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Alexander McQueen, Alyssa Milano, Ariel Winter, best and worst dressed, best dressed, Calvin Klein, Carolina Herrera, Celia Kritharioti, Dior, Dior Haute Couture, Erdem, fashion, Giuliana Rancic, Golden Globes, Golden Globes 2013, Halle Berry, Jennifer Lawrence, Jenny Packham, Jessica Alba, Jessica Chastain, Julianne Moore, Kate Hudson, Kate Middleton, Katharine McPhee, Kerry Washington, Kristen Bell, Lena Dunham, Lucy Liu, Mayim Bialik, Miu Miu, Naomi Watts, Oscar de la Renta, Prada, Sienna Miller, style, Theyskens Theory, Tom Ford, Valentino, Versace, worst dressed, Zac Posen
Happy Monday, Foxes! If glorious sunshine over the Bay, brunches with new and old friends, working with a new client and a hometown team NFL playoff victory weren’t enough fab to cram into one weekend, red carpet award season kicked into high gear with the Golden Globes last night!
If you missed the show itself, you missed a great one with the amazing Tina Fey and Amy Poehler at the helm. I’ve never laughed out loud watching an awards show as much as I did last night. If you missed the red carpet, it was less of a loss. There were a few uh-maze-ing moments and the really atrocious ones were just kinda bad. All in all, I thought every one looked OK. Still, in the sea of average, there are still winners and losers. Here are my picks for the best and worst of the evening, sartorially speaking.
Best Dressed
There was no contest for the very best of the night. Julianne Moore in Tom Ford looked head and shoulder(pad)s above the rest in this on-trend custom gown. Graphic black and white is a trend straight off the spring runways and the color blocking is perfectly placed to accentuate curves. Add in an open back and flawless styling. Fierce!
Talk about a girl on fire. Best Actress in a Comedy winner Jennifer Lawrence sizzled in Dior Haute Couture (even if she doesn’t know what Haute means). The classic-feeling design is completely modern thanks to the stand-out color and metal belt that makes Jennifer’s waist look eensy, showing off her curves. The styling is simple and she was part of a bit of a trend spotted last night: no necklace. It works to show off her shoulders and blingy earrings.
I don’t think there’s anyone in Hollywood who works color better than Jessica Alba. You can always count on her to rock a stand-out stunner and last night was no exception. This dreamy orange Oscar de la Renta is right on-trend with the candy-colored pastels you can expect to see this spring. Wavy locks, amazing jewelry and a train scream movie star glam. It was fun to see on a red carpet that overall took a less is more approach.
There was another on the red carpet that caught my attention, but Kate Hudson won the battle of the McQueens last night. It’s sleek and sexy and I can’t get enough of the ornate detail at the neck and waist.
Fun fact: The only American Idol vote I ever cast was for Katharine McPhee. Even then, I knew she’d go farther than that other guy and did she ever in Theyskens Theory on the red carpet yesterday! It’s a bit of a risk to show so much skin because it can go wrong very easily. Basic black and smart styling ensure that the dress makes the strong, simple, sophisticated statement. I especially like how the double ankle strap on the shoes draw the eye up the leg, while the nude toe strap makes her legs look even longer than they are.
Kerry Washington killed it in Miu Miu with Prada accessories. The very classic embroidery is modern as a sheer overlay and the deep-V and banded waist accentuate every curve. She’s one of very few who consistently pull off this at-ankle hemline, which can make you look shorter. It’s the sheer skirt that lets you see the silhouette of her legs that prevents this from happening. This look is the latest is a series of showstoppers she’s worn during her Django Unchained promotional tour. I’m feeling a style crush post coming on…
Pregnant Kristen Bell glowed in British designer and Kate Middleton favorite Jenny Packham (royal maternity looks in the future?!). It’s hard to dress a bump for the red carpet, but the soft color and drape on this dress minimizes it beautifully. The decadent beaded top with a structured shoulder multitasks: drawing the eyes up to her face, accentuating a waist and her bust, while balancing baby curves. Gorgeous!
Naomi Watts in Zac Posen is what a movie star is supposed to look like. She exudes old-school Hollywood glam. There were a lot of softer colors on the red carpet and this oxblood stood out as much as the great vintage-inspired design. You can’t tell with this photo, but the gown sported a very open back that keeps it modern.
Many fellow style experts are disagreeing with me on this one, but I’m holding firm with Lucy Liu in Carolina Herrera on my best-dressed list. I love that she went with a pattern and think the vivid floral on pale blue is gorgeous and not at all curtain-like as I have read other places. It’s something different and fresh in a classic ball gown shape (with pockets!). You all know I like to break rules, and this is one of those examples of the unexpected working and I think, maybe, advancing the idea of what is and isn’t a red carpet look. Yay progress!
Worst Dressed
As I go through photos, this one keeps standing out as the worst of the worst. Interestingly, I can’t find a designer attribution for it (they’re hiding!). I applaud Alyssa Milano for going bold with color, but the hue and style of this dress is a miss. The cut and styling do nothing to show off how pretty she is and she just looks frumpy.
There have been so many red carpets where I’ve thought E! Presenter Giuliana Rancic looked better than any of the celebs she interviewed, but not last night. I don’t think I can say it any better than a tweet I read yesterday: 1800s saloon girl gone bad in designer Celia Kritharioti.
There is so much wrong with Halle Berry’s Versace dress. She usually pulls off cut-outs and daring designs with aplomb, but last night’s dress looked ill-fitting and too busy. The worst part of all was how one side of the bust was corseted and the other wasn’t so it looked like just one of her breasts was hanging out there. Cringe.
Since she was the belle of the ball award-wise, I feel less guilty bashing Lena Dunham’s Zac Posen dress. I heard a red-carpet interview where she stated she had many specific instructions from her stylist with regard to her look. I can’t help but feel that stylist failed her not only with a dress that makes her look old and dowdy, but shoes that didn’t work for her!! Poor thing could barely walk when she stood up (repeatedly) to gather her awards!! This look completely goes against one of my styling convictions, the client has to be evident in the look. She’s like Lena Girl lost…
Another big winner who lost in the style stakes. Jessica Chastain is usually flawless and I love that she continued her streak of bold colors. This seafoam looks stunning with her skin tone and hair. Unfortunately the cut of this Calvin Klein makes it look like her breasts hang down to her waist. Not a winning look even if you are this gorgeous.
I love, love, love that 14-year old Ariel Winter wore a style that was age appropriate, but the overall neon pattern of this Valentino (really!) dress was not pretty. Points for the sassy headband and sparkly shoes. I really do like when young starlets don’t try to look older than they are and she does a beautiful job of being a teenager in this look.
Usually stylish Sienna Miller in Erdem was a miss. She said she wanted a gown that evoked the 1960s era that was portrayed in the film, The Girl, she was nominated for. In that sense, the flower power gown was on the mark. But the top is unflattering and makes her look boxy. If you look close, she also had some interesting styling, wearing both of her earrings in one ear. I might be more amenable to this unique twist if the overall look were more of a winner. Instead, I think it adds to the kooky.
I don’t actually dislike Mayim Bialik’s gown (not sure of designer), it’s pretty. But something about the fit on her strikes me as an overgrown figure skating outfit. I wish she went for something more colorful.
Photos: Getty Images, Wire Image