned the hard way that the film festival's oceanside breeze can be a bit of a bummer (get it?).

The Advice: If you've got to wear a floaty mini for your Cannes photocall, you may also have to keep your hands strategically planted at your hemline. (Alternately, you can just handle it as coolly as the Outlander star did!)

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CHLOË GRACE MORETZ

Credit: Dara Kushner/INFphoto; AKM-GSI

The Oops: The seam on the star's lilac turtleneck top came apart mid-autograph.

The Advice: If something feels too small in the dressing room, believe it. There's no way you'll be able to stand in that perfectly slouched position where it looks like it fits all night. Don't be the girl who splits during a sneeze!

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LENNY KRAVITZ

The Oops: A very important seam at the crotch of his pants split right as he sank into a squat, causing a case of extreme exposure.
The Advice: It’s probably too much to ask Lenny Kravitz to wear undies with his second-skin leather pants, so we’ll just recommend that anyone in this particular situation ask a tailor double-stitch reinforcement at key areas.

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ELIZABETH OLSEN

Credit: AKM-GSI

The Oops: Her navy Miu Miu dress caught a gust of wind outside the line’s Paris show – and caught the star in turn by surprise.
The Advice: Doing exactly what she did – wearing a pair of full-coverage undies under a lightweight skirt – means your Marilyn Monroe moment is more saucy than skanky.

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CHRISSY TEIGEN

Credit: Courtesy Chrissy Teigen

The Oops: The supermodel experienced a wardrobe malfunction “of the highest caliber” when her Solace London dress split all the way up the front.
The Advice: If your clutch is too small for a sewing kit, make sure it’s big enough to serve as a modesty shield in the event your high-slit dress turns on you.

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NINA AGDAL

Credit: Courtsy Nina Agdal

The Oops: The Victoria’s Secret model endured “20 minutes of lunges and squats” with a split seam before someone told her.
The Advice: You’ll never be sorry you kept that extra hoodie in your gym bag for moments just like these.

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BEHATI PRINSLOO

Credit: Dominique Charriau/WireImage; AKM-GSI

The Oops: The malfunction-prone model has flashed both her tail- and headlights on the red carpet.
The Advice: If your skirt’s too short for slip shorts and your dress is too sheer for pasties, you’ll need to have Adam Levine on hand to distract the photographers. (Easy enough, right?)

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SOPHIE MARCEAU

Credit: FameFlynet

The Oops: Navigating the tricky stairs in Cannes, the French actress pulled her skirt apart to aid her movement, inadvertently giving the crowd an eyeful.
The Advice: Fashion tape works below the belt too. Securing a super-high seam (or a mishap-prone wrap silhouette) may be the smart solution if you’ll be doing more than sitting all day.

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CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALL

Credit: REX Shutterstock

The Oops: At her granddaughter’s christening, the Duchess almost lost her hat and hemline to a breeze.
The Advice: Do as the Queen does and choose stiff fabrics with weighted hems on windy days.

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EVA LONGORIA

Credit: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage

The Oops: She revealed way more than intended while leaning over to untangle the hem of her gown post-Golden Globes (and we’re not talking about her upper thigh area, which she bared on purpose).
The Advice: No matter how small your chest, if you’ve picked a dress with a cutout to your navel, you’re going to want to invest in some fashion tape.

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KIM KARDASHIAN

Credit: INF

The Oops: The mom-to-be gave the paparazzi an eyeful of her most famous asset in too-sheer skirt.
The Advice: Hold your clothes up to a window in bright, natural light. Can you see through them? Then undergarments are advisable.

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JENNIFER LOPEZ

Credit: Splash News Online

The Oops: She had messy brown smudges on her white leather pants.

The Advice: If you’re J. Lo, make sure to have a backup pair of white leather pants (a Tide pen is just not going to cut it for these babies). If you are not J. Lo, avoid white leather pants altogether.

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JULIANNE HOUGH

Credit: Courtesy of Julianne Hough

The Oops: Julianne ripped her Temperley London gown up both legs while dancing too hard at a Golden Globes after-party.

The Advice: Should you be wearing a borrowed gown worth megabucks to a reception with great music, think hard before doing your best “Gangnam Style.”

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SOFIA VERGARA

Credit: Jason Merritt/WireImage

The Oops: The star busted a zipper on Emmys dress. Click here for her NSFW tweet of the disaster (don’t say we didn’t warn you!).
The Advice: If you’re determined to make that super-snug dress zip, opt for Spanx, avoid sitting down all night and (on the off chance your stylist isn’t waiting in the wings with a sewing kit) bring an opaque wrap so you can make your exit discreetly.

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KATHERINE HEIGL

Credit: Reuters/Steve Marcus

The Oops: Katherine's dress undid itself during her acceptance speech at the ShoWest awards.

The Advice: Spend some time in the garment before an important event to discover any potential issues. If it rides up, dips low or is precariously fastened, you’ll find out before it’s too late.

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HAYDEN PANETTIERE

Credit: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson/Landov

The Oops: She sported a visible pasty underneath plunging (and sheer) gown.
The Advice: Enlist a friend to take photos of you with a flash camera before leaving the house. What looks great in your bathroom mirror may appear very different in an iPhone pic posted to Facebook.

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PRINCESS KATE

Credit: Bauer-Griffin

The Oops: The royal's pretty yellow dress fell victim to a gust of wind.

The Advice: If you don’t have a royal dressmaker to weigh down any hems that might inadvertently give you the full Marilyn Monroe, make sure you opt for full-coverage boy shorts.

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EMMA WATSON

Credit: Gilbert Flores/Celebrity Photo

The Oops: Emma's dress was ’90s-chic from the front and eye-popping from the side.

The Advice: Find a good tailor who can transform that beautiful but less-than-perfect-fitting piece into a couture-worthy creation.

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By Alex Apatoff

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How to Handle a Wardrobe Malfunction Like a Pro, As Demonstrated by Celebs

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BETHENNY FRANKEL

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CONNIE NIELSON

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EMMA ROBERTS

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NICOLE KIDMAN

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HAILEE STEINFELD

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CHRISSY TEIGEN

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BEYONCÉ

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JENNIFER ANISTON

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ROSAMUND PIKE

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DREW SCOTT

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CAITRIONA BALFE

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CHLOË GRACE MORETZ

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LENNY KRAVITZ

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ELIZABETH OLSEN

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CHRISSY TEIGEN

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NINA AGDAL

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BEHATI PRINSLOO

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SOPHIE MARCEAU

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CAMILLA, DUCHESS OF CORNWALL

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EVA LONGORIA

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KIM KARDASHIAN

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JENNIFER LOPEZ

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JULIANNE HOUGH

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SOFIA VERGARA

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KATHERINE HEIGL

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HAYDEN PANETTIERE