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(Owlet header image found via a Google Image search, and came from Etsy artist Bestiary Ink)

02 March 2012

Oscars 2012: Sparkle and Fade

It is no secret that I, Amy, am a fan of all things sparkly - glitter! sequins! bling! Bring it on. So when M suggested a blog post devoted to the topic, I eagerly said "YES!" However, save for a few standouts, I was a little disappointed by the sparkle crowd on the red carpet this year - thus the title of this post. But we can discuss in more detail - let's get to it, shall we?


Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji
  A: I've already proclaimed Gwyneth Paltrow my best dressed. In the sparkle category alone, however, Octavia battles Milla Jojovich (whom we've already discussed) as "Best Dressed" from me. I loved this gown. I loved that it showed off her curves, yet was stylish and elegant. My favorite part is the detail at the waist - how all the sequins are "brought in" to the center. Plus, doesn't this dress just seem like it would be so comfortable?! She also nailed the hair, makeup, accessories - and nail polish! Great job Octavia! I still think Christina Hendriks needs to hire you/your stylist. 

M: Good Sparkle Starter, A. I agree, this look is fantastic, and I think it says, "this is my night, I'm going to look freaking crazy good for all the photos since I'll see them forever and always." I, too, love the collection of the sparkles into the center. It pulls in her waist, accentuating equally her smallest point and her great curves. She looks amazing. PLUS, unlike many Red Carpet looks, ANYONE can wear this dress. You can just see it. Ladies all over the place are thinking, this one could look good on me, too. High-five, O!

Meryl Streep in Lanvin
  A: I thought this was a good choice for Meryl. I liked the color and the fact that it resembled the Oscar statuette. Apparently she also wore gold when she won the Oscar for Sophie's Choice which is a fun fact. However, I'm not sure why Meryl always goes for the dresses that look like they just wrapped yards and yards of fabric around her. She is GORGEOUS. I would kill for her skin. I don't think she necessarily has to hook it up like J.LO, but she could get away with more than she gives herself credit for, in my opinion.

M: Again, I agree with you, A, but I have to say that compared to her usual drapey mumsy "gowns," this one is such an enormous upgrade, that I have to give her an A. I think she looked amazing. The particular shade of this gold with her hair and skin was divine. I love the plunging V in the front, and I think she's styled really well. She looks elegant. Drapey? Yes. But good drapey.

Speaking of J.LO - Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad
 
A: There is no doubt that J.Lo is Smokin' Hot. Her body is amazing. But why must we always see SO much of it? This dress is totally a "J.Lo" dress - no surprises here and frankly snore. Yes. We get it - you're hot...and you must have stock in double sided fashion tape because lord knows you must go through a lot of it!

M: I love this dress, except for how predictable and expected it is for her. I guess she's in the if-it-works camp, but wouldn't it be awesome if she surprised us all one day? It would. That said, the details on this gown are impeccable. The sleeves are to-die, and again, the pulling-in to the center of her waist just amps up all of that J.Lo gloriousness we've come to know and appreciate. There was a lot of white and bright sparkle on this year's Oscar Red Carpet, and I think this dress was a stand-out amongst it all. Her styling, too, is good, but also very J.Lo. She's an exceptionally beautiful woman, so she can basically do anything and look great, right? Meh. Do something DIFFERENT next time and see how great everyone really thinks you look!


Ellie Kemper in Armani Prive



A: If you can distract yourself from the bangs (go ahead - get a piece of paper and put it over your computer screen) - this is a great dress. It fits her well, the color is unique, and from the neck down she looks great. However, when you remove the paper from your computer screen, it is so distracting! Beyond the obvious horrible bangs, her hair color matches the dress EXACTLY. Did she try to do this?

M: I LOVE this dress. Love it. I love just how freaking sparkly it is. It is an Oscar dress. Different, but not garish or excessive. Just 100% glam. Her hair color and bangs, however - not AT ALL Oscar-worthy. They are prom. Let's work on that for next time, shall we?

Rose Byrne in Vivienne Westwood
 
A: I like the disco-vibe Rose has been bringing to Red Carpets of late. This dress, however, was not executed that well. The dress looks too baggy on her. I think this could have been solved by a tailor or eating several cheeseburgers. Perhaps she and Angelina Jolie could meet at In-N-Out?

M: Huh. I am going to have to disagree. I really loved this dress/look. I think her hair and makeup look fantastic, and then you get to the all-black full-on sequins, and it's just... I don't know. Luscious! There's something so slinky-sexy about black sparkle. I love the one-shoulder, and I love her sparkly, but not dress-competing jewelry. My only real critique is that it looks like it's hemmed a bit short. We can see all of her shoes, which I don't love as much. Maybe this was intentional? It must have been. But I don't love it.


Anna Faris in Diane Von Furstenberg
 
 
A: I like the back of this dress, thus why I included two shots of Anna. Something about this whole look is not resonating with me though. Maybe it's a little too Bond girl? Lounge singer? I'm not sure. I feel like it makes her look much older than she is, and not in a good way.

M: I love the dress itself (see above for my feelings about head-to-toe all-black sparkle), but I think you nail it, A, with "lounge singer." You're right, it does look a bit old on her. This might have been magical on our favorite gal Helen Mirren, perhaps? But Anna does look like she'd fit right in splayed out over a piano. On the other hand, the back is beautiful! I love that single strap across the top.


Judy Greer in Monique Lhuillier 
 
A: I'm sorry. I do not like anything about this dress or this look. It reminds me of one of those play mats that have streets painted on them that you can push toy cars along on:
M: Again, alas, we disagree. Though your visual reference makes me chuckle, and I appreciate that. I really like this dress. I think it's so different and dramatic. I think the sparkly striping hits her in all the right places, balancing off that black to show off just how great she looks. I also love the neckline. And I think her hair and makeup look Hollywood-great. Maybe I just want good old Judy to step into the spotlight for once, instead of always being the sidekick?


Oprah in THEIA

 
M: Madam didn't walk the Red Carpet, it seems, so there's not a full-length shot of her from last Sunday to be found. So I offer you this cover shot from her magazine instead:
 

I mean, it fits her like a dream. Unless you've been living under a rock buried under a rock, buried under a rock, you know Oprah has had her struggles with her weight. And she's not at her smallest right now, but you wouldn't know it in this dress - it looks like perfection on her. I mean, if anyone is going to get full-on glitter right, it's going to be Oprah, right? And for the night she wins her honorary Oscar, it's exactly right. I think Oprah looked incredible. I loved it. Mazel Tov, Oprah. 

A: WOW. Honestly WOW. I didn't see this photo until right now and I am blown away at how amazing it is. She looks FAN-freaking-tastic. Go Oprah! Move this one into the Milla J, Octavia S winner category for me!


Lea Thompson in ??? (we don't know, and we're pretty sure nobody wants to know anyway)
 
A: And the train wreck award goes to...Seriously, this is a hot mess disaster. I read somewhere that on Twitter she said that she sewed her own shawl for the awards. Lady, if you are going to sew your own shawl for the Oscars and brag about it, it better be one DAMN good looking shawl. Otherwise, I am just going to be annoyed at the bad rap you are giving crafters like myself.

M: Hate. I'm pretty sure she crafted this dress, too. And the matching clutch. Boo.

And though we both had busy weeks and weren't able to do as many posts on THE ACADEMY AWARDS as we otherwise would have liked, we will have a Best and Worst post coming your way before the end of the day.

What were your thoughts on this year's Oscars Red Carpet?
 

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