I am not sure about the meaning of the verb ground in this sentence from an online article.
Accessories were kept polished and stylish with taupe suede Manolo Blahniks grounding the look and simple diamond stud Adina Reyter earrings for subtle sparkle.
Does ground mean connect with the ground, place on the ground, or give theoretical basis to? None of the dictionary definitions seem to work here. What does the sentence mean? Manolo Blahniks supposedly refers to a pair of shoes designed by Manolo Blahniks, but how do shoes ground a look?
Best Answer
In this case, there is a very fashion-specific meaning for grounded. One occasional definition of the verb ground is to keep something on the ground or to prevent something from taking off/flying (see, for example, MacMillan Dictionary). Fashion writing sometimes plays on this meaning to describe some element of an outfit that keeps it from being too outrageous or over-the-top. For example:
In this case, the sentence is part of a description of an outfit worn by Megan Markle. The main element was a canary yellow dress, so the implication is that the less-colorful shoes keep the outfit "classy" and restrained, rather than too flamboyant.