The hot and the cold of it!  The black and the white of it! With temperatures hovering in the low 30s in Berlin you’d think covering up would be a no brainer, but apparently stars are made of sterner stuff than we, mere mortals, because the Berlin Film Festival not only hosted a slew of great movies, but also saw women on the red carpet pretending it was Hollywood hot.

The guys seemed perfectly prepared as a suit allows style and protection from the chilly temps, but even during the day as things warmed to a toasty 40 degrees range, women still seemed to choose image over practicality, with some stars going for minis and naked legs.

Most, however, embraced the opportunity to demonstrate style does not mean risking pneumonia. One can still stun without body parts on display. Indeed some took fashion to a new art form; special mention should go to Tilda Swinton, Meryl Streep and Maria Valverde. Emma Thompson glowed, demonstrating that style is ageless in the new fashion trend of wider trouser legs. Tilda is always a law unto herself making whatever she wears the look everyone else feels they should have chosen. Meryl Streep was chic in a long sleeved patterned dress that was warm and comfy, yet totally appropriate for the occasion. Maria Valverde showed how to team a simple black turtleneck with a flowing patterned skirt and looked like she’d stepped off the Paris runway.

Whether casual or red carpet ready, men chose mainly black on black. It was almost as if a note had gone out: basic black boys! Michael Shannon surprised with subtle red polka dots on his suit – and still looked manly!

Unlike many award shows this season, the emphases at the Berlin Film Festival seemed on the somber side – maybe because of the cold, maybe because of the big issues facing Europe right now. Black and white were the watch words, and many chose to play it safe, colors at night, coming mainly in embroidery.

For more fashion from the 2016, explore our gallery.