Why Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Resists Stereotypes and Only Wears Pants on Red Carpets: ‘I’ve Made Choices’ (Exclusive)

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor’s red carpet looks are often bold and colorful or conceptually fantastical, taking up space and demanding attention. And anyone following her style since her Oscar-nominated breakout in the Will Smith movie King Richard may have noticed one commonality in each and every fabulous outfit: pants.

“I’ve made choices about not wearing dresses, made sure I’m wearing pants all of the time,” the Mississippi native, 55, tells PEOPLE exclusively. After stepping out on the 2022 Oscars red carpet in an orange, ruffled gown from Donatella Versace, Ellis-Taylor has indulged in more theatrical, rock-influenced outfits that favor pantsuits over skirts.

Why? “Because I’m resisting how women have to perform,” she explains. “Particularly on these carpets, there’s this hyper-performance of femininity. And I’m like, ‘I don’t want to do this.’”

Related: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Changed Her Professional Name to Honor Her Late Mother: ‘Love of My Life’

At the New York City premiere of Origin last December, she made a declarative statement in a ruffled pink cape framing a bright orange pantsuit, finishing the look with dazzling face jewelry and earrings. At the NAACP Image Awards in March, she continued the cape trend in a flowery number over a wide-lapeled suit, all in turquoise.

Ellis-Taylor admits that one of the main reasons for experimenting with her public style is a better variety of options. “I had great people around me” while promoting 2021’s King Richard, she says, “but I think because I had never done anything like that before, I was just like, ‘Well, what do you think I should do?’ So, I just sort of did what everybody else wanted me to do.”

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Following up performances in buzzy films Ava DuVernay’s Origin, Tina Mabry’s The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, Lee Daniels’ The Deliverance and Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness, Ellis-Taylor is back on the awards campaign for RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys, the screen adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s historical novel.

Compared to her last go-around on the red carpet circuit, she says, “I have more choices. I am working with someone who can go to these fashion houses and get stuff like this for me.”

Hence the exuberance in the Critics Choice Award nominee’s looks while promoting Nickel Boys: a poncho-like, cream-colored coat with gold embellishments in New York; an all-black confection of ruffles with leather gloves and boots in London; a bright marigold pantsuit-and-cape combo in Los Angeles, to name a few.

Related: Best Celebrity Red Carpet Style Photos: Updated Daily

There’s an added bonus to testing conventions on Hollywood red carpets for Ellis-Taylor: it’s always an opportunity to express her queerness proudly — and literally — on her sleeve.

“I was surrounded by so much f—ing homophobia and bigotry in this industry,” she says of publicly owning her bisexuality in 2022. Several queer people, including some who have not claimed their sexuality publicly, have privately thanked Ellis-Taylor for being so out and proud. As she points out, “Somebody still needs that.”

Nickel Boys, starring Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson, is in theaters Dec. 14.

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