Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Emmys Fashion 2014: The Good, The Bad, and The Meh


As I said in my Oscars post, the main reason I watch awards shows is for the fashion. I don't watch the Emmys because I am desperate to know who will win (usually the awards shows are so predictable that I could tell you without even watching), but because I am desperate to marvel at the beautiful gowns that the celebrities don. I love fashion. I don't have the luxury of spending a lot of money on clothes, shoes, or accessories because... you know, rent and low-paying job. But I have a stack of InStyle magazines on my bedside table for a reason. I like to know what's trendy. I like to bookmark items I would buy. I like piecing outfits together.

And so, I decided to discuss some of my best and worst (and simply "meh") looks from last night's Emmy awards. Enjoy!

*all photos are credit to hollywoodlife.com & nydailynews.com


BEST DRESSED

Lizzy Caplan in Donna Karan Atelier


Lizzy Caplan is tied with Claire Danes for my favorite look of the night. Everything about her gown screamed both sexy AND classy (see, guys, it is possible to do both at the same time)! Normally I would find black and white to be rather unexciting and un-inventive at an awards show and given the fact that red seemed to be the trendy color of the evening, Caplan was one of the few choosing not to wear a color. But the blocking of this dress and the cut-outs are absolutely stunning. Everything about the look is flawless, from her sleek hair to the neckline to the train to her make-up. She seriously looked jaw-dropping on the red carpet and made it look so effortless.

Claire Danes in Givenchy Haute Couture


I have some serious gown envy when it comes to this one, folks. Everything about it is jaw-dropping on Claire Danes: the color is impeccable (and I love that she chose an updo for her hair because the dress is clearly the star of this ensemble), the cut-outs are really beautiful but tasteful for an awards show and her makeup pairs so well with her gown. That bold red lip was all she needed to really pop on the red carpet. And can we talk about the ornate neckline of that gown? (Like I said... I have some serious envy.) And I don't even mind the weirdness of the belt in the middle because the rest of the gown is so stunning. She and Lizzy Caplan were seriously two of my favorite actresses to "ooh" and "ahh" over on the red carpet.

Amy Poehler in Theia


BOW DOWN, THE QUEEN HAS ARRIVED. If I didn't already love Amy Poehler, I would have fallen in love with her in this gown (and when she decided that she would call herself Beyonce). Sometimes Amy Poehler is a hit or miss on the red carpet, but this year's choice was stunning and extremely flattering to her figure. Her hair and makeup was exquisite too and I love that she chose to do a smoky eye and wear her hair down. This was a really bold decision for Poehler, as she usually sticks to jewel tones, but it was a stunner.

Julia Roberts in Elie Saab


I've already decided long ago that if I was ever to become famous and walk a red carpet, I would want to wear Elie Saab. I'm totally in love with his collections and I adore that Julia Roberts chose to be bold and wear a short dress of his to the Emmys. As you can tell (and perhaps you disagree), I absolutely loved the dress on her. Let's be honest: not many people could pull that off on the red carpet, but Roberts is one of them. The color and texture of the dress complimented both her skin tone and her hair color -- I love the blonde -- and her decision to go minimal with the jewelry really allowed the dress to be the star. She rocked it.

January Jones in Prabal Gurung


Red was the color of the evening and when I saw January Jones in this gown, I immediately fell in love with it... and I usually hate gowns that are shorter in the front. The choice to do an updo was the right one, and I absolutely adore black/red color combinations in outfits and dresses. It allows for a classic, tasteful rocker chic vibe, don't you think? The texture of the dress is admittedly a little bit weird (it photographed well here but I've seen other angles in which it did not). This is one of those instances in which I feel like the dress is more a work of art than anything else and I really loved it.

Sarah Hyland in Christian Siriano


Okay, I totally admit that in recent months I have become a sucker for classy crop tops and high buns. It's totally a summer trend that I really and truly like so when Sarah Hyland walked the red carpet in this Christian Siriano number, I immediately adored it. What is so great, too, is that this ensemble is completely age-appropriate. I think that often younger stars dress too old for the red carpet and their gowns end up swallowing both their beauty and individuality. The color blocking of this ensemble was great on Hyland, who is tanned and doesn't look remotely washed out in it. It's a very summery choice, too, which is wonderful since the Emmys were in August this year. Overall, snaps for Sarah Hyland from me.

Natalie Dormer in J. Mendel


When Natalie Dormer walked the red carpet in this, I immediately said: "YES." The color blocking of this number (also a trend on the red carpet this year) is stunning. And though it's more fall in terms of colors (Halloween, anyone?), it's also clear that she can work those colors with her skin tone and hair color. The cut of the dress is extremely flattering to her figure and I loved that her nails were dark, too. Overall, Dormer won for me.

Anna Gunn in Jenny Packham


Anna Gunn worked this dress and though it doesn't look like anything special, she totally owned it which is why she's on my best dressed list. I absolutely love the color of the bottom half of the dress and the cut of it with the mid-thigh slit is so flattering to her figure. I also really like one-shoulder gowns so I loved that this was one of those. Again: I feel like on any other actress, this would have just made a "meh" list but Gunn sold me on this dress because of how she wore it.

WORST DRESSED

Lena Dunham in Giambattista Valli


And now we come to Lena Dunham, to which I will just ask: "Why, Lena Dunham? Why?" Dunham doesn't always make the best fashion decisions when it comes to awards shows, but this is probably one of the worst I've seen in recent years from her. For starters, she's wearing a blouse tucked into a couture skirt. WHY? Second, the whole ensemble makes Dunham appear much larger than she really is; she's not stick-thin to begin with, which is fine, but this skirt does her no favors as it gives her a lot more added volume to the bottom half of her body. WHY? Third, the ombre of the skirt is horrendous. WHY? Fourth, the ombre of the skirt coupled with the paleness of her blouse coupled with her newly dyed bleach blonde hair washes her out entirely. WHY? Nothing about this ensemble is flattering. I wanted to see her in a less volume-heavy jewel toned dress -- a plum would have been really nice with both her skin tone and hair -- but... no. This happened. And so, finally, I ask: WHY?

Katherine Heigl in John Hayles


Next to the definition of "matronly," this is the photograph you will find. I could see an elderly woman walking the red carpet in this, but for Heigl to be wearing it? No, sweetie. Just no. The color of the gown doesn't do her many favors (come on, pale blondes: don't wear gown colors that closely match both your hair color AND skin color) and the cut of the dress is really weird. I abhor the high neckline and the three-quarter length sleeves because it seriously looks like she should be arriving as an eighty-year old woman, not a gorgeous younger one.

Julie Bowen in Peter Som


The cut of this dress is... fine? I think? I just really don't like the pattern on Julie Bowen. It's distracting from her natural beauty and I think that's why I dislike it so much. If you wear a gown to the red carpet, you should still be the star of it, not the print.

Kaley Cuoco in Monique Lhuillier


Why, Kaley Cuoco? Why? This dress just resembles a Homecoming gown gone wrong. Or an overzealous fairy. Either way, it did no favors for Cuoco whose fashion choices are typically hit or miss. This was a big swing and a miss for her.

Amanda Peet in Giambattista Valli


When the print of your gown reminds me of a pajama set, you're probably going to end up on my worst-dressed list. Sorry Amanda Peet and better luck next time!

Laura Prepon in Gustavo Cadile


When Laura Prepon walked onto the carpet with this, all I could think was: "Her dress is trying to eat her." There IS such a thing as too much volume and too much fabric in a dress and while I think the color was JUST about there for Prepon (there's a slight shimmer to the fabric and I would have loved a deeper green on her, maybe more of a hunter green), the cut of the dress was not. It's great to do one shoulder gowns as I noted above with Anna Gunn but when the one shoulder you do have is trying to swallow your entire shoulder and the other side of the dress is trying to devour your hip... you look like a sea monster.

Sarah Paulson in Armani Prive


NO, SARAH PAULSON.

NO.

(I think this just looks like a bunch of red bugs flying around at night trying to attack her. Run, Paulson. Run.)

THE "MEH"

Kerry Washington in Prada


The reason that Kerry Washington made it onto my "meh" list is not because of the color of the gown, but the cut. The color is really stunning on her skin tone but the cut is... eh. I don't really like the lines that are trailing down the side of her dress. I would have almost liked it more if there had been no silver in it and it had just been that burnt orange color with the high slit and glittery black underlay. It's just an okay choice for someone who usually wows me on the red carpet.

Zooey Deschanel in Oscar De La Renta


I absolutely LOVE the color of this dress on Zooey Deschanel. I love her new hair. And I even have grown to love the cut of the dress (even if it's a bit short for my taste -- when she walked, you could see her shoes). But I think that something about the ensemble feels a tad incomplete? She's lacking a necklace or something else that would have landed her onto the best dressed list. But take note, Deschanel: you can pull off that color like nobody's business.

Taylor Schilling in Zuhair Murad


When I saw Taylor Schilling's gown from the front, I immediately hated it. It gives her added volume on her right side which was weird to me. I think what bothers me most is that the top of the dress just kind of... hangs on her. It's not bad enough to make it onto my worst dressed list, but for a first-time nominee, I would have hoped that she would have given me something to marvel at more, you know?

Mayim Bialik in Oliver Tolentino


Mayim Bialik was SPOT-ON with the color choice for her dress. Everything about this color (which is one of my favorites, by the way) is flawless. But the dress itself is... well, weird. There was way too much of it for her and while I admire the effort she put in, this appeared to be more of a regal dress than an awards dress, if that makes sense? It seemed like she should have been presented at a coronation, not nominated for an Emmy.

So there you have it, folks! My best and worst and "meh" dressed list for the Emmys this year. Did you agree or disagree? Who would you have added or removed from the list? Did I forget anyone that you absolutely loved? Hit up the comments below and let me know your thoughts. Until then, folks. :)

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