Kerry Washington’s Swim Cap Deserved Its Own Award At The 2021 SAG Awards

There’s some level of decorum that’s expected on red carpets during award season like showing up on time (or before the doors close) and dressing your best even if it means wearing uncomfortable heels. However, all those stringent red carpet rules are out the window in a pandemic. While celebrities still brought their A+ fashion game to the 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday night, they had more liberty to do as they please — like Kerry Washington who wore a mermaid-inspired look and then proceeded to jump into a pool while wearing said look.

To backtrack, Washington is nominated tonight for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series for her role as Mia Warren in Little Fires Everywhere. The actor, like everyone else this season, got ready for the virtual show by dressing up at home in an elaborate custom navy gown from Etro. The embellished dress featured beaded crystal details, a plunging neckline, and a thigh-high slit. Along with her dress, Washington donned a matching navy beaded swim cap. In keeping with the aquatic theme, she accessorized with blue jewelry from Bvlgari and wore shoes from Loriblu Official (that she took off before she jumped into the pool). Her nails by Kim Truong even mimicked the dress’ beaded design and reflected the popular negative space manicure trend.

When Washington was all dressed it seemed like she was feeling the mermaid vibes so much so that she decided to dive into the water for a quick dip. She then proceeded to have a full-on photo shoot in the water and captioned her Instagram images: “#SAGAwards are going swimmingly…#MermaidVibesAlways 🧜🏾‍♀️💙 🏊🏾‍♀️” This memorable moment from the actor would not have happened had there been a regular red carpet event — after all, sitting in a wet dress in an auditorium for hours would be unbearable.

Though the full reason Washington jumped into the pool is unknown — perhaps she just wanted to, or she jumped in to celebrate her SAG Awards win (the winners have already been announced in a pre-taped ceremony) — you’ll definitely be rewatching that boomerang video on repeat. Washington also joins a small group of celebs who have worn swim caps to red carpet events — actor Amber Heard wore a Valentino headpiece back in 2018. Give Washington’s gorgeous Insta photos a like, then check out all the fashion looks from the SAG Awards.