Academy Awards Fashion Review
Feb. 24th, 2015 12:54 pm![[personal profile]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smofbabeOur favorite fashion review time of the year!
Oprah Winfrey in layered chiffon - no problem with the dress part of the gown but I thought the sleeves were too tight and looked like they'd been chopped off. I also thought that sleeker hair might have worked better on a rainy evening (I've been there...)
I thought I liked this flowing gown on Zoe Saldana until I saw it from the side and it completely altered my opinion, having too much material all over: the front ruching, side, and train. Looked great from the front, though! (Hard to know how much this bad hairdo was due to styling or the rain.)
Truly disappointed in Viola Davis, who looked like she had finally gotten a clue at one point. Hard to count the ways in which this is awful: too large, terrible fit, bad color for her skin tone, necklace not appropriate to the neckline of the gown, lipstick too dark...
You know it's the latest fashion color if it's being worn by Anna Wintour.
I know this dress is getting a lot of kudos but although it's a work of art (it reportedly consists of 3000 pearls!), I didn't think the bodice was flattering on Lupita Nyong'o - the bodice flattened out an already small-busted figure and the bustline peek-a-boo cutout didn't add anything.
An otherwise lovely look on Chrissy Teigen ruined by her apparently wanting to show off her undies - not for the Oscars, honey.
I'd have liked this better on Behati Prinsloo with a plainer skirt and a necklace that had some vague relation to the rest of the outfit. As it is, I think the netting on the skirt was a step too far.
While it was nice to see Jennifer Lopez covering up a bit (for her, that is) in an appropriate princessy gown, the toast color was so close to her skin tone that it looked like she had goose bumps on her chest.
Jamie Chung in a dress that has some interesting aspects but is way to old for her.
Considering she was a consensus front-runner, I thought Julianne Moore could have done better than this perforated design: the color washed her out, no one in the world benefits from a design element that draws attention to their hips, and the poofs looked like a kid was playing with wadding up cellophane. Nice hair and earrings though, and a good fit.
A fairly flattering design on America Ferrera but an irredeemably bad color on her.
What's sad is that this is a relatively flattering look for Patricia Arquette considering what she normally wears.
I really liked this trailing-rose red number on Giuliana Rancic.
I was getting flashbacks to my recent attendance at the Westminster Dog show when Documentary Short Subject winner Dana Perry (that's her on the left) arrived on stage. (rear view)
I generally leave spouses alone but seriously, Andrea Anka - your husband Jason Bateman takes you to the Oscars and the best you can do is a shiny cocktail party outfit with black leggings?
Terrific fit on Scarlett Johansseon and great color but although I'm fond of neck accents, the attempt to match the dress color called for this to be more integrated into the gown's halter neck rather than perching uncomfortably on top of it.
Louise Roe in a bathroom curtain that looks like it got caught in her panty hose. She also appears to be wearing staples in her ears and forgot to wash her hair.
This is possibly the worst I've ever seen Nicole Kidman look: she appears positive anorexic in this cellophane-gift-wrap number with a strange red belt that doesn't go with any other part of the outfit and a white square purse that looks like it was purchased at Chloe Accessories in a nearby mall.
Attention, Naomi Watts: Bandeaus, even beaded ones, are for exercising, not the Oscars. And brick designs are for walls, not gowns.
Another exercise outfit on Idina Menzel - looks like she's going to whip off her skirt and start tap-dancing.
Possibly Faith Hill found this in a charity shop and decided to take it despite the fact that it was a size too large and the color was all wrong on her.
I can sort of see where they were going with this number on Rita Ora but it came across as aged 1950s lounge singer, and the asymmetry wasn't pronounced enough to be interesting but rather just looked like a mistake.
Not with the crowd on Margot Robbie - I saw her clutching the neckline closed a couple of times while walking the red carpet so not fond of the gapping bodice and I don't think the sheer material of the sleeves held their shape attractively. Also not sure why a blue necklace (even if it is stunning and supposedly was in the Duchess of Windsor's collection) was appropriate here.
This floral bedspread is too big and too pale for Chloe Grace Moretz.
I guess if one velvet ribbon tied in a bow on Sienna Miller, three must be even better. Not a fan of this shade on her and it couldn't decide what it wanted to be: Feminine with velvet bows? Edgy with a transparent lace skirt?
Given the fame of the pink gown in which she won her Oscar, hard to believe that Gwyneth Paltrow wasn't aware that comparisons would be made. (I was one of the few nay-sayers on the previous number as I thought it had a really badly fitted bodice.) My favorite comment on this one came from Kelly Osborne, who said that it looked to her like what people do when they get a stain on a gown: add an extra design element to hide it, in this case a gigantic poofy rose :->
Emma Stone looked like a wilted celery stalk.
I didn't get the mix of materials on Kerry Washington and I don't think the peplum was flattering on her. Looked even worse when she walked on stage.
Whoever convinced Keira Knightley that her most flattering look while she's pregnant for the red carpet season is washed-out colored chiffon with flowers should be shot.
Before she arrived, looks like someone ripped the sleeves off Cate Blanchett that would have given a clue why she was wearing turquoise with this, and they stole her earrings too.
Guess someone told Marion Cotillard that the seats would be uncomfortable so she had them build in a pillow at the back of her gown.
If we start at the upper right and roll Solange Knowles out, would we see the actual gown underneath?
Lady Gaga over the top as you might expect, channeling the Michelin marshmallow man and forgetting to remove her oven mitts.
Worst of the Night (second time in a row!): Looked like Lorelei Linklater got a gown that had been cut incorrectly so they had to reassemble it based on random pieces of two different bolts of fabric.
Classic look on Anna Kendrick and I thought the built-in necklace added enough bling for Oscar night.
Reese Witherspoon manages to wear white in a dramatic way that works.
Catt Sadler pulls off a nearly naked look in style.
I liked the choice of navy blue on Jessica Chastain and the interesting layering of the bodice. Great shoes and yay, a necklace!
Even though this gown on Jennifer Anniston featured a couple of elements I usually dislike - a pale color on a blonde and a transparent skirt - I found myself really liking it: it fit like a dream, had an eye-catching swirling bead design, and it moved really well on her.
Runner-Up: Rosamund Pike in gorgeous red with a perfect fit, interesting corset accents at the side and back, and terrific shoes.
Never thought I'd ever say this, but Best of the Night goes to Laura Dern for a pulled-together well-fitted look and interesting leather-look embroidered effects.
Blushing
A shade of blush pink was very popular this year.Oprah Winfrey in layered chiffon - no problem with the dress part of the gown but I thought the sleeves were too tight and looked like they'd been chopped off. I also thought that sleeker hair might have worked better on a rainy evening (I've been there...)
I thought I liked this flowing gown on Zoe Saldana until I saw it from the side and it completely altered my opinion, having too much material all over: the front ruching, side, and train. Looked great from the front, though! (Hard to know how much this bad hairdo was due to styling or the rain.)
Truly disappointed in Viola Davis, who looked like she had finally gotten a clue at one point. Hard to count the ways in which this is awful: too large, terrible fit, bad color for her skin tone, necklace not appropriate to the neckline of the gown, lipstick too dark...
You know it's the latest fashion color if it's being worn by Anna Wintour.
Nearly There
Absolutely adored the pearl bodice on Felicity Jones but hated the voluminous skirt and the knots that visually connected it.I know this dress is getting a lot of kudos but although it's a work of art (it reportedly consists of 3000 pearls!), I didn't think the bodice was flattering on Lupita Nyong'o - the bodice flattened out an already small-busted figure and the bustline peek-a-boo cutout didn't add anything.
An otherwise lovely look on Chrissy Teigen ruined by her apparently wanting to show off her undies - not for the Oscars, honey.
I'd have liked this better on Behati Prinsloo with a plainer skirt and a necklace that had some vague relation to the rest of the outfit. As it is, I think the netting on the skirt was a step too far.
While it was nice to see Jennifer Lopez covering up a bit (for her, that is) in an appropriate princessy gown, the toast color was so close to her skin tone that it looked like she had goose bumps on her chest.
Jamie Chung in a dress that has some interesting aspects but is way to old for her.
Considering she was a consensus front-runner, I thought Julianne Moore could have done better than this perforated design: the color washed her out, no one in the world benefits from a design element that draws attention to their hips, and the poofs looked like a kid was playing with wadding up cellophane. Nice hair and earrings though, and a good fit.
A fairly flattering design on America Ferrera but an irredeemably bad color on her.
What's sad is that this is a relatively flattering look for Patricia Arquette considering what she normally wears.
Breaking the Rules
I almost never include gowns on TV interviewers, non-high-profile winners, and partners but I'm making an exception this year.I really liked this trailing-rose red number on Giuliana Rancic.
I was getting flashbacks to my recent attendance at the Westminster Dog show when Documentary Short Subject winner Dana Perry (that's her on the left) arrived on stage. (rear view)
I generally leave spouses alone but seriously, Andrea Anka - your husband Jason Bateman takes you to the Oscars and the best you can do is a shiny cocktail party outfit with black leggings?
Missed the Boat
Pretty expensive last-minute fix to hold up the left shoulder of Dakota Johnson's gown.Terrific fit on Scarlett Johansseon and great color but although I'm fond of neck accents, the attempt to match the dress color called for this to be more integrated into the gown's halter neck rather than perching uncomfortably on top of it.
Louise Roe in a bathroom curtain that looks like it got caught in her panty hose. She also appears to be wearing staples in her ears and forgot to wash her hair.
This is possibly the worst I've ever seen Nicole Kidman look: she appears positive anorexic in this cellophane-gift-wrap number with a strange red belt that doesn't go with any other part of the outfit and a white square purse that looks like it was purchased at Chloe Accessories in a nearby mall.
Attention, Naomi Watts: Bandeaus, even beaded ones, are for exercising, not the Oscars. And brick designs are for walls, not gowns.
Another exercise outfit on Idina Menzel - looks like she's going to whip off her skirt and start tap-dancing.
Possibly Faith Hill found this in a charity shop and decided to take it despite the fact that it was a size too large and the color was all wrong on her.
I can sort of see where they were going with this number on Rita Ora but it came across as aged 1950s lounge singer, and the asymmetry wasn't pronounced enough to be interesting but rather just looked like a mistake.
Not with the crowd on Margot Robbie - I saw her clutching the neckline closed a couple of times while walking the red carpet so not fond of the gapping bodice and I don't think the sheer material of the sleeves held their shape attractively. Also not sure why a blue necklace (even if it is stunning and supposedly was in the Duchess of Windsor's collection) was appropriate here.
This floral bedspread is too big and too pale for Chloe Grace Moretz.
I guess if one velvet ribbon tied in a bow on Sienna Miller, three must be even better. Not a fan of this shade on her and it couldn't decide what it wanted to be: Feminine with velvet bows? Edgy with a transparent lace skirt?
Given the fame of the pink gown in which she won her Oscar, hard to believe that Gwyneth Paltrow wasn't aware that comparisons would be made. (I was one of the few nay-sayers on the previous number as I thought it had a really badly fitted bodice.) My favorite comment on this one came from Kelly Osborne, who said that it looked to her like what people do when they get a stain on a gown: add an extra design element to hide it, in this case a gigantic poofy rose :->
Emma Stone looked like a wilted celery stalk.
I didn't get the mix of materials on Kerry Washington and I don't think the peplum was flattering on her. Looked even worse when she walked on stage.
Whoever convinced Keira Knightley that her most flattering look while she's pregnant for the red carpet season is washed-out colored chiffon with flowers should be shot.
Before she arrived, looks like someone ripped the sleeves off Cate Blanchett that would have given a clue why she was wearing turquoise with this, and they stole her earrings too.
Guess someone told Marion Cotillard that the seats would be uncomfortable so she had them build in a pillow at the back of her gown.
If we start at the upper right and roll Solange Knowles out, would we see the actual gown underneath?
Lady Gaga over the top as you might expect, channeling the Michelin marshmallow man and forgetting to remove her oven mitts.
Worst of the Night (second time in a row!): Looked like Lorelei Linklater got a gown that had been cut incorrectly so they had to reassemble it based on random pieces of two different bolts of fabric.
On Target
Glad we got the classy Meryl Streep for the occasion.Classic look on Anna Kendrick and I thought the built-in necklace added enough bling for Oscar night.
Reese Witherspoon manages to wear white in a dramatic way that works.
Catt Sadler pulls off a nearly naked look in style.
I liked the choice of navy blue on Jessica Chastain and the interesting layering of the bodice. Great shoes and yay, a necklace!
Even though this gown on Jennifer Anniston featured a couple of elements I usually dislike - a pale color on a blonde and a transparent skirt - I found myself really liking it: it fit like a dream, had an eye-catching swirling bead design, and it moved really well on her.
Runner-Up: Rosamund Pike in gorgeous red with a perfect fit, interesting corset accents at the side and back, and terrific shoes.
Never thought I'd ever say this, but Best of the Night goes to Laura Dern for a pulled-together well-fitted look and interesting leather-look embroidered effects.
