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Alexis Mable Couture, Amy Adams, Anne Hathaway, Armani, Armani Prive, best and worst dressed, best dressed, Brandi Glanville, Charlize Theron, Daniel Day Lewis, David Meister, Dior, Dior Haute Couture, Domenico Vacca, Eco-Chic, fashion, H&M, Helen Hunt, Helena Bonham Carter, Jessica Chastain, L'Wren Scott, Melissa McCarthy, Naeem Khan, Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman, Oscar de la Renta, Oscars, Oscars 2013, Prada, Puppy Purse, Quvenzhane Wallis, Stacy Keibler, style, worst dressed, Zoe Saldana
Happy Day after the Oscars, Foxes! As it is every year, last night’s Academy Awards was like the Olympics of fashion, with designers and actors vying to be at the top of the best-dressed podium. There were a few obvious trends: pale colors, the continuation of no-necklaces and the rise of art deco styles. But, as it has been all awards season, not a lot of real risk taking or moving the style needle. With one notable exception, none of the stars really fell down in terms of style.
That said, as it was with the Golden Globes, the sea of mediocrity still has winners and losers. These were my best and worst of the evening. Do you agree?
Best Dressed
Jessica Chastain was the first to arrive. In Armani Prive, she set the bar so high no one really caught up. Commentators repeated it again and again, the pale bronze/nude dress shouldn’t work with her fair coloring, but it totally did thanks to spot-on styling and old Hollywood glam beauty and hair. She looked like a movie star.
The first time Michelle Williams was nominated for an Oscar, my good friend Erin said, “who would have expected Jen Lindley from the Creek to go so far.” I feel like Hulk Hogan and the gang at WWF(E?) have to be saying the same about Stacy Keibler this morning. She wasn’t nominated, but she did get a front row seat as date to the sexiest producer alive, George Clooney. Her Naeem Khan dress was sexy art deco and looked amazing.
9-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis (or Little Q as the cool kids call her) has stolen the collective heart of America this awards season. She looked beautiful and age-appropriate in Armani, but it was perhaps her signature puppy purse that stole the show in this ensemble. So precious, she named this style after her real-life puppy. And, it’s so red-carpet in a tutu and tiara. Bow-WOW!
Grey? Silver? I heard the word “gilver” coined during the red carpet show to describe the color of Amy Adams ethereal Oscar de la Renta dress. Something with this much volume, on someone who often plays fairy-tale like characters, could have gone bad-princess, but the gorgeous color, raw edges and laid-back styling keep it modern.
Confidence really is the best accessory. And, I don’t think you can exude more confidence than Charlize Theron did last night. If dancing live in front of 1 billion people (with Channing Tatum no less, swoon) wasn’t enough, she walked the red carpet in a white (white!), peplum (peplum!) Dior gown. Minimal jewelry and a bold pixie cut completed the look. She’s so tall and so beautiful and she let her looks shine. Stunning.
Naomi Watts is a master at old Hollywood glam, which made her modern Armani Prive dress all the more surprising. I love the asymmetrical neckline and the shimmery color looked like liquid metal as she moved. Gorgeous.
Once again, I am wading into controversial territory with one of my best dressed picks. I really liked Zoe Saldana in Alexis Mable Couture. It could have been that there was a lot of safe choices and I was drawn to the fact she always takes a risk. Yeah, there was a lot of detail, but I think because it was mostly at the neckline and the tail, you get away with it. I also really love she was smart with simple, classic beauty so the look didn’t get busier.
And, let’s not forget the men…Best Actor Winner Daniel Day Lewis revealed himself to be a weekend rulebreaker in a super styling mix of navy and black by Domenico Vacca. Also, a bit of a comedian. If you missed his acceptance speech, it’s worth a watch.
Very Honorable Mention: Helen Hunt who paired an eco-friendly, affordable navy dress from H&M with nearly $1 million in jewels. The gown’s best feature? The awareness it brings to the retailer’s eco efforts.
Worst Dressed
When you compare your dress to a mullet and the look immediately inspires jokers to create the Twitter handle “HathawayNipple,” you know you’ve missed the mark. Poor Anne Hathaway in Prada. The silhouette of the dress was pretty, but the satin finish and wonky darts at the bustline were sooo distracting. And, what’s up with that backwards necklace interfering with the best part of the dress—the pretty ribboned back? Assuming she went with her regular stylist, Rachel Zoe knows better!!
When I watched the red carpet, I was on team Nicole and liked this L’Wren Scott gown. It must have been the angle because today, when I looked at photos, I was like, dear God, it has a Batman belt. What is that?! So bad.
I read a tweet that compared Melissa McCarthy’s David Meister dress to an oversized sweatshirt and, ever since, haven’t been able to see anything else. The dress isn’t good, but it doesn’t bother me as much as the oversized 1980s pageant hair. It was just too much fabric, too much hairspray, too much overall.
The only question about Brandi Glanville asked more or more loudly than “why is she here?” was “what is she wearing?” I love a housewife, but even I think they don’t really belong on the Oscars red carpet. I don’t know the designer of this ill-fitting gown, but were I him or her, I’d stay quiet.
Helena Bonham Carter. It was expected she’d land here. But, to be fair, in the scope of all of her worst-dressed looks, this one isn’t as atrocious as usual.
Photos: AP, UPI, Getty Images