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.  

 

Oscars 2012 Rehash-apaolooza #2

Carrying on our conversation from the previous post, A and I spent much of today back-and-forthing our way through Oscars 2012 fashion. Lots to sort through and digest, no? So, shall we continue? We shall. Here you go:

(reminder: A is in blue; M is in purple--but we're also identified by "A" and "M")

A: GP was definitely my best dressed. I didn't see her arrive on the Carpet but while perusing photos online I noticed she arrived with a CAPE. Holy God I want to be her. Also wasn't really sure why Cameron was there either.

(cape-tastic!)

Ok, let's go a little more controversial.

Michelle Williams? I'm sorry. I didn't like it. I liked the color, her hair and makeup looked good, but not a fan of the dress.

(I have to say, I like the color better in this photo than I did on live TV)

M: I also did not like Michelle Williams' look. And I usually really like her so much. Color fail for me, as well as the dress itself. Blah.

A: Tina Fey? More peplum. I thought this was an interesting choice for her - at least she was a little more fashion-forward with the peplum, but I don't know that it really did her any favors.

M: Tina Fey for me falls in the Eh category. Okay, fine, I guess.

A: Natalie Portman? Someone said it looked like the dress she wore last year. It was a bit similar. I wasn't the hugest fan but I didn't hate it. Put it in the "eh" category for me.

(Note: Neither A nor I noticed the polka dots on TV, and only saw them today in photos)

M: Natalie Portman wore a different (stupid) dress on the Carpet. Polka dots?! At the Oscars?! Excuse me? I'm just not an NP fan, but I thought she looked nice enough and much like she usually does--fine, that is--presenting. Moving on.

A: What did you think of Sandra Bullock? I liked it. I thought it was a good presenter dress.

AS OPPOSSED TO

Melissa Leo who I thought looked terrible.

M: Sandra Bullock… I agree with you, I think it was a good presenter dress. But I didn’t love it, really. She looks fantastic, though. And I like the ponytail trend, actually. Melissa Leo was TERRIBLE. She looked bad. She looked like she wasn’t wearing makeup. And she sounded so strange, didn’t she?!

Judy Greer looked really pretty, I thought, too. So did Jean Dujardin’s wife/ladyfriend.

A: I thought Judy Greer looked good - <A had to look up Jean Dujardin's wife/ladyfriend. Then...> oh she did look good! (M: they are an attractive pair!)

What did you think of Emma Stone? I felt like Nicole Kidman wore that exact same dress like 5 years ago.

M: I liked it, and I liked the color, but I think you might be right re: Nic Kid. (she was... here's NK in 2007:)

A: What did you think of Guiliana Rancic? I do not like her hair pulled back so severely!

M: Her hair (and as such, face) looked very severe, but the dress was great, I thought. Apparently I was a huge fan of white dresses this year.

And what did you think of Penelope Cruz, btw. I loved the color… and her hair/makeup. She’s just so gorgeous. BUT… I think the dress was a little heavy and overwhelming. I wish it had straps instead of the over-the-shoulder sleeves…

A: I agree entirely with you - it looked so heavy on her. I also thought it was pretty much along the lines of a Penelope Cruz dress. Which don't get me wrong - I love - but was rather safe for her.

M: But I did love that gunmetal blue.

Okay! That's it for today's verbal Oscar unloading. We'll organize ourselves a bit and be back with our categorized recaps starting tomorrow! What did you think of the show? Billy Crystal: yea or nay? Winners and losers: agree or disagree?

 

Oscars Rehash-apalooza!

We're baaaa-aaaaack! A and I are definitely going to be doing our little awards show highlights with the creme de la creme: The Academy Awards.

However, we thought we'd start out by just posting our day's email exchanges in which we totally digested everything because we just had to get it all out of our systems before we could think clearly enough to organize our posts for the week. So here's how it went down (with a little editing for flow), and I've added in some photos for reference. Tomorrow we'll start with our recap run-down. I will break these up into separate digestible posts today, because it's a lot. We have a lot to say. Also, in case you didn't know, we are really good at this (especially the more shows we recap!)... so if you want to suggest someone pay us to do this, we'd be on board. Enjoy.

We started the morning here:

M: First of all, I almost started hysterically texting you last night (and thought better of it, and saved it for today) because I couldn’t handle how alien-esque Angie looked. SERIOUSLY. And had her body been a little more… healthy looking, she would have looked great! Because it was a great dress, great makeup, and great hair. BUT GIRLFRIEND!

To which A responded with this (A is in blue; my responses to A's comments are in purple below the pics):

A: Oscars! so much to digest.

I thought Octavia Spencer looked great, as usual (loved her speech - made ME well up!). I thought Melissa McCarthy looked terrible, as usual.

M: I missed her speech because I was coming home from the airport, but I thought she looked fabulous, and she’s just totally won me over. <side note: I apparently *forgot??* to comment back on Melissa McCarthy?! Note my appended comments below>

M: Okay, I'm going out on a limb here... I liked the color. But please, I don't know how many times we can say this: HIRE A STYLIST. YOU CAN AFFORD ONE NOW. Also on the good side, though: hair and makeup. Pretty.


A: I actually thought Cameron Diaz looked good - and usually i think she is a fugly mess.

M: I thought she looked fantastic. But I’m curious about what the hell she was doing there.

A: Kristin Wiig made some upgrades too, although her boobs still look squished/strange.

M: She looked good, because she’s pretty, but yes, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE BOOB SITUATION, LADY! I also wish she’d done a little more with her hair, perhaps.

A: I really liked Maya Rudolph's dress, but thought her hair did not go well with the dress - both were independently pretty.

M: (I couldn't remember this, so I had to look it up before commenting back later, at which point I said:) Also, I totally agree with you re: Maya Rudolph.

A: I loved Gwyneth's white dress. It was plain and simple but I liked it. Holy J.Lo!

(don't get yourselves in a tizzy -- we have extended commentary re: GP later, so there's a better photo coming)

M: Gwyn: best-dressed contender, I would say. She looked fabulous. All around. Dress was great, hair was simple and complementary, body looked SICK good. J.Lo… oh, J.Lo.

A: I wasn't a fan of Angie. I liked her dress, but like you said, she is wasting away. I thought her hair looked bad.

(can we talk about this pose that she had to do all night?!)

M: Go away you two. When Billy Crystal was doing the “what are they thinking” thing and it went to Brad Pitt, I was like, 'You look offensive. Move on, Billy.' Then when Natalie Portman did her Brad intro before the Best Actor award, I was like, 'Why does he have to pretend he’s so humble.' I wish these two would just “retire” like they keep threatening to do, so we can stop talking about them already.

A: What did you think of Rooney Mara? I can't decide. On one hand, I like it, but on the other, I don't like the mid-boob ruffle.

M: I don’t like it. I feel like it tried too hard. It had good potential, but it just didn’t pull through. For me, at least. Also, I feel like her styling and her dress didn’t fit – her hair (bangs) is too edgy to pull off such a feminine dress… she should have pulled her bangs to the side, or something… so that her hair/face looked softer with it. Look at me go!

A: What about Stacy Keibler? I thought it was a great color on her, but not a fan of the actual dress.

M: Loved the color… hair/makeup looked great. Boobs McGee, though. <side note: I realize this photo doesn't verify the "Boobs McGee" comment, but there was a moment in the telecast when the camera panned over to them and she was sort of leaned over strangely, and they just looked uncomfortably smooshed together and too high.>

Okay, our conversation continues shortly. Did you watch the Oscars? Did you participate in an Oscar Pool? I did - and I won! Woot!