When I first tuned in to the red carpet arrivals, I saw a lot of stars wearing black and thought it was going to be a boring night for fashion. I mean, I like and own lots of black but it’s just too safe for the red carpet. Celebs should dazzle viewers, not put us to sleep by wearing something we can buy at the mall.
But then a few actresses started showing up in different colored gowns, pink and green and red and even mustard, and I realized there would be beautiful gowns to ogle after all. Some highlights:
Best overall—Dianna Agron
I usually don’t like nude gowns but in this one, Agron looks like a dream. Her hair, makeup, jewelry—everything is perfection.
Favorite dress—Lea Michele
Michele bugs me but I really like her dress. It’s funny because I’ve been told I’m kinda boyish (that’s better than mannish, right?) but I can look at a girly pink dress with ruffles and swoon.
Best green—Catherine Zeta-Jones
I can’t wear green because it makes my skin turn a Hep-C shade of yellow, but CZ-J looks divine. Love how these two are looking at each other.
Best homage to the bride of Frankenstein—Scarlett Johansson
She’s so beautiful but what is going on with that hair? It wasn’t THAT windy out.
Disturbing comeback trend—1980s Dynasty-style shoulder pads
Oh, please, no. Just no. I really don’t want to look like Joan Collins.
Julianne Moore decided she didn’t need two big shoulders and just went for one GIANT one. Yikes. She also won the award for most wrinkled.
Even more disturbing trend—bordello-style dresses
They’re gorgeous and I’m a big fan of all, but don’t these actresses look like they work in a saloon or brothel? A very high-priced one, with Tina being the madam?
Wackiest getup I kinda liked—Helena Bonham Carter
This is goofy from head to toe but it says, “I’m having more gun than you are” and Bonham Carter’s confidence somehow makes it work.
Dress I’m most on the fence about—Natalie Portman
From some angles, I thought this looked sweet. From others, it looked cheap and polyester-y.
Best dressed male overall—
Three-way tie between (from L.) Matthew Bomer, Alex Pettyfer and Chris Colfer. Yes, the fashion is all about the ladies but these guys did a pretty good job pulling themselves together.
Who were the fashion winners and losers for you? Which outfit confused you the most? For my recap on best & worst moments in the show, click here.
10 Comments
Christine
January 17, 2011 at 6:32 amDidn’t see the red carpet coverage, so unless they presented I didn’t see anyone’s complete ensemble.
You’re right, Agron is perfectly balanced and pulls of the nude color well.
LOL!! Brian and I both said the same thing about Scarlett’s hair; but I’ll take her Bride-of-Frankenstein over Annette Benning’s. Couldn’t decide if it looked more like she just rolled out of bed or she’d been stressing and pulling at her hair…or maybe let some 4yo play in it. Back to Scarlett, while I thought her dress was maybe a little bland in color, I figured it was absolutely gorgeous in person and in natural light.
Though the green of Angie’s dress looks brighter on the red carpet, I still love the color. C Z-J’s green dress, however, is an absolutely gorgeous rich green that I love. Speaking of colors, though not a fan of the style, Tina Fey’s midnight blue is a favorite color of mine.
I like Jennifer Lawrence’s dress. It’s fun and it’s not wearing her – she doesn’t look like a kid playing grownup.
As for January Jones’ dress? Love the shade of red, but, ummm, it was definitely for the men in the audience. Kind of a dressier, more modest version of Leeloo’s outfit of bandages in FIFTH ELEMENT.
I was most interested to see Helena Bonham-Carter’s full outfit. I only saw her sitting, so I only saw the bodice with her beautiful makeup and hair. (In the picture above, her hair looks more out of control in the natural light than it looked inside.) Not a fan of the dress and I think she could have foregone the two different colored shoes; HOWEVER, it’s H B-C, who I just love for always doing her own thing.
Natalie Portman’s dress was pretty shade of pink, but overall just too precious for me. Don’t like the big red rose.
While I could have done without her presentation with Alec Baldwin, I thought J-Lo’s dress was really beautiful.
Pop Culture Nerd
January 17, 2011 at 2:23 pmA friend of mine who saw Scarlett in person said the dress actually made her look washed out (read more of her behind-the-scenes observations here).
You’re right about January Jones’s dress being a red version of Leeloo’s!
Baldwin & Lopez’s stage banter was painful—her attempt to plug American Idol by saying she’d judge his singing was lame. But yes, she looked very pretty.
le0pard13
January 20, 2011 at 2:25 pmLove that comment, C. I’m also partial to Catherine Zeta-Jones’ dress (likely because my wife can pull off that same sultry brunette look, too).
Jen Forbus
January 17, 2011 at 7:54 amI am just far too conservative for these types of evaluations. The nude dress doesn’t work for me, even on Agron. She’s very beautiful, but I don’t like the dress. I do like Natalie Portman’s if the flower was some other color.
Aside from the green shoe, which I just didn’t get, I love HBC’s get-up. It’s kind of a “I’ll wear what I want to wear” type message. I like that. I like her.
CZJ is stunning in every aspect. I want to push her down the stairs!
The bordello-styles have been hanging around for quite awhile. Seems to me that Halle Berry is often in something quite risque. And cut outs at the midriff have always looked ridiculous to me.
Oy. Like I said, I’m too conservative. I definitely would never make it high society. I have no eye for fashion.
Pop Culture Nerd
January 17, 2011 at 2:26 pmYou’re not THAT conservative—you like Helena Bonham Carter’s dress! C’mon, Jen, show us your wild side.
And of course you’d make it in high society. You’d just hire a stylist to shop and pick out all your outfits! I could use one in normal society. I hate to shop and most of my clothes are at least 5 years old.
le0pard13
January 20, 2011 at 2:21 pmHelena Bonham Carter remains my favorite (and thus most hated) villain, Bellatrix Lestrange, in the Harry Potter series (loved her, too, in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street). It’s the perfect dress for a villainess ;-).
Paulette
January 17, 2011 at 9:11 amCZJ was my favorite. I am with you, Jen…. I will help you push her down the stairs. Although I am positive she would still look elegant sporting a cast or two!
Pop Culture Nerd
January 17, 2011 at 2:27 pmI think you’re right. CZJ could probably turn a cast into a fashion statement.
Laura Benedict
January 18, 2011 at 11:03 amI’m so glad you did this review and the behind-the-scenes blog. Watching award shows make my head hurt all the way down to my toes! (But I still love to peek after they’re over.)
Totally with you on the shoulder pads. I have broad shoulders, and I spent the 80s looking like a 3-headed Amazon. Grrrrr.
le0pard13
January 20, 2011 at 2:17 pmI’m such a guy (old age or not). Halle Berry can wear a potato sack for all I care and my eye would still be drawn to her ;-).