Michelle Collins dazzles at the Pride of Britain Awards; Her elegant fashion hack is the answer to how to style dresses with slits this season
Super sleek and cosy, Michelle Collins tones down her thigh-high slit with this accessory


Posing on the red carpet for the Pride of Britain Awards, Michelle Collin looks super glam in a floor-length, sequinned, one-sleeved gown. The dazzling, embellished design was a chic combination of black, bronze and silver, delivering the perfect metallic combination for the feel-good event, and giving a gentle nod to some of the biggest autumn/winter fashion colour trends 2025.
Designed by couture eveningwear label Kolchagov Barba, it's a brand we have seen Michelle in before, recently wearing the label to the National Television Awards too. The luxurious gown featured a thigh-high slit, as well as a slash across the chest, drawing the eye up Michelle's frame, adding instant inches to her height.
The gently angled crossover front creates a narrowed middle, with the slit creating a sleek A-line finish, nipping Michelle in at the waist. And while dresses with big slits are commonplace for partywear, they can feel quite tricky and exposing to wear. But Michelle Collins' sheer black tights offered the perfect style solution.
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Sheer tights haven't always had the best fashion reputation, but this elegant, winter warmer has found itself back in favour with the style set, and it offers just enough extra coverage for cooler climes.
Opting for around a 10-15 denier pair of tights, Michelle's black pair echoes the main colour of her outfit, discreetly adding leg and thigh coverage against the high slit dress. Because she has opted for a low denier, which is relatively see-through, it still works with the dress and doesn't feel too heavy.
Finishing offer her outfit, Michelle opts for black, ankle-strap shoes, and a classic black Kate YSL clutch bag, although it looks like Michelle has a vintage black/silver iteration, as opposed to the current black with gold tassel edition. The simple but polished accessories ensure her look is put together, but still lets the dress take centre stage.
Get the look
With a slightly lower side slit and similar cut-out detail, this wearable design echoes Michelle's couture piece. The beautiful bead detail elevates this black dress, making it wearable for Christmas, New Year or winter wedding events. You can even add a wrap or cardigan for added warmth.
This one-shoulder design perfectly demonstrates how this silhouette instantly lengthens a frame. The clever placement of the embellishment only adds to this, drawing the eye up to the shoulder and in at the waist for a tall and curvaceous finish.
It is officially tights season, and Michelle Collins is not the first celebrity we have spotted in this winter warmer accessory. A sheer, low-denier pair will still show a little bit of your skin through the tights, making the overall finish look a lot lighter than opaque iterations.
One of the best designer bags to invest in, the Kate Tassel-Embellished crossbody is a YSL classic, and while this is an exact match in terms of style and shape, Michelle appears to have a vintage, silver and black iteration, some of which can still be tracked down on resale sites.
Generally, I'd be wary of ankle strap heels as they can shorten your legs, as the strap interrupts the line of sight; however, thanks to the sheer tights, the slightly darker strap is relatively camouflaged, so Michelle can benefit from the supportive strap detail without compromising on style.
While the dress is the main part of this outfit (and quite rightly so), it's the sheer tights that have really turned my head on this occasion. Tights aren't often seen as the most high-fashion of purchases, generally falling under the guise of practical buys, but Michelle's low-denier pair shows that winter-warmer style can be chic too.
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If you've shied away from longer slits in the past, let Michelle's styling be a lesson in how to wear leg-baring slits without having more on show than you're comfortable with.
Keeping the rest of her outfit fairly muted, Michelle lets the flattering silhouette of her dress and the metallic embellishment be the focal point, with everything else, tights included, playing the ultimate supporting role.

Rivkie is a fashion editor, writer and stylist with twenty years' experience in the industry. Rivkie studied design and pattern cutting at the London College of Fashion, and fell in love with styling and journalism, and has covered fashion weeks in London, Paris and New York, as well as shooting editorial all over the world.
Specialising in plus size fashion, Rivkie has long championed that style is for everyBODY and has appeared on a host of radio stations and television shows, pushing for greater representation for plus size women and fashion throughout her career.
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