The power of pink…
From blush to berry and all kinds of shades in between, this was the color that dominated on the red carpet last night, worn by a range of ages and even including one very manly man. Another huge trend was volume…at the hips, at the shoulders at the back, dresses were big and bold and had me wondering how in the world any of these women used the ladies room. The use of tulle was extensive and had some dresses looking like they were decorations at a wedding and not the red carpet. Capes and suits popped up on quite a few celebrities and J.Lo made herself into a stunningly gorgeous real life disco ball. Overall I loved the color but I wasn’t freaking out about that many of the dresses, although some had me freaking out wondering why some stars were allowed to leave their homes in their dresses. Read on below for a visual recap of the highs and lows and the narrow and wide and everything in between.
Similar to the Oscars I am going to save the best for last and start off with the WTFs of the night.
Oh E! Channel, Why Oh Why?
Although they weren’t on the red carpet they were covering it, and they knew they would be covering it seated together. I’m not saying they had to be wedding party style coordinated but Good Lord was this a mess. Neon, polka dot prairie look, and nude tulle. I barely heard what they were saying because I was so disturbed by this visual hot mess. I’m not even sure I even liked any of these looks on their own let along thrown side by side.
Pink Mistake
Kacey Musgraves, Maya Rudolph and Linda Cardellini clearly got together and robbed a Jo-Annes craft store to create these dresses. One stole all the dark pink tulle and the other went with light pink tulle. Maya went for the this floral tragedy included a matching and equally as tragic cape. Nobody wins in this category.
Ummmmm…
This was designed by Christian Siriano and there were a lot of people who loved it. I am all for people expressing themselves, so it’s not the fact that this is a man wearing this Tuxess (tux + dress) but rather the fact that the whole silhouette bore a striking resemblance to Ursula. Ursula was a scary villain in The Little Mermaid, even giving adults the creeps.
They Get a C for Effort…
Tina Fey and Laura Dern. These dresses aren’t awful but it’s like they chose not to try. I feel like they went in their closets and decided to reuse bridesmaids dresses that somebody once forced them to wear for a wedding.
They Wear The Pants…
So suits were a thing…I think in this category I’m going to pick Amy Poehler. She was a presenter and wearing the big traditional gowns has never really worked well for her because she never really looked that comfortable wearing them. She can pull this off because she looks like she is happy in it. I love the sideswept hair to soften the whole look. Oh and she can store snacks in her pockets! I know I would…
So Close, Yet So Faraway…
Amy Adams looks better in color, she just does. And even black. Imagine this dress on her in black and it is so much more striking (at least in my mind it is). But this pale shade makes her disappear and I don’t like that because I like her. And the texture feels a bit like scales. Kind of reminiscent of that creepy blue thing Rebecca Romijn did for a movie.
Speaking of scales I wanted to like this because I love her but I just didn’t love it. I didn’t like the texture, the Star-Trek like shape or the color. But I do like her shoes!
I’d prefer to have both of these beautiful ladies fight over something more simple and sleek like this white gown.
I wanted to love Charlize because she rarely disappoints. I don’t know…maybe it’s the hair? She is so very good as a blonde that this look feels very snow white and harsh. And the seems darting at the boobs are unflattering to her amazing figure. This one bummed me out.
Failed It & Nailed It.
There’s almost always some red on the red carpet but in this case one nailed it and one failed it. The creepy latex crop top on Rachel Weisz felt so very wrong. I just kept imagining it to be super sweaty. On the other hand Jennifer Hudson has a diva voice (in a good way) and this gown complimented her in every way. Flattering and fun with the asymmetrical ruffle I really loved it on her.
A Pair of Hips are Born…
Lady Gaga why the hip thing? Do you think she thought she would get tired out there wand wanted somewhere to rest her hands? Is this what tiny people do, ask the designer to create hips for her hands? She changed into something a little better but after her previous choices this awards season this one felt like a bit of goth Disney Princess. I keep imagining how much prettier this look would have been in a soft pink or white (see my rudimental mock-up). But I’m going to give her a pass because her powerhouse voice gave me chills while the chemistry between her and the beautiful Bradly Cooper had me feeling their high temperature chemistry. Truly an amazing duet that continues to give me chills each time I watch it.
Eye Candy For Every Age…
Speaking of the boys…Sam Elliot, Bradley Cooper and Trevor Noah were my favorites. Classic and tailored tuxes worked perfectly on them. I love that Trevor went for the double breasted tux and it fits him perfectly. These are men that know that they are really, really, really attractive, so they don’t have to wear some kind of funky tuxedo that is screaming at the camera.
But sometimes, when you are such a presence like Jason Moama, you can take a risk and it works. This is a man that is going to stand out no matter what so he decides to completely go for it. His pale pink velvet blush suit was designed by the late Karl Lagerfeld and if any man can rock the pink without anyone giving him a hard time I’d say it’s Jason. He always comes across like a big happy handsome teddy bear so his great smile was the perfect accessory to tie together this look. Oh and take note of the matching custom made scrunchie. In my mind these two live in a cool bungalow on a beach or on a mountain and they make homemade granola and sleep in a bed covered with fur…okay maybe I am thinking a little too much about these two but clearly they are much cooler than most of us.
The Style Statements of The Night…
Before I mention the ladies who were pretty in pink there was one in black velvet and satin that slayed it. In fact, more and more she is becoming a personal favorite for her stylish red carpet spot on looks. Alison Janey was my second favorite look of the night. She knows what works on her body but it never feels boring. Simply gorgeous. This tied with another dress for my 2nd fav.
Light pleated layers were another trend on the carpet. While they both look great I have to pick Helen Mirren in this category.This is an actress who knows who she is and how to carry herself with confidence. She twisted and twirled in this pleated confection and the best part is you can tell she is having fun, which makes anything she wears that much better.
This is a toss up for me. Gemma Chan in this tiered pink frock took a risk by going with this light and airy look instead of the usually evening gown style. Her hair and her makeup perfectly compliment the shape of this dress and she looks like a breath of fresh spring air, but I get that it reminds a lot of people of a dust ruffle. Angela Basset does not age. This color is stunning and I love her long tumbled ponytail. My only complaint is the nature of this fabric that must have gotten creased on the car ride over. I wish her stylist would have transported her over on a bus where she could stand up the whole time!
I mean JLo…and that body in that dress and that look. She knows how fierce this whole look is. Love the prism geometric styled clutch and the to the floor length. A disco ball column dress? On on Jenny and it’s tied for number 2 for top 3 favorite looks.
And then I saw this dress. And I gasped. That color, that cut, her makeup, her hair, the earrings, the silver shoes. This is a dress I have never seen before and it is not a shade of pink we often see on the red carpet. She looked regal and chic, it is drop dead mic drop gorgeous dress. I love it from every angle.
And finally…does this dress bring you Joy?
Do you think she held it and asked herself this very question? And not be mean but didn’t anyone else ask why she was there? Do you think she was tempted to tidy up the bathroom when she used it? So many questions…
Thank you so much for reading! Remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that fashion is art in clothing form. All of these designs come from someone’s heart, soul and tremendous hard work so by no means to I mean to put anyone down, (okay maybe just the person who made Linda Cardellini look like a human loofah), so please know that this post is mean to be funny. Fashion, art and beauty are all subjective and there truly is no right or wrong (except men in denim shorts). Thanks again!
Suzie
