A powerhouse within the music industry, Adele is one of the handful of singers instantly recognisable by first name only. Up there with Madonna, Cher, Beyoncé and Rihanna, Adele can sell out a concert within a matter of minutes. The blink-and-you'll-miss-them tickets are like gold dust, so you can imagine what happened when she announced new concert dates last summer. Taking up residency at the iconic Caesars Palace in Vegas, the Weekends with Adele shows have been on since November 2022, and will run up until March this year (although there has been rumours it may be extended). The first few months sold out within record time, with some tickets later listed on resale sites for a whopping £38,000 – yep, really!
While mega fans may be taking out loans in order to hear Adele, if you haven't seen the star live, rest assured she's the type of singer with the power to make your arm hairs stand up, and the memory of seeing her lasts a lifetime. She's that good (although paying a house deposit to confirm this is slightly steep). And we haven't even got started on her outfits.
Having completed 15 weeks at The Colosseum, Adele has worn one particular outfit each and every weekend: a black dress. Styled by Jamie Mizrahi, every designer has been eager to dress the star, with custom-made gowns by Prada, Valentino, Givenchy and Schiaparelli, to name a few, being some of the chosen ones. While we all know this classic wardrobe staple will never fail – no matter the occasion, time of year or your personal style – there could be a reason why Adele has chosen to wear this same look to every Vegas show.
Having one of the most incredible voices of all time, Adele's music is her performance. Adele doesn't need to distract from her voice with fussy outfits or costumes, she knows everyone is there to hear her sing Hometown Glory or Easy on Me from the top of her lungs, so she sticks to outfits she feels good in. And what better than the fail-safe black dress?
Author of Big Dress Energy: How Fashion Psychology Can Transform Your Wardrobe and Your Confidence, Shakaila Forbes-Bell tells Grazia, 'Adele's choice of black dresses could speak to her desire for her voice and talent to take centre stage while her clothing choices take more of a back seat. Rather than seeing only the aesthetic value of her outfits, this consistent colour choice could also suggest that she uses her style more as a tool, helping her lean into her power.'
The colour black actually signifies power, something Adele may require to perform in front of over 4,000 people in Vegas each night. 'Like red, black is often associated with dominance but in a more visceral way. Black clothing makes people feel powerful and other people can sense it,' says Shakaila.
Shakaila also believes it could be do with holding the room with confidence. 'Managers and those in senior positions are often encouraged to wear black, as studies have found that black clothes give you more influence in group situations. Based on these findings it seems that Adele may favour black for its ability to give her that extra boost of confidence she needs to command the stage.'
So there you have it, the possible hidden meaning behind Adele's many black designer dresses.