Monday, January 13, 2014

Fashion Review: 2014 Golden Globes

It's my favorite time of the year: awards show season! If you missed it, here are some of the best moments of the 2014 Golden Globes. Tina and Amy did a great job, there was some great fashion and, to the delight of bloggers everywhere, there was some terrible fashion. Here's what had me clapping my hands in delight and groaning in disdain:

Best

 Lupita N'yongo has burst on the scene for her incredible work in "12 Years a Slave" but if anyone was struggling to remember her name, they won't after her turn on the red carpet last night in this daring, classic, perfect tomato red Ralph Lauren gown. We were all bowing down before Gwyneth a few years ago for wearing a cape and then this newcomer just done did it her first turn out. She looked completely regal. BRAVO.

Cate Blanchett looked luminous in her delicate Armani Prive gown, which harkened back to 30's Chanel. Her faux bob and diamond loop earrings were perfect compliments. She just looked good every time she leaves the damn house.

Mila Kunis was breathtaking in her metallic Gucci gown. It combines a lot of classic elements (sparkle, chiffon, ruffles), but remixes them in an interesting and flattering way. It also moved beautifully on the stage.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus does not age. By sticking to simple cuts from her fave, Narcisco Rodriguez, she easily makes us all forget she's been doing this since the 80s. The color was insanely flattering and her gold jewelry, which reminded me of Etruscan jewels you see in a museum, was unexpected and striking.

Note to Kerry Washington: this is how you do pregnant. Olivia Wild looked smokin' hot in her emerald disco Gucci gown and smokey eye. It's pretty daring to wear sparkles on your protruding belly, but she makes it look like the most natural and sexy thing in the world.

Kate Beckinsale maybe looked a little too expected here, but I am a sucker for her art deco-inspired Zuhair Murad gown. The minute she appeared on screen, my friend Bret and I tweeted that she looked like the Chrysler Building...in a good way.

 She didn't really get any screen time, but I thought Emma Roberts looked very elegant in her Lanvin gown, punctuated with bright blue turquoise earrings. A good showing for an up-and-comer.

Naomi Watts wore the hell out of this slinky Tom Ford gown with strategic cutouts and a jeweled neckline. On a lesser person, this could have been a fit disaster, but she has just the toned shoulders and slim hips to pull it off.

Pretty Good

I was completely delighted to not only finally see Elisabeth Moss get some due, but to get it while not dressed like a frumpy band-aid. She's been known to step out in some pretty bland putty- and stone-colored gowns, but this J. Mendel was totally sexy, looked great on screen and seemed daring without being ridiculous. My only quibble is that her hair didn't really seem styled at all and felt a shade too dark.

Margot Robbie is HERE. Everyone who sees "Wolf of Wall Street" is going to be looking this girl up on IMDB (you might remember her from Pan Am), and she was wise to dress in a classy-with-an-edge Gucci gown that was both ethereal and showed some skin. I could have used a little more dazzle with some styling or accessories, but very good first showing.

Bravo to Amy Adams, who is always nominated and never wins, was pure sex in "American Hustle," and had Ashleigh and I wiping away tears after her acceptance speech. Her Valentino gown is lovely and fits her perfectly, harkens back to the era of the movie and certainly won't land her on any worst-dressed lists. But it didn't have me oohing or aahing either. I kind of wish she'd worn her hair down just like she wears it in the movie, but all in all, she looked great.

It took about 3.5 seconds for the entire internet to compare Jennifer Lawrence's Dior dress to the rope and sailcloth dress Scuttle creates for Ariel in The Little Mermaid. It's true; it looks like the winner at a bridal shower toilet paper dress design contest. It's not blatantly ugly, but it doesn't leave much inspiration in its wake. I even checked the Dior couture show to see if there were better options, and there was a lovely emerald green gown that I think could have been grand. Sigh.

I don't think Julianna Margulies was ever even on the screen, which is a shame because I thought her Andrew Gn dress was one of the better things she's worn in the past few years. I'm kind of on the fence about the gold coral motif, but the cut and color combo is different and interesting for her.

I think Taylor Schilling was so close, but no cigar in her Thakoon slip gown. It was sexy and kind of old hollywood boudoir, but somehow a little 70s at the same time. I like the color, but the fit reads a little frumpy, the middle part in her hair was feeling a little severe and it just felt way more SAG awards than Golden Globes to me.

Special Category: Good, but I just can't

So, Emma Watson got out of the car and I was like, "oh how pretty...oh her hair and make-up are gorgeous....oh wtf those are pants." I just don't think I can condone this, and definitely not with blue suede shoes. If you're going to go balls out, you might want to pull back on at least one of the envelope-pushing details. The woman to her right seems to be saying, "Emma, I told you not to try to make a dress out of a dressing robe and my work pants!"


Just Bad

When Paula Patton walked out to present an award, I could barely decide what was the most distracting thing about her Stephane Rolland Couture gown. Was it the spritz of Redi Whip up and down the side? Was it the fact she could barely walk? Was it her visibly erect nipple? Was it the skating rink jewelry? This was a kind of epic misstep we'll remember for the ages, and in that way, it was probably the best career move she could have made.

 I joked that Drew Barrymore wore a valentine dress designed by her baby and my friend believed me, which is a testament to how kooky Drew can be at times. It's actually designed by Monique Lhuillier, and while it is perfectly Drew, it is far from perfect.

Julia is too hot to look this old, and Dolce & Gabbana are too hot to be designing this frumpy. Don't take styling cues from Meryl (god love her!), don't try to make the Golden Globes somewhere between office casual and catering party chic, and maybe borrow from your niece Emma next time!

I'm sure many people loved this Balenciaga gown on pregnant Kerry Washington, but the boob situation is troubling. The dart is just way too high, and was creating weird bunching up in the fabric that I found completely distracting. Even if you put that aside, this dress was kind of a snoozefest. I know pregnant ladies just want to be comfortable, but this felt like a dress you'd buy off the rack at a department store and not bother to get fitted.

God bless Sandra for stepping out, trying new things and generally having 100x more fun than Julia Roberts, but this Prabal Gurung looks like an extra's costume from a 50s musical that no one likes. As soon as we saw the blue, our living room went, "oh it's BLUE...ugh!!!" The satin is also puckering and generally not hanging well.

Uma Thurman's Versace dress looks like something Sharon Stone would have picked out for her. It looked dated, severe, made her look old...I just wasn't feeling it.

I love that some actresses are willing to try pulling off clothes straight from the runway, but Zoe Saldana's Prabal Gurung dress was just a little too busy and bizarre. Paired with peach high heels and posture that seems to say, "I know, this DIY gown I made on the way here isn't working," she just looks way off the mark. 

1 comment:

Laura R. said...

I thought Zosia Mamet looked great head to toe. Did you see that Amy Adams had a cape, too? She took it off pretty quickly after hitting the carpet. Amy Poehler looked incredible IMO, even though her dress wasn't anything mind-blowing. I didn't like Cate Blanchett's earrings with her dress, but thought she looked stunning otherwise. How terrible was Julie Bowen's dress?