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Red Carpet Recap: Grammy’s One on One

By |February 9th, 2015|Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Red CarpetTaylor Swift in Elie Saab, Sebastian (with dad, Wiz Khalifa)

Last night marked the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.  Everyone was there from Beyonce to Mary J. Blige.  Even Prince showed up clad in head to toe sequins to present an award along with delivering probably the most profound message of the evening, “Albums, like books and black lives, still matter.”  Taylor Swift and Kanye may have buried the hatchet, but Mr. West nearly disrupted Beck’s speech while accepting the award for Album of the Year.  He thought it belonged to Beyonce and clearly we just need to give him a seat on every voting panel to avoid further broadcast disruptions.  In any case, I’m not sure who even hosted last night’s awards, but I wasn’t really tuned into the show post red carpet arrivals.  I had pegged Ms. Swift as my favorite for the night- that is, until Wiz Khalifa’s son, Sebastian showed up.  Two of my favorites who I never thought I’d be calling elegant, were Miley Cyrus and Nicki Minaj.  Both tamed their usually outlandish looks for sleeker, more sophisticated styles.  As for the rest of the arrivals? I’ll let you be the judge as I kept having the strange sensation of deja vu.

beyonce jessie j grammysBeyonce in Proenza Schouler, Jessie J in Ralph and Russo

57th GRAMMY Awards - ArrivalsNicki Minaj in Tom Ford, Miley Cyrus in Alexandre Vauthier

anna kendrick gwen stefani grammysAnna Kendrick in Band of Outsiders, Gwen Stefani in Atelier Versace

rihanna grammysRihanna in Giambattista Valli, Princess Peach

maddona givenchy grammysMadonna in Givenchy, Matador on a Cell Phone

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Red CarpetCharlie XCX, Creepy Rabbit

The 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Red CarpetSia and Maddie Ziegler, Thing One and Thing Two

chrissy teigen ariana grande grammysChrissy Teigen in Emilio Pucci, Ariana Grande in Versace

jennifer hudson grammysJennifer Hudson in Tom Ford, Papertowels

lady gaga grammysLady Gaga in Brandon Maxwell, Christina Aguilera in Versace

kim kardashian grammysKim Kardashian in Jean Paul Gaultier, Blanche Devereaux

katy perry kelly osbourne grammys Kelly Osbourne in Christian Siriano, Katy Perry in Zuhair Murad

rita ora grammysRita Ora in Prada, Swarovski Encrusted Microphone

xx,

WhyDid

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

Why Did You Wear That: Summer Skimming

By |May 28th, 2013|Why Did You Wear That?|

Okay, so you couldn’t track down those Chanel espadrilles that every blogger under the sun has been spotted sporting, or maybe you couldn’t fathom throwing down upwards of $400 on summer flats.  Perhaps, like me, you prefer to stand out rather than blend in with the masses.  In any case, this summer’s perfect flat to run around town (or the boardwalk) in is the flat espadrille.  A welcome change (for me, at least) from the standard ballet flat, a lifesaver in between pedicures, and a more polished option than flip flops, it’s time for you to grab a pair or two of your own.  Check out the pair above that I procured (and posted on my Instagram) for summer skimming.

flat espadrilles1. Stella McCartney Neon Mesh Espadrilles, 2. Missoni Dotted Espadrilles, 3. Christian Louboutin Galia Striped Canvas Espadrilles, 4. Sam Edelman Lindsey Studded Espadrille, 5. Ecote Classic Espadrille Skimmer, 6. L’Espadrille Tropezienne Mutlicolor Espadrilles, 7. Soludos Ombre Rainbow Espadrille, 8. Giambattista Valli Leopard Espadrilles

xx,

WhyDid

Red Carpet Recap: Requirements Were Met.

By |May 7th, 2013|Celebrity Style, Red Carpet Recap|

Julie Macklowe in Zang Toi, Zandra Rhodes, Madonna in Givenchy, Sarah Jessica Parker in Giles Deacon

Since 1948 the Metropolitan Museum of Art has hosted the Met Ball (also known as the Costume Institute Ball) to fete the opening of the fashion exhibit at the Costume Institute.  Every year, the event has a theme that attendees are encouraged to channel with their chosen attire.  This year’s theme was deemed Punk: Chaos to Couture and that got the fashion world in a bit of a tizzy.  A stripped down rock starting between 1974 and 1976 characterized by DIY principles and sub-culture rooted in anti-establishment and rebellious youth, would fashion’s elite really relate to the theme seeing as some of them hadn’t even been conceived when punk was present?  The red carpet proved to be a bit of a crap shoot, which was made especially apparent when Hailee Steinfeld referenced Avril Lavigne as “punk.”

Some ladies played it subtle by simply accessorizing with studded jewelery or faux-hawk coifs.  Dramatic dark smokey eyes and deep berry lips were also favored on the red carpet.  But the real stars of the red carpet were the women who really went for it.  Anne Hathaway went full blown blonde, SJP sported an exquisite mohawk headpiece by Philip Treacy, and Madonna said, “to hell with pants!” in Givenchy.  Rooney Mara, Nina Dobrev, and Minka Kelly were the perfect mesh of modern and punk embracing the look in sexy lace and smoldering makeup.  While Blake Lively, Taylor Swift, and Amanda Seyfried were stunning, they veered to the side of safe.  Which can’t be said for some like Coco in Emanuel Ungaro, a tie dyed Elle Fanning, and a seemingly confused Olsen twin.  And I’m left wondering if some of these ladies didn’t get the memo or are just party poopers who simply ignored the theme altogether.

So, who got punk and who got punk’d?

Perfectly Punk:

met gala 2013 red carpet best dressedDonatella Versace, Anne Hathaway in Valentino, Rooney Mara in Givenchy, Lauren Santo Domingo in Dolce & Gabbana, Minka Kelly in Carolina Herrera

Miranda Kerr in Michael Kors, Emma Watson in Prabal Gurung, Dakota Fanning in Rodarte, Carolyn Murphy in Nina Ricci, Allison Williams in Altuzarra

Punky Pants:

Kristen Stewart in Stella McCartney, Nina Dobrev in Monique Lhuillier, Jaime King in TopShop, Jessica Biel in Giambattista Valli

How Supermodels Do Punk:

Karolina Kurkova in Mary Katrantzou, Gisele Bundchen in Anthony Vaccarello, Anja Rubik in Anthony Vaccarello, Cara Delevigne in Burberry, Brooklyn Decker in Peter Pilotto

Punk Princesses:

Julianne Hough in TopShop, Taylor Swift in J. Mendel, Blake Lively in Gucci, Gwen Stefani in Maison Martin Margiela, Amanda Seyfried in vintage Givenchy

Pretty, but not Punk:

Gwyneth Paltrow in Valentino, Anna Wintour in Chanel, Kate Upton in Diane von Furstenberg, Kate Beckinsdale in Alberta Ferretti, Heidi Klum in Marchesa

 Pieces of Punk:

Jaime King, Ginnifer Goodwin, Jennifer Lawrence

Emmy Rossum, Sienna Miller, Jessica Alba

You’ve Been Punk’d:

Ashley Olsen in Dior, Elle Fanning in Rodarte, Miley Cyrus in Marc Jacobs, Nicole Richie in TopShop, Nora Zehetner in Marchesa

Coco Rocha in Emanuel Ungaro, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Gucci, Christina Ricci in Vivienne Westwood, Beyonce in Givenchy

Who were your favorites?

xx,

WhyDid

 

Why Did You Wear That: Don’t Be a SAG

By |January 27th, 2013|Celebrity Style, Red Carpet Recap|

Style Stars:

best dressed sag awards 2013Amanda Seyfried in Zac Posen, Anne Hathaway in Giambattista Valli, Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior

Judging by tonight’s Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG), I don’t watch enough TV… or at least I’m not watching the right TV shows… because I didn’t know who half of the people walking the red carpet were.  One would have thought that could have been easily cleared up by simply tuning into the red carpet pre-show interviews, but the opposite was true.  Somehow, E! left me ever more befuddled than before by presenting the most awkward interviews and time spent talking about dubstep, juggling, and making it rain.  This is probably the only time I’ve been left wondering, “Where’s Seacrest?”  While scouting for the night’s best dressed was more like a game of “Where’s Waldo?” watching the b-roll footage, I managed to identify the evening’s style stars, style stalls, and overall trends.

It’s clear that winners wear blue and while navy may not officially be the new black (which was still incredibly strong), it was the color that ruled the crimson carpet.  If you weren’t black and blue, you might have shimmered in metallics and if you were looking to punch things up, pink was the go to hue.

Blue Belles:

navy dresses best sag 2013 awardsGiuliana Rancic in Max Azria, Nicole Kidman in Vivienne Westwood, Busy Philips in Gabriela Cadena

Black Beauties:

black dresses sag awards 2013Amy Poehler in , Tina Fey in Oscar de la Renta, Kelly Osbourne in Jenny Packham

Shiny, Happy People:

sag 2013 red carpet metallic dressesNaomi Watts in Marchesa, Helen Hunt in Romona Keveza, Jennifer Garner in Oscar de la Renta, Katrina Bowden in Badgley Mischka

Pink Ladies:

sag awards 2013 pink dressesNina Dobrev in Elie Saab, Freida Pinto in Roland Mouret, Lea Michel in Valentino

Style Stalls:

jessica chastain julianne moore worst dressed sag awards 2013Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen, Julianne Moore in Chanel, Morena Baccarin in Basil Soda

Oh, I feel some of your salty stares right now, but I stand firm on my worst dressed choices.  It all (mostly) comes down to one simple thing: fit.  While Jessica Chastain proves a redhead can wear red on the red carpet, she looked more Jessica Rabbit than sexy starlet and unfortunately, that includes wearing a dress that is two sizes too small.  Remember, my friends, “wrinkles point to the problem areas.”  It pained me to include Julianne Moore because, to me, she is a classic beauty and remember she was one of my best dressed at the Golden Globes?  This slinky black and white Chanel, just skims a little too low– now I know these are the SAG awards, but the top of this dress simply makes her look, ahem, saggy.  As for Morena?  Two words: swamp thing.

Below, some SAG accredited starlets prove that black is not always a safe choice and not all trends need be followed.

black dresses sag awards 2013Julie Bowen , Claire Danes in Givenchy, Naya Rivera in Donna Karan

Two, Not Always Better than One:

bad dresses sag awards 2013January Jones in Prabal Gurung, Julianna Marguiles, Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior

Alright ladies and Seacrest, game faces on.  Oscars up next.

xx,

WhyDid