His and hers, his and his, hers and hers

At the recent balls and events, some of our favorite couples stood out because they satisfied the above and were just so at ease with themselves that they were fun to talk to and party with. With many of the men in black, they confidently acted as a foil, allowing their spouses to shine in a contrasting bright color or a bouffant silhouette, or even go metallic. Black need not be boring, however, and one can liven it up with textures like velvet or satin and even some strategic beading or embroidery. And, of course, there’s jewelry to add fireworks to black tie.

Reviewing the red carpet of the past year, we can get some cues on couple dressing from the stars. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez continue to dazzle on their second chapter because they’re perfect together—she just blooms when he’s by her side. He knows when to step back, leaving her to do the red carpet alone, like he did at the Globes, so she can have her fashion moment—resplendent in pink, that also went well with his black tie when they were settled inside. At another event, J.Lo harmonized with Ben in black but stunned with a metallic breastplate.

Another couple with an easy chemistry is George and Amal Clooney, who always have coordinated looks that are attractive and sophisticated, whether it’s walking the streets of Venice on holiday, where she matches the colors of his navy polo and gray pants with her floral-printed mini, or at the Albie Awards, where he picks up the white from his tux but in gleaming sequins from Versace.

On the edgier side are Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, who always step out in fashion-forward looks even at the height of pregnancy, showing off the baby bump in a gray fur crop top, black leather mini and Loewe coat, which he matched with gray cargo sorts and black leather jacket. At the Met Gala, she was a bride in white silk Valentino with sweeping train and roses while he was a groom in a tartan kilt.

His and his

Tim Yap and Javi Martinez are easily the well-dressed in the room. At the recent Tatler ball, both were in black, but Javi had satin lapels, while Tim’s was velvet and he accessorized with Tiffany & Co. brooches by Jean Schlumberger. Going Filipiniana, you can spot them wearing stylish embroidered barongs by Puey Quiñones or by Ternocon finalists like Glyn Alley Magtibay, who also did a terno suit for Tim, upcycled from x-rays, which he wore at Milan Fashion Week.

Elton John has been known to be equally adventurous with fashion, as seen in his concerts. He tones down a bit when he’s out with husband David Furnish so they look good together, wearing similar tuxedos but with different colorways or being the diva that he is, his version will have more glitter.

Interior designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent always look like a handsome couple, sticking to monochromes and earth colors to look good together, not calling too much attention, especially when they’re with their two young children.

Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black also have two kids but experiment with their outfits a bit more, as seen at the Brit Awards, where the Olympic diver had a glittery pink outfit while the Oscar-winning screenwriter wore a lavender suit to stay in the pastel color palette. RuPaul and Georges LeBar play with plaid, the former in red tartan and the latter in a simpler navy windowpane so as not to clash.

Hers and hers

Aiza “Ice” Seguerra may have been born a “her,” but she has already identified as a trans man and his wife, Liza Diño, always considered him so and was happy to have him wear a three-piece gray suit while she wore a white gown for their wedding. They otherwise can be seen romping around in identical T-shirts and jeans at home.

In Hollywood, visible on the red carpet were actresses Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor, who were seen in a black sequin Nina Ricci and pink satin suit, respectively, at a Vanity fair party.

Jodie Foster and Alexandra Hedison, on the other hand, both stuck to black, with the former going strapless and the latter opting for slashes to reveal some skin.