The red carpet was a No Man's Land: a depressing sea of penguin suits, the odd slickback and E! correspondents overcome with unbridled ecstasy as Angelina Jolie stuck her leg out like she'd trapped it in a car door. It was no fun.
But the times, they are indeed a changing. Thanks to more wardrobe wriggle room, Hollywood's leading gents are opting for a punchier tux: something with a classic fit, but a shiny, shiny, shiny finish, or a texture, or a left-field colour, or sometimes even all three. And the latest recruit? Ansel Elgort.
At Tom Ford's A/W '19 show - the holy land of big boss suiting - the 24-year-old swapped a traditional tux jacket for the tailored equivalent of the Bellagio light show. It was a spectacle, and refreshingly unassuming, and packed more flash than a Prince tribute act.
All of which are good things. In the current menswear climate where more is more, Elgort has followed a proven formula - and it's one that's worked for Chris Pine, Mahershala Ali and Darren Criss et al. Nobody wants to be outshone by their Golden Globe, after all, and fewer still want to lean on the doldrums of done-to-death black tie.
Granted, those without the face to fill a blockbuster marketing campaign may struggle. But there's still cause to rejoice: you're no longer limited to the suits of old. Step into the Light. It's a lovely place to be.
