The Good:

Speaking of pleasantly surprised, Meryl Streep looked stunning in Chris March (Project Runway). She is a great example for the older actresses everywhere (take note: she covered her ARMS!!). An absolute perfect choice.

Sandra Bullock has really never looked better. Her hair and makeup make her look totally feminine and this dress by Marchesa is truly a departure for her. Obviously Oscar worthy.

Some may disagree with me, but she’s SARAH JESSICA PARKER for crying out loud! Would you really expect her to wear some run of the mill satin gown? Abso not! The pale yellow of her Chanel gown is beautiful on her and I love, love, loved her gigantic hairdo. Matt, you’re not looking too bad either.

Despite the fact that Miley is slouching as if she’s got osteoporosis at age 17, I thought this was a wonderful choice for her (Jenny Packham). It’s a little more grown up, while still maintaining a youthfulness about it. Well played, Hannah Montana.

At first, I wasn’t a believer. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for Rachel McAdams. She’s a gorgeous girl. This dress absolutely grew on me like fungus and it is so different from the typical tulle and taffeta. Bravo, Elie Saab!

Not a huge Cameron Diaz fan, but I am a fan of her in this Bulgari creation. She looks absolutely delightful.

Elizabeth Banks looks amazing in this grey number by Atelier Versace. My only call out? That cheeseball headband. Just too much.

I don’t usually find the men’s outfits all that enthralling, but I do love that Robert Downey Jr. decided to be playful with his accessories. Sometimes it gets so boring with everyone in the standard black and white.

The Bad:

I’m 50% sure that Tina Fey is, in fact, wearing a Bump It. Yes, a Bump It a la Snookie on the Jersey Shore. This Michael Kors dress would have been okay on her, if she had just styled the rest of herself correctly.

This dress by Reem Acra isn’t HORRIFIC, but it does remind me of something my grandma would wear by the pool in Palm Beach. To “top” it off, her hair looks like she was getting in a last minute pre-Oscar workout and didn’t have time to wash it, let alone, dry shampoo.

I have a serious girl crush on Amanda Seyfried, but I do NOT have a girl crush on her Armani Prive. It is not a flattering color for Amanda and it is just too much dress for her. Better luck next time.

I think someone summed it up best when they said, “George Clooney looks like a lesbian.”  I mean, I have to agree. What is going on? And what is going on with Elisabetta’s shawl? Are we really at Junior Prom?

The Ugly:

First of all, WHY ARE YOU HERE??? That being said, your Armani Prive frock is a fashion fail. It looked like cotton candy gone wrong (as if that’s even possible). For a curvy girl, you should know better than to draw more attention to your hips than you need to.

Maggie, Maggie, Maggie. Really? Were you on your way to a luau and lost your way? Your Dries Van Noten looks like a Hawaiian shirt gone all kinds of wrong. Mahalo.

Oh, did you forget you silverware? No worries, Carey’s got you covered in her Prada gown encrusted with all different types of hardware. Dig in.

Diane Kruger is typically a fashion dream come true, but she’s kind of my worst nightmare in this dress by Chanel.

Yike, yikes, yikes! Zoe Saldana is fashion schizophrenia in her Givenchy gown. The top is actually kind of beautiful. Unfortunately, the red carpet isn’t shot from the waist up. The bottom looks like a cross between a purple poodle and a garden of hydrangeas.

Okay, seriously? Do I even need to go into a diatribe about the nipple covers on Charlize’s Dior gown?

And the Ridic:

I mean, this is all I’m going to say (quote), “If fashion was porn, this dress would be the money shot.” Um, thanks for the… err… visual, Gabourey.

All we really wanna know is where was Lindsay Lohan?  Now back to the beach.

xx,

WhyDid

While I wish I had written about this earlier in the summer (for all those summer soires and weddings), it’s better late than never.  Don’t you hate when you have a fancy event or black tie wedding to go to and have nothing to wear?  Rather than max out your credit card on a brand new gown for just one night, now you can simply wear a dress and return it.  No, we do not mean you go to Saks, buy a dress, wear it with the tags and return it.  That’s just tacky.

What I’m talking about is a store called Ilus which houses tons of dresses from designers like Marchesa, Nicole Miller, Badgely Mischka, and Marc Bouwer.  Not only do they have an amazing selection of cocktail dresses and evening gowns, they also have shoes, bags, and jewelry.  Basically, you can get fully outfitted in one stop.  Though this little gem is old news to some, I found a lot of women who were not aware of this clever little trick and figured it was time to spread the good word. 

You can stop into the store located at 248 Elizabeth Street, between Houston and Prince (646-454-1678) or browse through their collection on line (www.ilus-nyc.com).  Pick out a dress you love and then it is yours for the next three days (they offer longer rentals if you are going on vacation for an additional fee- so you don’t have to dread the clock striking midnight).  Don’t fret if you don’t live in NYC, they can mail the dress of your dreams to you as well. See, Cinderella, you will make it to the ball thanks to your fairy godmothers at Ilus.

xx,

WhyDid

I hate when critics are too kind to celebrities just because they like them. I get it, she’s America’s sweetheart- blah, blah, blah- but that’s no reason not to tell her her dress is ugly. That’s like not telling your best friend she has spinach in her teeth! Don’t worry, I promise to hold nothing back.

So let’s start off on a good note:

 I think we are all loving Ann Hathaway in this Azzaro dress. It’s classic yet contemporary at the same time. It looks great on her skin and she kept her accessories simple. My only complaint is her hair. I think in a beautiful goddess dress like this, a messy updo would have made the look complete. The neck is high and all that hair resting on the jeweled neckline makes me claustrophobic and takes away from the detail of the dress.

Ugly Betty? More like Ugly Dress.  Here is America Ferrera in Vera Wang.  This dress does nothing for me. As a matter of fact, I’m slipping into a coma as I look at it. No one should ever wear fleshy colored fabric like this. She just looks like a dirty band-aid. Not to mention her hair and makeup are on the verge of Elvira-ish. Next!

Ugh! I am SO sick of “Brangelina.” They do nothing for me.  I used to think that Angelina was so hot, but lately, I’m starting to wonder if she’s an alien. For a 34 year old young woman, she seems so much older. She no longer appears to have any sort of emotion, let alone any facial expressions.  I’m over them- and her muu-muu. 

I adore Christina Applegate and she’s had a hell of a year. I’m happy to see that women are still wearing color during this tough economic climate, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.  The color is really beautiful and it actually is a great color for Ms. Applegate, but there is just too much fabric. It is just not flattering on her. Not to mention, she is too short to pull off this much dress. On a brighter note, her hair looks great and her bag is divine… could have done without the necklace though. (She’s wearing Emanuel Ungaro, by the way).

Oh Emily… Why? Here is Emily Blunt in Pamella Roland.  It fits her like a glove, I’ll give her that, but I just feel like the whole sequin movement is so dated.  She looks like a Cher backup dancer. The color does nothing for her skin tone and it kind of looks like she gave up as far as hair and makeup goes after putting on that dress (which I’m sure was no small feat). I don’t think this is anything that Pam from The Office would wear. Just saying…

Evan Rachel Wood donned Monique Lhullier on the red carpet. A lot of people thought she played it safe in this and while the dress is quite simple, she didn’t have a lot of choice with that hair color. I think she chose wisely on the color of her dress, but I am horrified by the matching purple bag and purple shoes. Also, with such a strong hair color, I would have toned down the tranny makeup just a wee bit.

Typically, I am a HUGE Jenny Packham fan.  However, this is just a mango mess.  Eva Longoria is about 5′1 on a good day. This is so much dress for such a little person.  Honestly, the dress actually looks like a bad 1950’s prom dress. Then she topped it off with a true “updo.”  The dress is too fussy and the hair is too fussy.  Not to mention, this color on Eva only enhances her “enhanced” tan. 

Here is Slumdog Millionaire’s Freida Pinto in Marchesa. She looks absolutely stunning. It is the perfect color for her skin and her hair style flatters the style of the dress.  Good work, Freida. I’m sure this isn’t the last we’ll see of you.

My winner for the evening by far, was Kate Winslet. Wearing Narcisco Rodriguez, she looked breathtaking. The color is perfect for her and the dress fits her like her own skin. It hugged her curves in all the right places. She looks elegant and sophisticated.  She hasn’t looked this good since that sexy spread in Vanity Fair.

I’m just throwing this in for sheer entertainment purposes. Here’s Nicolette Sheridan in Roberto Cavalli.  I mean, I don’t think there’s much I have to say. The pose is genius. She looks like she’s auditioning for Splash 2.

My favorite part of Benjamin Button was Taraji P. Henson.  Here she is in Herve Leroux.  This is how white is supposed to be worn.  She looks absolutely flawless.  Simple and chic. I hardly recognized her not dressed as Benjamin Button counterpart. I can’t lie, I’m kind of obsessed with this dress.

And this is how white should not be worn.  I want to love Terri Hatcher because people give her such a hard time (plus I remember her as Lois on Lois and Clark) but she always manages to do something to ruin it. This Monique Lhullier contraption is simply a pile of fabric. Terri looks like a big ol’ cream puff. The dress is not flattering nor age appropriate (sorry, Terri… you are  in the cougar range). Oh, and her hair also somewhat resembles that of George Washington.

So there you have it. The good, the bad, and mostly the ugly.  Until next time…

xx,

WhyDid