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Red Carpet Recap: Are We There Yet?

By |March 3rd, 2014|Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

lupito nyongo cate blanchett oscarsCharlize Theron in Dior, Kate Hudson in  Atelier Versace, Cate Blanchett in Giorgio Armani, Lupita Nyong’o in Prada

It feels as if this particular awards season stretched out a bit longer than years prior, but maybe that’s the overall theme of 2014 thus far.  Long winters, long award shows, long winded speeches.  Tonight’s award show, the 86th Annual Academy Awards, was no exception.  Seeing as the red carpet arrivals started at five thirty (Eastern time) and the actual show didn’t commence until midnight, I literally spent six and a half hours of my life staring at dresses, listening to sometimes awkward interviews with Seacrest, and holding my breath in hopes that the music didn’t come on during winners’ acceptance speeches.  I couldn’t tell if I was still exhausted from the weekend or if the cold had finally taken a toll on my cognitive thinking because I’m pretty sure that every actress on the red carpet was required to wear the same dress.  Either that or I was watching 1984 and didn’t know it, which is entirely possible.  Fortunately, for the first time in WhyDid’s history, I was unable to award an entire category to the worst dressed women of the night.  Instead it went to our charitable roast beef hat wearing friend, Pharrell, who decided that full trousers were not fully necessary for the red carpet.  I might have let it slide because he’s so darn cute if he hadn’t somehow convinced his lovely wife, Helen Lasichanh, to dress in tandem.  I guess it would be hard to say, “no,” to those dimples.

As for the rest of the red carpet, nudes, metallics, and soft whites and pastels were the overall theme with a spattering of both basic as well as embellished black.  Navy was a trend for both men and women and first time Oscar winner, Lupita Nyong’o, deemed her hue Nairobi blue.  Everyone was going nuts over her headband, which I hated because it made her look too “costumey” and would have preferred she’d accessorized her decollete with a delicate lariat, but she gets a pass for that stand out shade of blue.  Speaking of hair, cropped pixie cuts were the biggest trend and soft subtle styles as seen on Jessica Biel and Naomi Watts were the second runner up.  Jennifer Lawrence in a pixie cut and who wore red, didn’t even wait until she was inside before repeating last year’s tumble.  She either needs a better seamstress or a higher tolerance for champagne.  A notable trend for men was wearing a white jacket with their tuxes and why, why, why is Jared Leto so damn pretty?  Rarely do I covet another’s hair, but if someone can get me in touch with his stylist, I’ll be forever grateful… or at least for the next month or two.  And while I finished wrapping up the red carpet, I realized that the real style mavens held out until the afterparties.

Pretty in Pewter:

oscars red carpet Giuliana Rancic, Jessica Biel in Chanel, Jennifer Garner in Oscar de la Renta

Long (Sleeve) on Shine:

angelina jolieAngelina Jolie in Elie Saab, Sarah Paulson in Elie Saab, Julie Delpy in Jenny Peckham, Sally Hawkins in Valentino

Flesh and Gold:

oscars red carpet Kristin Chenoweth in Roberto Cavalli, Jenna Dewan Tatum in Reem Acra, Portia de Rossi in Naeem Khan

Bright Whites:

kelly-osbourne-naomi-watts-oscarsKelly Osbourne, Calista Flockhart in Andrew Gn,  Naomi Watts in Calvin Klein, Laura Dern in Alberta Ferretti

Petal Pink Princesses:

camila alves penelope cruz Penelope Cruz in Giambattista Valli, Cristin Milioti, Camila Alves in Gabriela Cadena

Lavender Ladies:

kristen bell oscarsLady Gaga in Versace,  Kerry Washington in Jason Wu, Kristen Bell in Roberto Cavalli

 Basic Black:

julia roberts oscarsGlenn Close in Zac Posen, Julia Roberts in black Givenchy, Karen O in Camilla Staerk, Olivia Wilde in black Valentino

Embellished Black:

oscars red carpetAnne Hathaway in Gucci, Emma Watson in Vera Wang, Anna Kendrick in J. Mendel, Chrissy Teigen in Monique Lhuillier

Moody Blues:

amy adams sandra bullock academy awardsAmy Adams in Gucci, Sandra Bullock in Alexander McQueen, Kevin Spacey in Burberry, Liza Minnelli in Halston

Red on Red:

jennifer-lawrence-oscars-dressJennifer Lawrence in Dior, Ireland Baldwin, Bette Middler in Reem Acra, Olga Kurylenko in Alice Elia

White Knights:

jared leto matthew mcconaugheyJared Leto in Saint Laurent, Ryan Seacrest, Matthew McConaughey in Dolce & Gabbana

No Pants, Well, Kinda Are a Problem:

pharrell williams Pharrell Williams in Lanvin

After the Party It’s the Afterparty:

vanity fair oscarsKarolina Kurkova,  Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab, Sofia Vergara in Roberto Cavalli, Diane Kruger in Valentino, Jane Fonda in Nicholas Oakwell 

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: This Red Carpet Has Me Feeling Blue

By |January 19th, 2014|Red Carpet Recap|

best dressed sag awardsJennifer Lawrence in Dior , Lupito N’yongo in Gucci, Rita Moreno in Roberto Cavalli and Herve Leger jacket, Matthew McConaughey in Dolce & Gabbana and Camila Alves in vintage Donna Karan

Award season really threw me for a loop when it decided to have this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) on a Saturday.  One can only assume it is because the Kardsashian season premiere is on Sunday.  Anyway, the stars showed up this evening looking to have a good time and perhaps take home a cute little statue.  It would appear that some of these stars clearly read WhyDid because they really stepped up their game from last week’s Golden Globes (ahem, Jennifer Lawrence).  Others were repeat offenders and some I have never heard of but was pleasantly surprised by their presence.  Within the first ten minutes of red carpet arrivals, I predicted a theme. Even though Giuliana may have (incorrectly) deemed the night that of this year’s Pantone color “radiant orchid” the color that truly reigned supreme was blue.  From royal to navy, startlets and stars wore this color like it was the new black.  Other trends that I picked up on were matching one’s jewels to the dresses.  Once considered a bit of a fashion faux pas, it actually looked incredibly fresh and I’m thinking that statement earrings are making a major comeback.  Luxe fabrics in jewel tones were also awfully popular.  In the beauty department, sleek deep side parts and bobs were the favorites for hair while very clean, polished makeup and matching eyeshadow to dresses was almost as popular as coordinated earrings.  Both Kelly Osbourne and Jennifer Lawrence coined new terms – SWASS (Sweaty Ass) and armpit vagina.  Giuliana may not know her Pantone shades, but she does know when she sees a potential love match like that of Jared Leto and Emilia Clarke.  Imagine those blue eyed babies.

But down to what really matters… who was the best (above) and who was the worst?  Eff it.  I’m going rogue.  I’m giving best dressed to two young starlets, an 82 year old icon, and one of Hollywood’s sexiest couples.  The worst… well, I never thought I’d hate a crop top or Julia Roberts, but I guess this is why they say, “never say never.”  While many loved Cate Blanchett’s pink Givenchy, I found it to look like a vagina, my father said he didn’t want to know what I meant by that but I told him anyway: pink and drapey.  As for Julie Bowen’s Carolina Herrera, I’m just wondering why she’s wearing a toolbelt.  Oprah wore “the color purple” and Sandra Bullock and Jane Krackowski gleamed in green.  Nudes, blush and soft greys were also ever present and for once I was totally wowed by something other than Sofia Vergara’s, er, personality in Donna Karan.

Blue Angels:

sag red carpetJulia Louis Dreyfus in Monique Lhuillier, Amy Adams in Antonio Berardi, Jennifer Garner in Max Mara, Morena Baccarin in Monique Lhuillier

sag awards red carpetKelly Osbourne in Zac Posen, Ariel Winter in Badgley Mischka, Cathy Griffin in Antonio Berardi, Anna Gunn in Monique Lhuillier

sag awards red carpetAnna Chlumsky in Sophie Theallet, Claire Danes in Vionnet, Mindy Kaling in David Meister, Julianne Nicholson in Philosphy

Nudist Colony:

sag awards red carpet 2014Elizabeth Rohm in Marchesa, Emilia Clarke in Calvin Klein, Laura Carmichael in Vionnet, Isla Fisher in Oscar de la Renta

Grey Ladies:

sofia vergara sag red carpetSofia Vergara in Donna Karan, Kaley Cuoco in Vera Wang, Malin Akerman in Naeem Kahn, Hannah Simone in Marchesa

Lightweights:

sag red carpet 2014Sarah Paulson in Rochas, Natalie Dormer in Marios Schwab, Gretchen Mol in J. Mendel, Sarah Hyland in Pamela Roland

Green Beans:

sag awards red carpetSandra Bullock in Lanvin, Jane Krakowski in Roland Mouret

“Radiant Orchid”:

oprah giuliana rancic sag awardsOprah Winfrey in Badgley Mischka, Giuliana Rancic in Basil Soda

Better Luck Next Time:

worst dressed sag awardsCate Blanchett in Givenchy, Kerry Washington in Prada, Julie Bowen in Carolina Herrera, Julia Roberts in Valentino

Hey Jared, if things don’t work out with Emila, call me.  Also, I need your colorist’s number. Thanks.

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: I’ve Got the Golden Ticket

By |January 12th, 2014|Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

golden globes red carpetTina Fey in Carolina Herrera, Amy Poehler in Stella McCartney, Kaley Cuoco in Rani Zakhem, Zoe Saladana in Prabal Gurung, Allison Williams in Alexander McQueen, Zooey Deschanel Oscar de la Renta

Nope, that’s not the second coming of the polar vortex. It’s just hell freezing over because for the first time in a long time, I thought most all of Hollywood’s leading ladies looked nothing short of lovely on this evening’s red carpet in party dresses for the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards. I wasn’t sure if it was the bubbles from the prosecco getting to my head, or if all of Hollywood had decided to take things more seriously, from their attire to their acceptance speeches. Perhaps it was the absence of teenagers and excessive twerking- in any case, I wasn’t about to complain. Seeing limo after limo from Boston corporate coach arrive depositing a well dressed, well coiffed beauty, I knew my job dissecting the night’s fashion was going to be tough.

And then Sandra Bullock showed up looking like a flamenco dancer.

Followed by Paula Patton as a butterfly struggling to shed her cocoon.

And before all of humanity starts sharpening their pencils (and knives) to write me hate mail, I was most excited to see what America’s current sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence, would be wearing. I was less than impressed when she made her unfashionably late entrance in the predicted Dior. My dad likened her to a barrel, but I’m thinking she looked more like that awful game women are forced to play at bridal showers wherein they create wedding gowns out of toilet paper.

Her anticlimactic arrival could only be topped by that of America’s original sweetheart, Julia Roberts, who must be a method actor with a movie starring her as a Dolce & Gabbana wearing schoolmarm.  Her conestoga could not be located though.

But again, it wasn’t all bad. Red in all shades from tomato to garnet was by far the color most favored though Emma Watson’s version was the equivalent of a fashion mullet. There was also a lot of embellished black and elegant metallics. And we all know Jared Leto was the real belle of the ball.  Perhaps I’ve reached a new level of zen or have been in California for far too long, but I did not feel like dismantling the TV for the first time while watching an awards show.

Leaves me feeling like 2014 may be looking up. For now.

Red Hot Red Carpet:

emma watson golden globesEmma Watson in Dior, Julia Louis Dreyfus in Narciso Rodriguez, Julie Delpy in Romona Keveza, Berenice Bejo

Two Timers:

amy-adams-taylor-swift-golden-globesAmy Adams in Valentino, Julie Bowen in Carolina Herrera, Taylor Swift in Carolina Herrera

Black on Black on Black:

emma-roberts-golden-globes-red-carpetEmma Roberts in Lanvin, Jessica Chastain in Givenchy, Leslie Mann, Uma Thurman in Versace

Styled by Wiz Khalifa:

golden globes red carpetMonica Potter in Romona Keveza, Julianna Marguiles in Andrew Gn, Lizzy Caplan in Emilio Pucci, Emma Thompson in vintage Lanvin

Black and White and Red Carpet All Over:

margot-robbie-golden-globes-red-carpetMargot Robbie in Gucci, Zosia Mamet in Reem Acra, Laura Carmichael in Viktor & Rolf, Emilia Clarke in Proenza Schouler

Golden Goddesses:

golden globes red carpetKate Mara in J. Mendel, Robin Wright in Reem Acra, Michelle Dockery in Oscar de la Renta, Naomi Watts in Tom Ford

Platinum Princesses:

mila-kunis-kate-beckinsdale-golden-globesTatiana Maslany in Jenny Packham, Kate Beckinsdale in Zuhair Murad, Mila Kunis in Gucci, Sarah Paulson in Marchesa

Gang of Green:

golden globes red carpetTaylor Schilling in Thakoon, Helen Mirren in Jenny Packham, Reese Witherspoon in Calvin Klein

Ain’t No Drama with These Baby Mamas:

kerry-washington-olivia-wilde-golden-globesKerry Washington in Balenciaga, Olivia Wilde in Gucci, Drew Berrymore in Monique Lhuillier

And the Real Winners Are:

golden globes best dressedCate Blanchett in Armani, Lupito Nyong’o in Ralph Lauren, Laura Dern in Roberto Cavalli, Amy Adams in Valentino

Good Girls Gone Bad…Like Really Bad:

golden-globes-worst-dressedJulia Roberts in Dolce & Gabbana, Sandra Bullock in Prabal Gurung, Paula Patton in Stephane Rolland Couture, Jennifer Lawrence in Dior

Bring on award season… and the prosecco.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: My Awards Show Has a First Name…

By |February 24th, 2013|Celebrity Style, Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

And the Winners Are:

Stacy Kiebler in Naeem Khan, Kerry Washington in Miu Miu, Naomi Watts Armani Prive

I actually went back and forth a couple of times before finally deciding on my best dressed for this year’s Oscar Awards.  All season long, I’ve been asking the ladies of Hollywood to “bring it” and in the words of a real cinematic gem, Bring It On, “It’s already been broughten!”  So, I guess it’s safe to say that the starlets of the big screen were just keeping their heavy artillery under wraps until tonight.  Much like their careers, no one wants to peak too early.  While I did go ahead and pick my top three ensembles, there are so many more that deserve a bit of airtime.  After all, it’s just an honor to be nominated, right?  Stacy Kiebler wowed in a dress shinier than beau, George Clooney’s, beard, Kerry Washionton popped in a perfect coral red, and Naomi Watts shined in an all over sequin asymmetrical frock.  Blues were still in heavy rotation, but a new pastel trend emerged as a favorite.  Thankfully, far less black was worn than at previous award shows, but when it was, the dresses were embellished so beautifully that the gowns were anything but basic.  And as always, there was plenty of shimmer to light up the red carpet.

We all had high hopes for Jennifer Anniston’s return to the red carpet, but I was less than impressed with a lackluster version of Jennifer Lawrence’s Golden Globes gown and typical Rachel blowout.  Anne Hathaway may have won big with Le Mis, but her pink Prada was ill fitting and nearly as awkward as her red carpet interviews.  I’m not sure why Olivia Munn was even there (was Magic Mike nominated?), but she and her mess of a dress would have been better off staying at home.

White Up the Night:

Charlize Theron in Christian Dior, Zoe Saldana in Alexis Mabille, Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior

Fifty Shades of Pastel:

amanda seyfried amy adams kristen stewart oscarsKristen Stewart in Reem Acra, Amy Adams in Oscar de la Renta, Amanda Seyfried in Alexander McQueen

Blinging Sexy Black:

oscars 2013 red carpetHalle Berry in Versace, Salma Hayek, Nicole Kidman in L’wren Scott, Sandra Bullock in Elie Saab

Out of the Blue:

oscars 2013 red carpetQuvenzhané Wallis in Armani , Helen Hunt in H&M (!!!), Jennifer Hudson in Roberto Cavalli, Reese Witherspoon in Louis Vuitton

Go for the Gold:

Katherine Zeta Jones in Zuhair Murad, Jessica Chastain in Armani Prive, Renee Zelweger in Carolina Herrera

Better Luck Next Time:

oscars 2013 worst dressedJennifer Anniston in Valentino, Anne Hathaway in Prada, Olivia Munn in Marchesa

Win or lose though, one thing’s for sure, I wanna be Jane Fonda when I grow up.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Golden Girls

By |January 14th, 2013|Celebrity Style, Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

golden globes red carpetI stayed up putting this together until 4am last night… which led me to sleep in this morning, throwing off my entire schedule… and that’s why you’ve had to wait so long to hear what I’m sure you’ve been fidgeting in your seat hoping all day long to hear: my opinion.

And so below you’ll find my picks for the best, the worst, and the biggest trends that were seen on the red carpet from last night’s Golden Globes.  It’s funny how different some of these dresses look in photographs as opposed to watching them live on TV.  The colors look different, there’s no movement, and a little bit of the magic is sucked out of them.  While gathering these snaps, I started to question my original picks, but then decided to go with the dresses that made me grin from the get go.

Last night’s show was all about the women of Hollywood and they certainly dressed the part.  This is the first time in a long time where I actually had a hard time whittling down my choices and debating on how much to include in my recap.  But enough about me, let’s get down to business.

The Best:

golden globes best dressedEmily Blunt in Michael Kors, Naomi Watts in Zac Posen, Julianne Moore in Tom Ford

The Worst:

worst dressed golden globesSienna Miller in Erderm, Lucy Liu in Carolina Herrera, Halle Berry in Atelier Versace

And with every award show, there tends to be a trend or two that rules the red carpet.  This year, without a doubt, it was the presence of black.  At one point, I was left scratching my head wondering if this show was being held in Los Angeles or New York.  Contrary to the belief that black is boring, the ladies found ways to wear this staple that were the least bit dull.

Sprinkled in with basic black were pops of tangerine, bits of blush, and lots of sparkle.  Here are some trends that stood out and can probably expect to see more of during upcoming award shows.

Total Black Out:

golden globes 2013 dressesNicole Kidman in Alexander McQueen, Eva Longoria in Emilio Pucci, Rachel Weisz in Louis Vuitton

golden globes red carpetZosia Mamet in Tony Ward, Amy Poehler in Stella McCartney, Allison Williams in J. Mendel

Olivia Munn in Giorgio Armani, Sarah Paulson in Reem Acra, Katharine McPhee in Theyskens’ Theory

Kristen Wiig in Michael Kors, Rosie Huntington Whiteley in Saint Laurent, Kate Hudson

On the Flip Side:

golden globes 2013 white dressesAnne Hathaway in Chanel, Julianne Hough in Monique Lhuillier, Amanda Seyfried in Givenchy

Orange You Glad You Didn’t Wear Black?:

tangerine dresses golden globes 2013Jessica Alba in Oscar de la Renta, Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior Couture, Marion Cotillard Christian Dior Couture

Blushing Beauties:

golden globes 2013 blush dressesHayden Panettiere in Roberto Cavalli, Amy Adams in Marchesa, Megan Fox in Dolce & Gabbana

Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars:

metallic dresses golden globes 2013Kerry Washington in Miu Miu, Isla Fisher in Reem Acra, Connie Britton Kaufman Franco

I Might Have Embellished a Bit:

jennifer lopez golden globesJennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad, Michelle Dockery, Kristen Bell in Jenny Packham

BFF4L:

lena dunham taylor swift golden globes dressLena Dunham in Zac Posen, Taylor Swift in Donna Karan

Nice work, ladies.  Now hit the showers.

xx,

WhyDid