Kelsea Ballerini’s Slashed Gown Had the Highest Slit

Forget slasher films — Kelsea Ballerini just made a case for why slashed dresses are the only thing you need to get in the Halloween spirit this year (and look good doing it).

On Tuesday, the singer stepped out wearing a cutout LBD when attending the 2023 Time100 Next Gala in New York City. Calling on her Stella McCartney best for the occasion, Ballerini’s floor-sweeping black gown (which was certainly more stylish than scary) featured both a sky-high leg slit and two chest- and midriff-baring slashes across its bodice. Oversized silver metal knots accented the slashed cutouts, and Kelsea complemented the evening ensemble by adding coordinating silver stud earrings and simple black heels. 

As for glam, Kelsea styled her long blonde hair in a sleek, slicked-back ponytail with a deep side part and rounded out her look with a bronzy contour, bold brows, and a glossy peach lip.

The country star’s boyfriend and fellow headline-maker, Chase Stokes, was also in attendance for the event, wearing an oversized brown trench coat layered over an all-black base of a T-shirt, trousers, and dress shoes.

The couple’s sweet night out comes just days after Ballerini opened up about how she and Stokes first got together in a new interview for Nylon’s It Girl issue, in which she admitted that she’s not embarrassed about sliding into his Instagram DMs to kick off their initial conversation last year.

“I was at a bar in Nashville with some friends from Charleston [where Outer Banks films], and they were like, ‘What about Chase?’” she told the publication. “I was just like, ‘Why am I waiting for this guy to reach out to me? This is 2022.’”

Kelsea continued, “Bro, I know … Listen, I was living my best life. I have no shame in that game.”