February 13, 2013 2:15 pm

A Photographic History of Rooney Mara’s Weird Red-Carpet Hand Clasping

By Margaret Lyons

Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images

Most starlets strike the same pose: hand on hip, shoulders back, one leg slightly behind the other. It’s the standard for a reason — it’s flattering, and it takes some of the inherent artificiality out of the whole red-carpet hoopla. But Rooney Mara has a different go-to pose. Hers seems to emphasize frailty, with her hands delicately clasped in front of her, holding one or two fingers and sort of awkwardly hanging a little below her waist. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it is distinctive. In fact, she’s been doing it for as long as she’s been walking red carpets, even before The Social Network and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Journey back with us for a history of Rooney Mara’s Weird Red-Carpet Hand Clasping.

That funky thumb ring gets prominent placement.

Oh, these little delicate bird hands? I was born with them, so that's what feels normal to me.

Here, the hand pose in its most proper form.

The hand pose is a good way to call attention to cutouts.

Goth-y lipstick, flowy dress, finger walking down her palm.

Even with a purse, her hands are itching to grasp each other.

Clutching a purse, but still with the strained in-front-of-the-body posture.

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A Photographic History of Rooney Mara’s Weird Red-Carpet Hand Clasping

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