You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger—And the Lady in Red ~ Fashion Frenzy and Fuzzy

Back in 1977, Woody Allen made fashion history with his Oscar-winning hit film "Annie Hall," in which Diane Keaton broke newly sexy, androgynous ground in an eccentric but chic menswear-inspired getup. Who knew that a woman in baggy trousers, button-down shirt, vest, tie and floppy hat would cause such a sensation?

In Allen’s newest film, "You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger," opening nationwide today, Freida Pinto causes quite a stir as an irresistible siren who steals a beautiful woman’s husband—and every scene she’s in—in part, by looking ravishing in red. (Naomi Watts plays the jilted wife and she, in contrast, wears nothing but neutrals—browns, grays, and an occasional something black—throughout the film.) Pinto looks extra beautiful in red dresses, red sweaters, red blouses, red bags, different reds layered together—even red lingerie.

Freida Pinto in red

(Photo Credits: Sony Pictures)

We asked the film’s costume designer, Beatrix Aruna Pasztor, about her inspiration for dressing Pinto. "It was actually Woody’s idea for her to appear in red because it was very emblematic of her character," Pasztor said. What Pasztor added to the look was interest—the mixing of several different reds together in one outfit. "I tried to base the colors on red flower references and thought it would be very interesting to layer different shades together, so it wouldn’t look too monochromatic. The combination of various red tones and textures created a richer, more fashionable look," explained Pasztor.

Will red be this season’s new black? Leslie Harrington, Executive Director of The Color Association of the United States, a consulting/forecasting color agency with 100 years of experience, says maybe. “Right now we’re seeing a bright, active, pure red becoming very popular. Usually when we get into tough economic times we tend to look for emotional support in color, especially happy colors, and red has a lot of hidden meaning and most of it centers around love,” said Harrington. "Also, the movie industry is catching on to leveraging color strategies—color can be such a subconscious language, one we all know how to speak."

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger

(Photo Credits: Sony Pictures)

Emanuela Frattini Magnusson, founder of EFM Design and the creator of Manu, a high-end leather goods collection sold online and in select retail stores later this year, offers many of her bags in a selection of reds. "Red is the first color you think of when you want to break from neutral; it’s the one color that always signifies something strong. For the cold months, I think red will be the accent color of choice and accessories are always a great way to introduce a bold new shade," said Magnusson.

Perhaps shoppers were onto the trend for fall. The number of eBay sales of items with the listings term "red" in the Clothing, Shoes and Accessories category jumped 14 percent for the 30 days prior to September 20th, compared to the preceding 30 days of summer, while the number of listings jumped 17 percent in the same period as sellers sought to capitalize on the trend.

Here are some red hot pieces available now on eBay to get you on-trend—and maybe on someone’s mind: