Red Carpet Rundown: 2011 Golden Globes

Award season has begun. Time to shove those winter blues aside and gape at the pretty (and not-so-pretty) gowns.

Overall, I was underwhelmed. There was more bad and blah than good. At least for me. Perhaps you felt differently.  Either way, feel free to discuss in the comments!

The Good:

Julie Stiles in Romona Keveza. A stunning black dress. It’s beautiful and dramatic, but not overly so (i.e., that one-shoulder ruffle isn’t eating her face). I love the asymmetrical ruching– it doesn’t overpower her frame, but it lends some drama. So pretty.

Olivia Wilde in Marchesa. This girl loves her sparkle, and I dig that. It’s fun, it’s flouncy, it’s very red-carpet. A little reminiscent of Anne Hathaway at the 2010 Met Ball. I love the way the sequins are more concentrated around the bust (her skin glows against the gold, yes?) and then tapers at the bottom. It juxtaposes nicely against the black tulle (reminds me of a starry night sky). Her hair is a little casual for the look, and I was not a fan of her shoe choice (with a pair of killer black denim, yes; with this ballgown, no)– but overall so gorgeous.

Dianna Agron in J. Mendel. There was quite a bit of soft, floaty nude on the Globes carpet this year, but Diana’s was one of my favorites. The nude doesn’t wash her out, and the shape is simple but elegant. A little shimmer, but not over the top. Love her gold clutch and punchy red lip.

Mandy Moore in Monique L’huillier. You know I’m sucker for bright blue. Mandy looks amazing here! I love the ruched overlay that sweeps up from the skirt, gathers at the waist and then meets at the opposite shoulder. An interesting yet subtle touch. She kept everything else simple and let the dress do the talking. Love!

Anne Hathaway in Armani Privé. Sick body, right? Anne looks so svelte here. The larger sequins look like really fabulous body armor, and the way the dress hangs is just perfect. The shoulders are bold (a big trend), but not overdone. The color is really remarkable– just a shade darker or lighter, and I wouldn’t have loved it as much. What do you even call it? Deep nude? Super peach? Light bronze?

Leighton Meester is Burberry Prorsum. Another nude dress, but even softer than Dianna’s J. Mendel. This is airy, romantic, a little Victorian (higher neckline + slight puff at the sleeve). The slit up the leg keeps the dress from coming off as stuffy, and I love that she updated the look slightly with great look-at-me platform sandals and an interesting clutch.

Mila Kunis in Vera Wang. YES. Color! There was so much nude on the carpet, when Mila walked by it was like spring. Such a gorgeous emerald green. I love all the detail, love the one-shoulder (quite a trend this year, yes?), love that she wore her hair up to showcase it. Really sexy, although tastefully so.

The Meh:

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad. Jennifer, you know it’s not 2003, right? Her curves are sick; I would’ve loved this without that weird, oddly-cut sparkle cape. Take that detail off the see-through shawl and add it to the dress, and BAM! I love this look. As it is? It’s off.

Emma Stone in Calvin Klein. This dress belongs on the Best list. Seriously. It’s beautifully cut; minimalist and clean. The material moved in this amazing wrinkle-free, seamless way. The color is gorgeous. But the combo of Emma’s very blonde hair (for a role, I understand) and the color of the dress didn’t mesh well with Emma’s spray tan. The girl is porcelain, and rocking that pale skin would have been a better choice that dye-dipping orange to overcompensate. But I still love Emma. She makes Lindsay Lohan completely irrelevant, right?

Sandra Bullock in Jenny Packham. Here’s a nude I wasn’t as fond of. The beading through the lower torso gives the illusion of girth, and it feels big through the chest. Like the draping is off a bit, but enough to throw me. And those bangs. Why so heavy? I can barely see her eyes, and I’m betting she’s having trouble seeing through that fringe.

Lea Michelle in Oscar de la Renta. Barbie upchuck, Gwyneth-wannabe. That’s what popped into my head when I saw this gown. I almost like it— take that major ruffle out of the picture, and it might work for me. Lea is petite, like tiny, and all that taffeta swallows her. She’s trying too hard, yes?

Catherina Zeta Jones in Monique L’huillier. More green, I’m a fan. And the fabric detail is really beautiful– sculptural and tedious, but in a good way. What I can’t get over is the tucking and folding just below her waist. Why? Why do you have a fabric fanny pack? Is storage an issue on Globes night? Do you have snacks in there? I don’t understand.

January Jones in Versace. Bold choice, JJ. Seriously bold. And I like a statement. But I can’t get over the “V” it makes down her body; it feels like advertising. (Maybe it is, and you can certainly argue that any starlet wearing a designer to an event like this is advertising.) The fringe at the bottom is also a little too Vegas, too Burlesque for my taste.

Angelina Jolie in Versace. At least it’s not black, which she does so much. But somehow, even with the gorgeous green color and the sequins, it still seems boring. And old. Bad 80s. Maybe it’s that straight line the shoulders make, or the pintucking under the bust.  There’s something very dated about this. I can see Blanche Devereaux rocking this on a date, can’t you?

The Bad:

Jennifer Love Hewitt in Romona Keveza. This is not your wedding. And what is happening with that bust? Is that a napkin swan or something? That beaded belt looks heavy and dated. Why is it so thick? The gathering at her hip makes her look wider than she actually is; that’s never good. A miss.

Megan Fox in Armani Privé. Megan is not on my worst list because of her dress. Her dress is beautiful. I love it. BUT HER FACE. What is this girl doing to her face? Plastic surgery is the obvious short answer. Why does her forehead look so much wider than her jawline? Is her nose going to cave in? What’s in those lips? Megan is too young for this; she’s in her early 20s! Wtf? She looks 45, seriously. Why?

Michelle Williams in Valentino. What in the daisy hell is this? She looks like a bottle of Marc Jacobs perfume. That neckline is geriatric, and are those seashells on her straps? Who thought that was a good idea? This is also an example of the worst nude color ever. Mushroom-boring-wash-outblah.

Tiny Fey in L’Wren Scott. Mental note: Navy velvet looks like drapes. Awful. Those sleeves should be illegal. Tina is so adorable; why does she dress this way?

Piper Perabo in Oscar de la Renta. Well hello there, ill-fitting gown. Whatever is happening at her hips is not working. The dress is baggy. Was this intentional? That’s a horrible bow— super skinny at the knot, then long. It looks like it might snap off.  The whole look is cumbersome.

Julianne Moore in Lanvin. I get that you’re not always supposed to “get” Lanvin. It’s high-brow, it’s exploratory, blah, blah. But in this case, it’s also ugly. Hot pink sateen (which is wrinkling horribly after the limo ride to the event) with one  giant puffy 80s sleeve that appears to be devouring Julianne’s left breast? Not. Good.

Natalie Portman in Viktor & Rolf. Happy Valentine’s Day! That rose at the bust is very Beauty and the Beast (Disney version), don’t you think? How kitschy, with the red shoes + red clutch. Eyeroll. And her hair– first of all, your bump isn’t in the center. Second of all, a French twist? Really Natalie? C’mon. The whole look is matronly. Natalie is drop-dead gorgeous, and she should be flaunting that face with a better hairstyle choice, and flaunting that cute pregnant body with a better dress choice.

__

Those are my picks; do you agree? Are we fighting? Let me have it in the comments.