Tony Awards Fashion Review

[smofbabe]

The fashion at the Tony Awards had a higher standard than some of the other award shows of late.

Florals

Rachel Brosnahan in flowery cruise-wear chiffon combining three clashing patterns with one of the weirdest slits I've ever seen: it looks like the dress got caught on a nail and ripped.

This halter on Julianne Hough is cut too narrowly (as witness the significant side boob) and the pattern is distractingly too large and busy.

Looks like Justin Cooley decided to coordinate with the garden background of the photo spot (and not in a good way).

I would not be at all surprised if the material for this dress on Lorna Courtney was taken straight out of a wallpaper sample book and it's a bit stiff on her body, but the design itself is good and the colors works on her. Great hair.

Micaela Diamond showing off the result of her first quilting lesson.

Lea Michele pulls off a perfectly fitted rose pattern.

Almost

Nice choice of color and an okay design on Jae Gurley but she doesn't really have enough boob for a corset top.

Hooray for some color on Jessica Chastain but the tight waistband emphasizes her hips in what is otherwise flowing chiffon and I don't get the silver pendant: I'd have chosen gold to go with the yellow and a different color stone.

Without the too-high slit this might not be bad on Dominique Fawn Hill but why the pink accents in the earrings and shoes?

Show hostess Ariana DuBose is attention-getting in crumpled tin foil but the bodice needed a bit more support than just darts and the large bow in the back is clearly problematic. Nice jewelry.

I think my Great-Aunt Fay had a sofa upholstered in the same velvet material as Bee Shaffer is wearing but if you ignore the fabric, the bodice is interesting and it drapes well on her body.

With one-third the skirt material and a little more structure on the bodice on Dylan Mulvaney this might not have been half-bad: I like the stomacher-like panel.

Some Guys

Why does Jordan E. Cooper have fishing lures randomly stuck to his leather suit?

Cool cat Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in metallic silver blue.

Myles Frost in a cross-between jogging pants and a Zoot suit jacket.

Hey, JJ Niemann - the 70s are over and we don't miss their fashion.

Josh Groban if Country Western stage suits were tasteful.

Someone needed to tell Rick Edinger that less is more.

Producer Jordan Roth as a fishnet dominatrix.

It definitely looks comfy but Antwayn Hopper is trying way too hard.

Coordinated outfit of the night belongs to Utkarsh Ambudkar.

No, No, No

Bad 80s prom dress on Sophia Choi.

A rare fashion miss from Lupita Nyong'o in a suit with a silver breastplate made from a mold of her own boobs, which to me crossed the line from "cutting edge" to "Really? I mean, really?"

Sadly, a typical fashion miss from Michelle Williams: I don't know whether she has a really bad stylist or no taste (possibly both) but this number with a droopy bodice and half-hearted metallic sequins is noticeably unflattering.

I would have expected better from Paloma Young, the winner of the Costume Design - Musical award, than this mashup of a bridesmaid's dress and a slashed black leather jacket - maybe she's auditioning to design the costumes for a revival of Grease?

The only explanation I can think of is that maybe they discovered at the last minute that the bodice did not fit on Helen Park so they just tied a spare bit of black netting over it.

I... I don't understand how a tree trunk can be growing out of Leyna Bloom's tummy.

I want to grab a lint brush and roll it over this too fuzzy and too pale dress on Kelli O'Hara.

At any minute I expect Sara Bareilles to open the tie at her waist and reveal a short black corset.

Betsy Wolfe goes full Frederick's of Hollywood, boa feathers and all.

Worst of the Night: I am boggled that anyone could consider wearing this horror on Lily Rabe, with a black jeweled bib that ends awkwardly before the belt and black gloves that seem to have been pulled over her sleeves, plus the bead design looks like her dog walked on it and left muddy paw prints.

Yes, Yes, Yes

I have surprised myself by actually kind of liking this asymmetric design on Dominique Fishback but I wish they'd done something sleeker with her hair.

It's not exciting fashion but I think this well-fitted jeweled-halter number was a good choice by Lauren Reid.

This should be over the top but somehow I feel like this fairy godmother gown on Julie Lester actually works: the colors are great for her and the hair is congruent with the overall look.

Alex Newell in one of the better looks I've seen on larger women.

A flattering and interesting design on Kandi Burruss but I wish they'd found a statement necklace to accompany it.

I'm a big fan of this understated number on Victoria Clark: perfect fit, interesting touches on the sleeves and subtle draping, and great jewelry.

Runner-up for Best of the Night: Fabulous color, fabulous bodice, interesting skirt drape on LaChanze.

Best of the Night: Great look on Annaleigh Ashford: I love the metallic studded disks contrasting with the black, perfect flowing skirt width, nice fit, and appropriate necklace.

In a Class of Its Own: You cannot judge fabulous divas like J. Harrison Ghee by ordinary standards :->

Comments

[debgeisler]

I looked at the red carpet shots t’other day, and love Annaleigh Ashford’s, too. I find myself in nearly complete agreement with you.

While I absolutely understand many men’s attitudes about not wanting to wear the “guy uniform,” a man in a well-fitted tux is still *fine.*

[smofbabe]

Yup - Sean Hayes looks just fine.

[debgeisler]

Oh, my, yes. He looks like he’ll take off the glasses and turn into a superhero. Or leave them on and just look sexy. :-)

[gerisullivan]

Yeah, it's hard to imagine butterflies and polkadots working on any gown, and even harder now that I've seen it on Rachel Brosnahan, what with the additional distraction of the floral print* (which the butterflies *should* have been attracted to) and that slit. *I *think* they're flowers. They're so small, it's hard to tell even on a large monitor. I also think that much black against that pale a bosom is more jarring that complimentary. Maybe in a sharp, graphic design & fabric, but not here. It's too visually messy.

Julianne Hough's link currently points at Lea Michele gown. I looked up Julianne's gown when I discovered the duplication, and agree with your comments on it.

You're far more the fashion expert, but I love, love, love Justin Cooley's jacket. I'm less convinced the fabric works on the matching pants, but on the jacket, there's clear attention being paid to pattern placement, in the front, on the collar, on the sleeves. Very nicely done, and he wears it well to my eye. The solid green shirt (satin?) is also a solid win with the jacket.

Full agreement on Lorna Courtney's gown and hair. :-)

OMG LOL at Micaela Diamond's quilting lesson. Her expression says, "okay, I'll fess up to making it, but I don't believe they then made me wear it."

I agree with you on the fit of Lea Michele's gown, but it would have worked much better for me if they'd paid attention to the fabric pattern placement on the bodice, and down through the midriff, too. As it is, it brings attention to the presence of a center seam while also looking completely random. For values of "random" equal to "yuck" in my book.

I agree with your "Almost" assessments. FYI, Ariana DuBose's link currently goes to Rachel Brosnahan. I tip my hat to your GreatAunt Fay and her sofa.

I have a Zoom starting in a few minutes, so will hold the rest for later enjoyment. I continue to love your fashion reviews! Many thanks!

[smofbabe]

Thanks (as always *blush*) for the link corrections - they were late adds.

Sorry but although I agree that the pattern placement on Justin Cooley's jacket is admirable (and I agree about Lea Michele's dress being flawed in that regard), I still don't think that the fabric is appropriate for a suit, especially for this event: all you see is the suit glaring at you and you hardly notice that anyone is in it.

[gerisullivan]

Fair enough re: the suit fabric.

[gerisullivan]

Continuing....

Lilliputian people striding across Jordan E. Cooper's leather suit raise an equally bizarre, 'though different, question than fishing lures. The fact that they *look* like fishing lures raises the bizarre quotient exponentially.

The rest of your "Some Guys" observations just get better and better. So spot on with the ’70s being over...less is more...all of them. My jaw dropped over the fishnet dominatrix image, even with the advance warning. Yowser.

Likewise your "No, No, No" entries. The black netting over the bodice, then OMG, the tree trunk! And, yes, Worst of the Night! Arrgh! That one left me wondering who could possibly think that outfit could be considered fashion, or fashionable. It's not even an artistic affront to the eyes.

I really like the broad variety of good looks and fit in the Yes, Yes, Yes section. I think there was better variety overall in the gowns that worked than in many red carpet shows of the last few years. Total agreement on Annaleigh Ashford. Wow. It would be so easy to get that dress wrong and they didn't. It's terrific, and terrific on her. I also wouldn't mind seeing it on you or Emma Bull at a Hugo ceremony. Or likely a few other fans with the height, body shape, and terrific shoulders to carry it off.

[particleguy]

FWIW, the Julianne Hough link takes me to Lea Michele.

Any comment on Tatiana Maslany?
https://twitter.com/SestraHulk/status/1668040373636046850
(Not a fan of her gloves; and something seems a bit off with the dres, too, I think.)

[smofbabe]

Wow, um, hadn't seen that one! I actually don't think the design is all that bad but making it in crinkly metallic fabric rather than cloth changes the drape and makes it too startling IMHO. And, of course, the gloves are just silly.

[athenais]

You are, as usual, extremely funny about all of the terrible choices people made with their clothes!