After the party, it’s the after party.
The Best:
Amanda Seyfried in Valentino. Loved this. Super chic with a touch of peekaboo-sexy. Cream looks great on AS. Dig the small flashes of black— shoes, detail on the clutch, black lacy bra. I am never brave enough to have my bra just out there for the world to see (and photograph), so props for that.
Charlize Theron in Atelier Versace. Ahh, worship. Charlize is a goddess, yes? Love the one-shoulder on her (small-chest girls win again), and that starburst-esque detail is divine. Another vision in cream. Interesting she didn’t do Dior, hmm? Charlize has always been a Dior girl.
Leslie Mann in Versace. So gorgeous. This was more of an awards dress than an after party dress, right? Totally deserving of the main red carpet. The deep wine color is amazing on Leslie; love her loose curls and soft pink lip. And that bodice— that bodice is insane! A masterpiece.
Sofia Vergara in Zuhair Murad. Crazy curves. Her body is out of control! This is boudoir-fabulous. And I’m so jealous of her hair; those long chocolate layers are effortless.
Taylor Swift in Zuhair Murad. Another ZM. Taylor looked fabulous— great legs, great shade of gold for her skin tone, great shoulders, great coral color on her lips. I’m a big fan.
Kate Beckinsale in Julien McDonald. This is how you do a long-sleeved column dress. So 70s glamor, so sleek, so intricate in execution yet simple in structure. I thought the sheer panels down the length of the arm were a nice modern touch, but keeping the sheer to a minimum was wise. Just a little peek was perfect.
The Meh:
Cameron Diaz in Carolina Herrera. What size is this? XXS? -4? Barbie? Cam is a small, super-fit girl, but this dress is wayyy too tight/short/small. Look at the way the fabric stretches to accommodate her hand in the pocket? It looks like the seam might bust at the waist. And so short. Cam’s legs are great (I love those booties, too), but doesn’t this just all seem a little desperate? So tight, leopard print, skirt up, legs out. Unnecessary. Sidenote: I heard she showed up to the carpet blitzed. Like very drunk. And things only went downhill from there.
Marisa Tomei in ? I have no idea who designed her dress, and ten minutes of Googling is my fashion research limit, apparently. Major improvement over her Oscar dress. Love the shocking pink color and the one-shoulder. Not so sure about that structural tab thing coming off the side, but we’ll forgive it. Why this isn’t a total win for me: Marisa’s hair (that combover-wave thing is gross) and those black bangles (budget and distracting).
Jessica Biel in Versace. Almost, Biel, almost. Love the silver and gold combo. Love the delicate straps around the shoulders. Love the puddle train. But couldn’t get over a) her boring hair and b) that flap at the bust. It pulled the eye down, making Biel’s girls seem a touch saggy. A few small alterations and the look is a best.
Ginnifer Goodwin in Erdem. Almost loved this. The red with black lace is really striking, and I adore the top portion of the dress. That high neckline with the lace overlay is so pretty. My only complaint is the lace crop circles on the sides of the skirt. Not so flattering.
The Worst:
Anna Kendrick in Notte by Marchesa. No, just no. That lopsided bow is eating her dress, and threatening to attack her face. The material looks cheap-ish in the close-up. Wasn’t a huge fan of the hair, and the makeup seemed to understated for a red carpet photo-op. Ladies: if you’re going to be photographed with a flash, you need more liner.
Jessica Szohr is Chris Benz. Right, okay then. I almost threw up. Why this is awful: Bride of Frankenstein beehive, ill-fitting leather top, beige mini under an art deco sheer tablecloth. XOXO, Gossip Girl.
Lea Michele in Roberto Cavalli. Are those black stripes running the length of this Sequin Bonanza gown? Apparently so. Hate that. Like a mythical sequined tiger. What happening at the neck? Is that tulle poking out a deliberate move or an accident? It’s so tight at the neck, too— Lea looks like she can barely breathe. Her makeup and hair are also too severe; that smokey eye makes her eyes look tiny (read: beady), and the bun in the back gives her that awkward no-hair look. Such a bad look.
Brooklyn Decker in Joy Cioci. Brooklyn Decker really can’t dress. She’s been photographed recently while promoting her movie (Just Roll With It? Go With It? I’m too lazy to Google), and I haven’t been impressed with anything she’s worn. And she’s a model. Girl should look good in everything, and yet she manages to pick ugly clothes. I wouldn’t call this dress full-stop ugly, but it’s definitely messy. The straps can’t figure out what their purpose is— to look pretty or to hold those massive milk jugs up? They’re failing at both. When I saw Brooklyn walk the Vanity Fair carpet in this, I kept wondering when her nipple was going to free itself. Not a good thing. Her hair is a little frizzy, and there’s something about the style that seems a little… Dated? Old? Crimped? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I wasn’t a fan.
Naomi Watts in Zac Posen. Did you see this dress on the runway? It looked amazing. Due in large part because it was being worked by a 6-foot human clothes hanger. Tall and slim with a Stretch Armstrong torso. Naomi (like the rest of us genetically-normal folk) does not have these features. She’s a gorgeous woman, but this dress is ill-proportioned against her frame. The sheer panel is the worst. It just doesn’t work on her. Fashion fail.
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And that wraps up Awards season for 2011… It was a long and fashion-crazy run, yes? Shoot me your thoughts on the after party gowns in the comments.
Wow, Zoe’s outfit is so different, but I really like it! (I think I must be learning from you, lol.)
You’re right about Naomi’s outfit- it would look good on someone really tall and thin, but for more normal people, it doesn’t. And it’s not like Naomi is big/wide- she’s really slim, too! Just not tall enough, I guess.
Awesome post! I love the Rundowns.
Excellent post!
My favorite was Amanda! She looked so cute!
Uh, Lea’s dress looks like a dance costume I had once, and one of the worst dance costumes I had, which is impressive because I had to dress as both an elf *and* a bumble-bee for recitals at some point.
The look didn’t work on Amy Adams at the big show, and this heavier version isn’t working either. eeeeek!
Kate Beckinsale, however, looks awesome! There is some sort of optical illusion in the full-body shot that looks like her body is resting on a small peg-like apparatus.
Eva’s dress looks a little too young for her. Would’ve loved Taylor in it (though I loved her look for the night too).
Sophia and T-Swizz were my faves.
Totally getting a Ke$ha vibe from Cameron’s look… yuck.
great picks! taylor swift looks so chic – i’m impressed!
charlize looked amazing x
amanda seyfred always manages to look hot
Great rundown! I liked Taylor Swift’s outfit the most out of the ones you posted 🙂 Thanks for posting.
Charlize Theron looks so amazing!
omg! how did this photographer manage to make some of these beautiful women look bad!! Absolutely love Kate, Taylor, and Charlize though!