Worst of the Golden Globes Red Carpet

As promised, after a long hiatus A and I are back with our Award Show Red Carpet Fashion Break-down. I know you missed us. I also know we missed us. So, whether you missed us or not, we're doing it! And though it will be abbreviated this go-around thanks to our busy weeks (why isn't anyone paying us to do this yet??!!), we will not scrimp on the judgment! We promise!

And with that, here we go. Starting with the Worst of the Red Carpet (saving the best for last and attempting to end on a positive note... isn't that everyone's New Year's Resolution every year?).

This year we're breaking our break-down into categories. Enjoy.

CATEGORY: Trying Too Hard (these ones are almost too obvious, though I must say, I'm pretty impressed that we didn't drop Lea Michele in here this year. I guess she didn't try too hard-enough? Or maybe we don't have to talk about her because she falls into a special category: Trying Too Hard Chronic Offenders, aka, Goes Without Saying.)

Eva Longoria

M: Wow. You can pose. I had no idea. now please put your always-trying-too-hard ladybits away and just know that you're pretty, so you can just wear a normal pretty dress. You're welcome for the tip, by the way. My styling tips are free of charge these days. (I will admit the back of this dress was really lovely. If only the front weren't TRYING SO FREAKING HARD):

A:  I physically wretched upon seeing her on the carpet because I am so over this slit-up-to-the-hip-stick-out-your-leg-so-that-it-gets-its-own-Twitter-account look. I loved the back. LOVED IT. I also think her hair was too severe for the severe dress. #overit

 J.Lo (though, to be fair to Lea Michele, she is also a Chronic Offender...)

M: You're naked. That's basically all there is to say about this. Except for maybe that if this were on ANYONE else, I'd probably really like it. But since it's J.Lo, all I can see is the look-at-me-I'm-still-freaking-amazing-looking nonsense. Also, this is the best trying-too-hard image ever, is it not?

A: I am sick of JLo being naked. It was way cool when you were naked in that green Versace dress, on the arm of Puff Daddy back in 2000. So cool, it was historic. Thirteen--YES THIRTEEN--years later, get over it. You're hot, you know it, we all know it, and we're sick of it.

Halle Berry

M: BLERG. Stop this already. I can't even. I just... I just can't.

A:  Seriously I am pretty sure we could do one of those animated photos where we could flip through all of Halle's dresses in the past fifteen years and they all would superimpose PERFECTLY onto this pose. Again. ENOUGH WITH THE HIP SLIP TWITTER ACCOUNT LEG ladies!

CATEGORY: Boob Fail

Jennifer Lawrence

M: Not the best of images, but I had to find the side-by-side of the full dress and the boob-shot. Because. Well, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?? I don't get it. At all. What woman puts this dress on and doesn't immediately ask "What the F is up with the boobs?!" I guess Jennifer Lawrence is that woman.

A: The color of this was so lovely, looking so great with her skin and then that awful boob catastrophe.  What is going on there?! Trust me girl - your boobs will sag in enough time - don't try to get them there ahead of time!

Sarah Hyland

M: And here is sweet little Sarah Hyland, who appears to believe she can compete with co-star Sofia Vergara in the Va-Va-Voom category. Newsflash. Vergara wins every time. Rein those puppies in, young starlet. And try teasing your hair a bit less. You're so age-appropriately cute usually!

A: She reminds me so much of a porn star Morticia Adams. This dress was WAY too old for her.

Kristin Wiig

M: A and I are not necessarily in agreement here, but I'll explain. I just think she looks... sloppy. I mean, just look at that posture! Clearly a bra wouldn't easily work with this dress, fine. But do something. Pasties? Her Globes just look a bit saggy, methinks. And while we're at it, I give her a second ding for styling. Her hair looks boring, and wouldn't a rad pendant have done wonders for that plunging neckline? She looks fine, just kind of boring and sloppy overall (to repeat myself).

A: So... given that this is Kristen Wiig, who has been known to fail tremendously on the red carpet, I thought this dress was a step in the right direction for her, although I was wanting the boob seam to be moved up to accomodate her small chest. It looks like the dress was made for someone with more of a rack and a good tailor could have fixed that. I like the keyhole though.

CATEGORY: Styling Fail

Kaley Cuoco

 M: GAH! Okay, pretty pretty dress, right? So WTF went wrong with the makeup?!

A: WHY is this oxblood lipstick in? I have not seen one person where it looks good. BLECK BLECK.

Amy Poehler's Red Carpet Look

M: To be clear--I LIKED HER SUIT A LOT. It's the shoes. My 1998 prom called. It wanted to thank Amy Poehler for bringing it back to the party.

A: Those shoes are TERRIBLE. This was so cute and fun next to Tina Fey's uber feminine red carpet dress until the shoe cam arrived.

Zooey Deschanel

M: What the what with the schlumpy styling already? This looks like an old prom dress from the Salvation Army (sorry) in that it's just a bit baggy and saggy. And the giant chunky pearls? ZOOEY!

A: Way too many pleats and why was this not ironed?! WHY? I don't get it. The color is great on her - could have been so much better.

CATEGORY: Color Fail

Amy Adams

M: This dress is LITERALLY the exact color of her skin tone. So this is actually also LITERALLY a color fail. A veritable failure of color. So at least pop it with bright jewelry or a clutch, right?!

A: RIGHT! The fit was so incredible - I mean she has such an amazing body. Why did it have to be this color?

Gabby Douglas

M: Oy. First of all, sorry, but what are you doing here? Second of all, your hair! Third of all, thanks to this neon puce-colored gown, everyone a) noticed you, and b) is also wondering what you were doing there.

A: Really...why were the gymnasts there? I didn't get it. Besides the bad hair and bad color, I did not like that the dress was all wonky across the bust and appeared to be too big for her. Was there a form holding it up inside?!


CATEGORY: Fabric or Fit Fail

Rachel Weisz

M: I love everything about this (and her) from the thigh up. And then--huh??

A: Yes. The thigh-down part confuses me greatly. The bow belt put this a little too into the "sweet" category for me. I think if Sarah Hyland would have been wearing this, it would have been better, from the thigh up of course.

Nicole Kidman

M: Again, everything else works. It's just the dress... what's happening in the middle there? And are those bedazzled bees attacking her neckline? Her skin looks amazing, though.

A: They were bees. BUZZ OFF.

Ariel Winter

M: There's something so strange about this fabric, isn't there? Also, the candy-colored textured bits are almost too young. Was Ariel trying to youngify her look following that weird boyfriend-mom scandal last year? I hate to go there. Sorry. It's just such an odd choice. And that headband's ridiculous.

A: This is just not a Golden Globes dress. I think it would have been ok at a wedding or something but come on! It's the Golden Globes! That headband is atrocious.

Tina Fey's Red Carpet Dress

M: Fit. Fit. Fit. Length. Boobs. Fit. Blerg. (She looked GREAT on stage, though.)

A: Ditto. (Love her hair, though.)


Emily Mortimer

M: This is not an OR qualifier in this category. It's an AND. Fabric AND Fit Fail. First of all, no one looks good in a mock turtleneck. I'm not sure why, but the idea of a mock turtleneck conjures an image of Maury Povich in my mind's eye. (Does he wear mock turtlenecks??) Also, this looks so heavy! And it's clinging everywhere. It makes her look like she has a poochy tummy, which I'm willing to wager she does not. I kind of love the long sleeves, though. And the chain-mail color is bold and confident. But FABRIC AND FIT FAIL.

A: I LOVE a good sequin, don't get me wrong. But this was the absolutely WORST sequin look out there. First of all, the fit was terrible - wear some spanx or something to smooth yourself out before donning head-to-toe clingy sequins. Second of all, head to toe, fingertip to fingertip sequins may be a bit much... even for me.

Jessica Chastain

M: As we can all tell from this photo, I'm pretty sure Jessica also knows this dress doesn't fit her.

A: Too much fabric! That draping bust is not flattering and this is too long and too bulky in places. With some tailoring, it could have been beautiful.

Amanda Seyfried

M: Gosh, she is just so so pretty. It seems her stylist agrees, and is evil and jealous of her beauty, which is the only explanation I can come up with for why she's wearing this oddly pieced-together combination of old lady curtains and grandma's doilies, pinned at the top by grandpa's tie clip. What other explanation could there be? Let's take a gander at the close-up of that curious bodice:

What-huh?! Also, I see your boobies.

A: I actually think she looks a little like an alien, but maybe I'm jealous too?! I agree with you - the color washes her out and the dress itself is just an odd-mishmash. I don't like when the hair, skin, makeup and dress are all the same color. I need some contrast - it's the drama queen in me!

FINAL CATEGORY: Worst of the Worst

Who could it be? Let the fines fall the other way this year... the worst of the worst is Fashion Police's own GIULIANA RANCIC!

M: I actually HATE this whole look. Hate it. And as I texted to A on Sunday night, I'm pretty sure if some other star were wearing this look, they would have had a field day tearing her to bits on Fashion Police. I bet it was killing Joan Rivers that she couldn't rip her a new one for this disaster. Worth noting, Giuliana loves this high neckline (last year she did it twice: here, and also here). But girl, this one did you zero favors. It in fact failed you in every category. Shall we? Trying To Hard: check! Boobs: check! Styling: look at the hair! check!

Color: black + lace = overdone, so, check! Fabric and/or Fit: again, look at this close-up... the neck is essentially choking her.

So for me this is a no-brainer. Giuliana is the Worst of the Golden Globes Red Carpet Worsts.

A:  WORD! I do not know that there is that much left to say except that she looks like a real life Bobblehead.

I, too, would like to thank Chad Lowe

I hope you got my Girls/Golden Globes reference there. My husband and I just watched the entire first season of Girls in the last week, and I LOVED both of Lena Dunham's Thank You speeches last night. I found them very humble, gracious, honest, self depricating, smart, and sharply witty - the qualities of her writing that I think explain my quick addiction to that show. I giggled pretty hard when she said she'd long ago promised herself that were she ever to give an acceptance speech, she'd have to thank Chad Lowe. So while my teenage self would probably have promised herself to thank Mark Wahlberg, I just had to tip my hat to Lena Dunham on that one.

But more importantly, thank you to Amy for the virtual high-five and boost of confidence she gave me this morning by nominating me for a Liebster Award!

So here I go... first, the details: A Liebster award is given to blogs with less than 300 followers as a way of making them more well-known. The rules for the acceptance are:

1) Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you
2) Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back
3) Answer the 10 questions posed by the blogger who nominated you
4) Select 3-5 bloggers for the award
5) Pose 10 new questions to the new nominees
6) Post the award on your blog

Here are Amy's questions with my responses:
1) Why did you start blogging? 
I started blogging with our home renovation blog, Home Sweet Schwab, to document our first home ownership/renovation adventure, and to include our far-away friends and family in the process, but also to give myself a creative outlet and stretch my writing muscles a bit.

2) What are your blogging goals?
My immediate blogging goals are to start blogging with regularity again. A combination of some family health issues and the arrival of our first baby in the last year stunted my posting, and I need to get back on track.

3) What is your favorite article of clothing?
Oh, this one hits a bit of a nerve right now, as I'm feeling very tired of my wardrobe lately! Still, there's always a favorite (or two), right? My "old" favorite is this great boat neck black-and-white striped shirt that I can dress down or up and I've probably worn for too long, but with which I refuse to part. My "new" favorite is this great pair of magenta jeans I got recently, one of a very small number of items I've bought for myn the last six months since Baby Girl took over my shopping agenda!

4) What is your favorite blog that you read?
Hard to choose. I love reading blogs. It's probably my best distraction lately. Do I have to pick one? Who am I kidding? There are no real rules here, this is MY blog! Okay... favorite blogS: Suri's Burn Book, Go Fug Yourself, Kendi Everyday, Obvious State (formerly Little Brown Pen)... and many more. I wouldn't read them if I didn't love them, and my Reader is STACKED.

5) Facebook or Twitter?
Good one, A! I definitely texted Amy during the Globes last night to say that Twitter was quickly overtaking Facebook for me. I shamefully admit that I basically just boarded the Twitter train recently (I won't say how recently), but I've been tiring of Facebook for a loooooong time, and Twitter does a lot of what I used to like about Facebook without all of the stuff I don't like about it now... especially in terms of allowing me viewing control for my content. So I say Twitter!

6) What is something that currently challenges you?
Time. There just is not enough of it. Simple as that.





7) Paper calendar or electronic?
This will be my second year in the electronic calendar world, and I have to say, I'm officially converted.

8) What is your favorite cosmetic?
Tinted lip gloss.


9) As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A writer.


10) What is one of your goals for 2013?
My main goal for 2013 is to truly make time for myself in some capacity every week. And more than just an hour to neaten up the house - something for ME.

Here are my nominations:
1) Living the Dream - N redefines honesty with this blog that evolves as she does. She is truly inspirational in how open and real she is in her writing... and I'm not just saying that.
2) Eating With Sporks - This is the blog of a long-lost friend from college... and it's awesome. One of my most-pinned-to boards on Pinterest is my food board, and I've pinned MANY a recipe from this creative, healthy, beautifully-photographed blog.
3) Home Harvests - Like me, she hasn't posted in a little while, BUT, this is a great blog. My girl knows her stuff, and shares her efforts towards a holistic, self-sufficient (as much is possible when you don't live on a farm or ranch!), green, clean, purposeful life. She shares her successes and her missteps, takes incredible photos of her beautiful garden and its bounty, offers recipes, and opens up her heart and her mind as she continues to channel her best self.

And here are my 10 questions:

1) Why blog?
2) Where do you live?
3) What's your guilty pleasure?
4) What's the best book you've read in the last year?
5) What is your blogging goal for the next year?
6) What is one of your non-blogging goals for the next year?
7) Google or Bing?
8) What's your favorite blog?
9) What's your "real" job?
10) Are you happy?

Pinned It, Made It

I know, it's been forever. Forgive me, I had a baby and very little time for pinning and blogging since the end of June!

But I HAD to report on this one. Two of my girlfriends (R & A) and I decided to occasionally get together, pick one thing we each pinned to do (I have a "Do This" board on Pinterest that's full of these hypothetical projects), and actually do it. I've made recipes I've pinned for sure, but I keep storing away great little DIY ideas and not actually following through, so here was a self-imposed call-to-task, made easier by the allure of good company and companion craftiness.

Here's my first project:

Was a blue-glass Ball mason jar, is now a lovely hand soap dispenser in my kitchen! Woot! (my pin; original link here)

Have you made anything you've pinned yet? Or have you pinned something you're definitely going to make?

What should my next project be...?

Oscars 2012: The Best and the Worst

Again, I wish we'd had easier weeks this week so we could do more posts. I love rehashing the awards. But even our fewer posts have been fun. Thanks again, A! Love doing these. We hope you've enjoyed our shenanigans and delusions of expert criticizer status! Let us know what you think in the comments!

Okay, without further ado... it's the best and worst of the Oscars. Actually, all in all, nothing was so horrifying as to jump out as disastrous, which is good news for Hollywood, but also slightly disappointing, because, well, we like to judge, don't we? That said, there were some clear winners and losers. Here are our choices for Best and Worst:


M's Best: (in reverse order - so, my fave is last of these)


Cameron Diaz in Gucci

M: I love this. I love the shade on her skin, I think her hair looks fun and flirty but still Carpet-appropriate, and I think it's just gorgeous. But I most love this because she just looks so many light years better than she sometimes tends to look. Love to see her looking great (even if I'm not sure why she was at the Oscars in the first place).

A: I cannot disagree with you, M. Cameron, who usually is Fugly with a capital F, looks great here. I too wonder, why she was there - and a PRESENTER even! 

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford

 M: Duh. Home Run, Gwyneth. That's all there is to say.

A: Yes it's true. This is my best dressed of the night. Fifth and final time I will say it. Amen. 

Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab

M: I know the leading favorite all over the Interwebs is Gwyneth, and since A has already declared her the night's fashion winner at least 3 times, I had to go a different route and give it to Milla Jovovich. I just absolutely and entirely swoon for this gown and the complete look. From the hair to the makeup to the fit to the accessories, it's absolutely perfect. If I were ever to attend a Red Carpet event, I'd totally knock off this look a la Emma Stone knocking of Nic Kid. I just... I die for it. It's unique, stunning, and show-stopping. Winner!

A: A second, VERY CLOSE second for me for best dressed of the night. SWOON!  

M's Worst: (in reverse order - so, my least fave is last of these)


Melissa McCarthy in custom Marina Rinaldi

M: I swear to you this is the last time I acknowledge Melissa McCarthy's Red Carpet attire until she hires a stylist. But it goes without saying - another fail. I want so much more for her! I really do. And I think she at least scores points for color here. I think this blush shade is very pretty with her hair and skin tones. But... We just need better fabric, better cut, and better fit, don't we?

A: Yes. We need better. Do you think she would hire us, M??!!

Rooney Mara in Givenchy

M: She's so pretty. But why must she look so severe? The main reason that this falls on my Worst list is that it's not a fully thought-out look in my opinion. Even if we let those awnings over her boobs go, this dress is pretty and very feminine, with really lovely touches and details. but she was not wearing a single piece of jewelry (that we can see), and her hair and makeup styling was so intense that not only did it not go with the dress, but it really conflicted with and distracted from it.

A: I wasn't the hugest fan of this but something keeps me from putting it on my worst list. I admire that this was one of the risks of the evening.  

Angelina Jolie in Versace

M: I hate everything about everything about this. And yes, I meant to write "everything about" twice. GET OVER YOURSELF.

A: Please see M's comment. 

A's Best:

#1: Guess Who?!?!

Ok. I will spare you another mention of GP. You already know that she was my best.

#2 Milla Jojovich

See Commentary Above

#3 Octavia Spencer

We digested this yesterday so I won't say too much more. I'm declaring the Oscars 2012 as "her night." I loved that she won, and I loved her acceptance speech. Brought tears to my eyes. And double awesome that she accepted the award looking like this. BOMBSHELL!

M: I love this, too. And yes, we've said lots of good things about it already, so I'll just sum it up with a "Hear! Hear! Octavia!"

A's Worst:

Although I could state the obvious, (Ahem, Lea Thompson), I tried to come up with three new worst dressed so that all of my commentary isn't simply "Agree with M." She already nailed 3 worst offenders...here are 3 more.

3. Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman always disappoints me on the Red Carpet. There I said it. This dress seems too casual for the red carpet and looks ridiculous paired with that necklace. I keep on expecting more from her! One of these years!

M: Totally. I'm sorry, I'm not a fan of polka dots in general, but definitely not for the Red Carpet. I just don't think they fit. And the necklace was wrong. Wrong shape, wrong style, wrong. Her hair and makeup were pretty. I'll give her that.

2. Viola Davis

I wanted to like this. I love her from the neck up. I love that she abandoned the wig and looks even more beautiful without it. But this dress is a train wreck - too much boob smooshing and too raggedy. Fantastic color choice, I'll give her that.

M: She was a contender for me, too, I must admit. I do LOVE this color on her skin, and I couldn't agree more about her au natural style. But I cannot get past what the bodice of this dress was doing to her chest. It looks unnatural. Which is fundamentally incongruous with "au natural." If we're going with a theme, we've got to carry it all the way through.

1. Melissa Leo

WHAT is this? Really? This looks like something that was on the clearance rack at Chicos. WHAT WHAT WHAT?! I don't understand so much of this dress. The boxy blouse top? The sequins? The belt out of a completely different material? The attempt at color blocking? HUH? This is one of those where I question what Melissa Leo was thinking when she decided, "Yes! Yes, this is the dress I will wear to the Oscars."

M: What A said.

Alright friends. That's it for us for this Oscar season rehash. What do you think? How'd we do? Who were your bests and worsts? What are your hopes and dreams for next awards season -- besides your hope and dream that A and I get hired by someone to do this (or style Melissa McCarthy) professionally?

  

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?
 

Oscars 2012: Oversized Details

When done right, the details are often what make a simple look turn to outstanding. In the case of this year's Oscars Red Carpet, A pointed out that some folks took the "small details" to the extreme, by over-sizing theirs. In some cases, this could work... in others, less so. Let's discuss:

Emma Stone in Giambattista Valli

M: Were it not for the fact that this dress is a redo of Nicole Kidman's Balenciaga version from the same Red Carpet a few years prior, I would love this look. I love red on a redhead, and this is a beautiful red. Now, the detail. That's a LARGE BOW there around your neck, Ms. Stone. But I like it. It's glamorous, not distracting (remember Charlize Theron's huge shoulder bow dress from the 2006 Oscars?). Plus, the styling here is perfect. If you're going to do a dramatic neck-bow, keep the hair and makeup simple, and the jewelry to a minimum.

A: I would have liked this way more had it not reminded me of Nicole Kidman. However, I do like how Emma's dress was flowy and the color was so complimentary to her hair and skin. She looked great. 

Stacy Kiebler in Marchesa

 
M: I love the hue of this gold. LOVE! But I don't love that big ol' gold rosette on her hip. Imagine how stunning this would look if it was just all drapey in that beautiful gold all the way down the skirt, with just that one shoulder (the bodice on this gown is perfection). This is a detail I could do without.

A: Agreed. When I first saw this, she was attached to Mr. Clooney and the flower was hidden and I thought she looked gorgeous. Then she turned and I audibly gasped. WHAT the WHAT?! No thanks. 

Penelope Cruz in Armani

 
M: It's hard for Penelope Cruz to go wrong, and if I'm honest, this isn't really wrong - it's just not crazy-good, either. The color is crazy-good, though. The detail issue I'm having with it is the off-the-shoulder bit. It comes off so heavy. Maybe that's nit-picking...

A: This dress is beautiful. However, on Penelope Cruz, it doesn't seem interesting enough to me - I mean it is a classic "Penelope Cruz" dress. I love me some "classic Penelope Cruz" but I wanted something else from her. I love love LOVED her hair though.  

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton and Tina Fey in Carolina Herrera

M: So the issue here is peplum, a.k.a., the extra skirt. Two examples here, neither that exciting to me, but one slightly better than the other. I hate it on Michelle's dress; it works better on Tina's, I think. Maybe it's the proportions? On Michelle's it just looks so much like a tacked-on other skirt in the same fabric, where as in Tina's it sort of... I don't know, suits the material better? Meh to peplum.

A: Oh Peplum. I think i like this trend much better on shorter skirts, or as attached to jackets. On long gowns - PASS. I thought both of these looks were not great. I really enjoyed the color of Michelle William's dress and thought it would have been a hit without the peplum. I didn't like Tina's take on it - it was blah.

Ellie Kemper in Armani Prive

M: Okay, obviously the "detail" here is excessive bangs. I'm sorry, but they're just... SO MUCH. I actually like everything else about this look. I like the dress, the sparkle, the simple jewelery and clutch... I even like the color of her hair a lot. But those bangs! I mean, I can barely see your eyes, Ellie!

A: I am laughing that you included this - good call. These bangs are TERRIBLE. Seriously - they remind me of the middle school look where you would curl one giant bang with the curling iron.

Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab

  
M: Okay, to me this is GORGEOUSSSSSS. I had to make the photo huge to give it its moment. Yes, one could argue that there's some football padding under that over-sized shoulder pad, but still, something about this is just so magical. It's like updated Old Hollywood. I love it. Triumph! Best Dressed nominee (did someone hire us for Fashion Police yet?).

A: AGREED!!!!!!!! She looked so great - completely Old Hollywood, which is always a win in my book. Or maybe that is just my sparkle bias coming out again?! Her hair and makeup were fanastic and I love that the shoulder pad is balanced by the cuff and bag in the opposite hand! The only complaint I have about this is the white nail polish. I am not a fan of it - reminds me of people who painted their nails with white out in grade school - a nice nude pink would have looked better.