Emily Blunt (with The Office's John Krainski) in Elie Saab: It goes without saying that a deep neckline and sheer fabric hardly go hand-in-hand, especially when under flourescents and endless flashing lenses. But this dress is just too darn chic for its own good! The colour combination of almost a sea blue and bottle green (I don't even know what to call this colour!) looks divine with Emily's dark hair and light eyes. The amount of sequins offer just enough sheen and the cut of the chiffon is super flattering and totally flattering! To boot, the cut of the train evens out this otherwise tight frock. If Elie Saab isn't the master of the evening gown, I don't know who is.
Rachael Taylor in Armani Privé: While her new upcoming TV show, Charlie's Angels may be an easily-predicted flop, this ensemble sure isn't. This perfectly futuristic Armani Privé gown's unique shape is oddly figure-flattering, as its material (in case you can't see it in the above image, it's all made of metallic fringe!). The pearlescent colour makes Rachael's blonde hair pop. Her simple, albeit standout make-up of bold brows and pale pink lips definitely make a statement. I haven't heard of her until now, but I look forward to see what this young lady (or her stylist) choose to don on future red carpets!
Lea Michelle in Marchesca: While this isn't Lea's best look (she's looked pretty spectacular lately!), she looks fabulous nonetheless. While the 1980s-esque wedding dress shoudlers aren't my favorite, they are balanced out by a tight and minimal mermaid train. The colour is undeniably flattering and I'm glad that the accessories were kept minimal with a single ruby ring and no handbag!
Cobie Smulders in Alberta Ferretti: This dress is fantastic! The colour makes Cobie's eyes pop so much that you can see them clearly in this little photograph! The hair and make-up add a vintage flair to the whole ensemble. Grecian shoulder detailing and paneling add an Old World edge to an otherwise modern gown.
Nina Dobrev in Donna Karan: Wow, this dress is exquisite! Nina gets bonus points for being able to pull something that is this tailored off. The Old Hollywood-esque neckline, hair, and jewellery pull the look together. Plus, the colour makes her look so radiant!
Christina Hendricks in Johanna Johnson: There's no denying that this woman is the human incarnation of Jessica Rabbit, and quite possibly the most attractive female on this planet. With that being said, I find that Christina is a hit-or-miss on the red carpet (despite having a killer wardrobe on Mad Men), and therefore, she can be kinda disappointing at times. This dress, however, was such a standout in her red carpet portfolio! The cut of the dress shows off her curves without looking too skankalicious and the glitz and glam only further her superstar quality.
Aubrey Plaza in Juan Carlos Obando: Definitely one of my favorite looks of the eveing. I love the combination of a drop-waist and a high shift neckline, so elegant...especially in white! The Old Hollywood hairstyle has an almost undone quality to it, which takes away the costume-y feeling that most of these looks end up having. I love the understated red lips too!
Elisabeth Moss in Marchesca: Like her Mad Men co-star, Christina Hendricks, Elisabeth is another red carpet hit-or-misser. I'm normally not a big fan of dresses with body decals (in fact, the vast majority of the dresses who use them have ended up on many "worst red carpet looks ever" lists), but this gown is so glamorous without being over-the-top! The nude colour definitely tones down all the glitz and sparkle. The hair and make-up are also totally covet-worthy!
Kaley Cuoco in Romona Keveza: I'm normally not a big fan of Kaley's red carpet style (nor her acting), but I think that she looks really sweet here! The swiss dot overlay of the dress gives an otherwise boring LBD a unique twist, and the red accessories and updo lend the look a vintage vibe. I love that her nails are a little more modern (painted emerald green with what appears to be bright red index nails), which breaks the look's 1950s vibe up a little.
Gwyneth Paltrow in Emilio Pucci: I know that not a lot of people are fond of this dress, but I quite like it! To me, it had a similar vibe to Cate Blanchett's Givenchy gown at this year's Oscars. I also love that it has just a slight injection of slutty (I know, I know...I shouldn't use such words to describe Gwynnie), which gives it a bit of an edge. Come on: any woman who can pull this off after having two children deserves a medal.
Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab: Elegant evening wear at its finest. 'Nuff said.
Kate Winslet in Elie Saab: Yep, Kate's almost 40. Yep, she's still got it. This cherry red colour looks stunning on her. Plus, how many women do you know who can pull of a dress so boob-y you almost have a nipslip while simultaneously looking classy?
Jayma Mays in Zuhair Murad: I think if worn by the right person, this iffy dress could look called. But Jayma just reeks of Little Bo Peep impostor! The sugary sweet side-parted hair, ribbon around the waist, pale clutch, and bubblegum make-up only make her look like she's waiting for her prom limo. The only thing missing is her corset!
Jennifer Carpenter in Tony Ward Couture: This dress isn't awful, but I think that the high slit combined with the messy, beachy ombre hair makes the whole ensemble look a little sloppy. I'm also not a fan of the straps and the neckline. Next!
Jane Lynch in David Meister Signature: I really want to love this dress, but I just don't! It does nothing for her figure, The neck area is far too stark, and the wrists look cluttered. I do like the colour, though! She also gets bonus points for being able to rock a strapless dress at her age.
Kyle Richards in Ines Di Santo: I had no idea who this woman is, so I had to google her. It's to no surprise that she's a Real Housewife. The fabric and the super dramatic sheen do nothing for Richards'
Shaun Robinson in Romona Keveza: The first thing I thought of when looking at this dress is how cool my room would look with some damask accents. Enough said.
Julianna Margulies in Giorgio Armani Privé: It goes without saying that this was the ugly dress of the evening that everyone was gossiping about. We saw futuristic Giorgio Armani Privé evening wear done right by Rachael Taylor (above in the "good" section). Well, this is futuristic Giorgio Armani Privé evening wear done wrong. Julianna, sweetie, it's time to fire your stylist.
Padma Lakshmi in Giorgio Armani: Ah, the token "looks-like-something-the-slutty-girls-at-my-high-school-wore-to-prom" dress. Every award show has one, you can't deny it! She's also got a serious case of Madonna/Sarah Jessica Parker arms. Eeek!
Paz de la Huerta in an unknown dress: I sent this to all of my friends convinced that it was Ke$ha in-cognito with a dye job and a spray tan. Does everyone else agree?! Perhaps it's a good thing that I can't figure out who designed this dress, because whoever designed it has some serious explaining to do! If you know who did actually sew this thing, please leave a comment!
Dianna Agron in Roksanda Ilincic: This is the product of what it would look like if you made your toga out of your dorm's local player's satin sheets for the frat party. TOGA! TOGA!
Heather Morris in Masai Payan: This has to be one of the worst red carpet updos I've ever seen. I think that someone a little more edgy and regal (can't you just picture Charlize Theron rocking this?) could pull it off, but Heather has that whole corn-fed, Midwestern look to her that does not allow her to pull this off in any way. One of the worst looks of the evening in my opinion.
Katie Holmes in Calvin Klein: I lied, this is the worst red carpet updo I've ever seen. Were you running late from yoga class, Katie? I do like the frock, though.
Kelly Osbourne in J. Mendel: I've literally been sitting here for about ten minutes contemplating whether to add Kelly to the "good" or "bad" list. I honestly couldn't decide! Part of me likes this dress...but part of me doesn't. The thing is, I don't know what I don't like! It definitely has an ugly je ne sais quoi to it. Perhaps it's that completely unnecessary chiffon armband that I don't like, or the matchy matchy accessories, paired with the pastel pink eye shadow that matches her hair. Or perhaps it's the fact that I think that Kelly had her five minutes of fame in 2003 and has a long overdue retirement waiting for her. Who knows?!
Which looks were your favorite? Which looks did you loathe? Pray, do tell!
(All images via New York Magazine)
I thought Emily Blunt looked amazing - so glad she's heading your best dressed list. And, seriously, WTF Paz de la Huerta, WTF?
xoxo ~ Courtney
http://sartorialsidelines.com
John Krainski is so hot! Most women look lovely but I agree on the ugly's. Nina is my favourite, she absolutely looks amazing in that stunning red dress! Happy weekend!