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Red Carpet Recap: The 66th Annual Emmy Awards

By |August 26th, 2014|Celebrity Style, Red Carpet Recap, Why Did You Wear That?|

And the Emmy Goes To…:

best dressed emmys january jones kiernan shipkaJanuary Jones in Prabal Gurung, Kiernan Shipka in Antonio Berardi, Halle Berry in Elie Saab

It’s a wonder I was even able to complete this post as I spent the majority of last night’s 66th Annual Emmy Awards in the waiting room at CityMD where I tried to convince them that it was imperative to change the channel from NY1 to the Emmy’s so that I could complete my work.  No dice, but fortunately I’d planned ahead by recording the show before stepping out.  Don’t worry guys, after being poked and prodded and nearly regurgitating on a tongue depressor, turns out it’s just a sore throat.

Instead of sipping on champagne, I gargled with salt water and settled in to catch up on what I’d missed.  Clearly, what I’d missed was almost every single show that’s currently on television.  I’ve been so busy watching re-runs of The Golden Girls, that I wasn’t even aware that shows like Masters of Sex or Treme existed.  But let’s be serious, it’s an honor just to be nominated and sure it’s exciting to win (full list of winners here), I’m only here for the fashion.

Fairly early into the red carpet arrivals, there was a theme brewing.  If you weren’t wearing red, you were wearing white.  From Julia Louis Drefus’s simple and well tailored Carolina Herrera to Claire Danes’ intricately detailed Givenchy, there was no chance of blending into the carpet in these crimson creations.  White may very well be one of the hardest colors to wear, let alone be photographed in.  However, last night’s presenters and nominees were picture perfect in their picks, namely Laverne Cox in Marc Bouwer and Anna Chlumsky in Zac Posen.

The rest of the carpet was a veritable rainbow with Kerry Washington in an orange Prada, Samira Wiley in a curry colored Christian Siriano, Keke Palmer in cobalt Rubin Singer, and Zoey Deschanel in an Oscar de la Renta bright pop of pink.  Hayden Panetierre proved that pregnant women most certainly can wear sequins in her Lorena Sarbu and others played with color and patterns as made apparent by Louise Roe’s Monique Lhuillier and Julie Bowen’s Peter Som.

My winners included January Jones in a beautifully constructed red Prabal Gurung gown (though her hair could have used some help), budding fashion favorite, Kiernan Shipka in a steely grey Antonio Berardi, and Halle Berry whose Elie Saab was a color that was clearly made for her- seriously, it’s like Jay-Z blue. Does it have a Pantone number?  Those who didn’t fair so well?  Katherine Heigl is no stranger to the worst dressed list and last night was no different as she showed up wearing something that actually looked like something I’ve seen on The Golden Girls.  Lena Dunham, bless her, wore a cupcake confection that left her looking more silly than chic.  I applaud her new hair, however.  When Sarah Paulson arrived on the red carpet, I must admit at first I was intrigued, but I have the feeling her gown was the type that is beautiful in person, but does not translate to TV.  Somebody’s stylist needs get a Polaroid camera.

While not everyone was fashion award worthy, if this red carpet is any indication of what’s to come this award season, I’m looking forward to tuning in.  I may even start watching shows from this decade.

Orange Crush:

emmys red carpet best dressedSarah Hyland in Christian Siriano, Natalie Dormer in J. Mendel, Kerry Washington in Prada

Cloaked in Coral:

octavia spencer heidi klum mindy kaling emmysMindy Kaling in Kenzo, Heidi Klum in Zac Posen, Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

Well Red… and Red… and, well, Red:

uzo aduba giuliana rancic christina hendricks emmysUzo Aduba, Giuliana Rancic, Christina Hendricks in Marchesa

minnie driver julia louis dreyfus claire danes emmysMinnie Driver in Marchesa, Julia Louis Dreyfus in Carolina Herrera, Claire Danes in Givenchy

Shocking Pink:

66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - ArrivalsKaley Cuoco in Monique Lhuillier, Zoey Deschanel in Oscar de la Renta, Allison Janney in Nicholas Jebran

All White, All White, All White:

kate mara anna chlumsky emmys red carpetKate Mara in J. Mendel, Anna Chlumsky in Zac Posen, Padma Laksmi in Ralph Rucci

66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - ArrivalsKristen Wiig in Vera Wang, Laverne Cox in Marc Bouwer, Sofia Vergara in Roberto Cavalli

66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - ArrivalsJoanne Froggatt in J. Mendel, Julianne Hough in DSquared, Michelle Monaghan in Giambattista Valli

Shine On:

66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - ArrivalsAmy Poehler in Theia, Hayden Panetierre in Lorena Sarbu, Gwen Stefani in Versace

emmys red carpetAlexandra Daddario in Reem Acra, Taylor Schilling in Zuhair Murad, Taryn Manning

Mauve-lous:

66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - ArrivalsLouise Roe in Monique Lhuillier, Cat Deeley in Burberry, Amanda Peet in Giambattista Valli

Citrus Sirens:

lucy liu kate walsh emmysSamira Wiley in Christian Siriano, Lucy Liu in Zac Posen, Kate Walsh in Stephane Rolland

Going Green:

laura prepon sarah silverman emmysLaura Prepon, Sarah Silverman in Marni, Allison Tolman in Romona Keveza

 Shades of Blue:

emmys red carpetMayim Bialik in Oliver Tolentino, Keke Palmer in Rubin Singer, Edie Falco in Escada

emmys red carpetNatasha Leone in custom Opening Ceremony, Julia Roberts in Elie Saab, Rose Leslie

The New Black:

66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards - ArrivalsLena Headey, Lizzy Caplan in Donna Karan Atelier, Debra Messing in Angel Sanchez

Watercolor Wonders:

taissa famiga julie bowen emmy red carpetTaissa Farmiga in Honor, Betsy Brandt in Alice + Olivia Julie Bowen in Peter Som

Pattern Play:

emmys 2014 red carpetTeyonah Parris in Christian Siriano, Michelle Dockering in Rosie Assoulin, Ariel Winter in Black Halo Eve

Two’s Better Than One:

aaron paul lauren parsekian jon hamm camila alves emmys Jon Hamm in Tom Ford and Jennifer Westfeldt in Marchesa, Camila Alves in Zuhair Murad and Matthew McConaughey in bespoke Dolce & Gabbana, Lauren Parsekian in Sarbu and Aaron Paul

Better Luck Next Year:

emmys red carpet worst dressedKatherine Heigl in vintage John Hayles, Lena Dunham in Giambattista Valli, Sarah Paulson in Armani Privé

 

Kate Walsh in Stephane Rolland

 

Red Carpet Recap: MTV BMA’s

By |August 25th, 2014|Celebrity Style, Why Did You Wear That?|

mtv vmas miley cyrus jesse beyonce blue ivyLast night marked MTV’s 31st Annual Video Music Awards and also the fact that I’m way too old to be watching it.  My friends and I kept exchanging puzzled looks as one unrecognizable (to us) tween took to the red carpet after the next.  I had never been so excited to see Gwen Stefani or Jennifer Lopez as I was last night.  Phew!  Somebody we knew.  It became quite clear as to why E! has cornered the market on red carpet pre-shows.  As I quickly found myself on the brink of a melodramatic meltdown, I yelled at my TV,   “Sway, WHO ARE THEY WEARING?”  After having cooled my rage with a glass of prosecco, the actual show began.

Within seconds of the opening act, I was concerned that Nicki Minaj had somehow pirated the entire event as there was much more booty on stage than on any ship.  She became this year’s Miley while pirouetting her posterior to her current single, “Anaconda”, which left me hoping Sir Mix A Lot was somewhere wiping his own rear with all the royalty money he received from that song.  She then joined Jessie J. who forgot her pants and Ariana Grande who appears to have a perma hairstyle for their song, “Bang Bang” complete with wardrobe malfunction.  She later joined Usher for his song, aptly named, “She Came To Give It To You.”

Right around the time I’d given up on humanity and started Googling how to obtain an Australian work visa, Miley Cyrus shocked audiences again. This time, however, it had nothing to do with flagrant twerking or her wayward tongue. When she won the VMA for Video of the Year, instead of accepting the award herself, her handsome mystery date took the stage.  He identified himself as “Jesse” and proceeded to deliver a touching speech revealing that he, himself, had grown up homeless which was hard to imagine as he looked like far less homeless than the boys of Five Seconds to Summer in his well tailored suit.  He encouraged viewers to learn more about My Friend’s Place and to get involved by visiting and donating on Miley’s site.

But (with a capital “B”)  Queen B., herself, Beyonce, was not about to be outdone.  Bey performed for a solid fifteen minutes in a stunning jewel encrusted leotard before accepting the Video Vanguard Award from her husband, Jay-Z and the absolutely adorable Blue Ivy.  If all those divorce rumors do have any merit, she should have picked up an Oscar as well.

The other big “B” for last night had to be for Balmain as Jordan Dunn, Chanel Iman, Joan Smalls, and Kim Kardashian all wore the label.  Pro-tip: Do not show up to an awards show wearing the same thing as a supermodel.  While Katy Perry and her date, Riff Raff, gave a nostalgic nod to Britney and Justin, everyone’s favorite good girl wore a romper so short, she could have been a Minaj backup dancer.  Black was a red carpet favorite, but all renditions from sheer paneling to leather pants felt fresh and innovative rather than basic and boring.  Red, pink, and blue were the other colors that were most prevalent, mainly in jewel shades.  While everyone looked “nice,” I didn’t feel floored by anyone in particular… except for Amber Rose, that is.

Ban-Do:

miley cyrus jourdan dunn mtv vmaJourdan Dunn in Balmain, Miley Cyrus in Alexandre Vauthier

Anything but Basic Black:

kendall kylie jenner red carpet chanel imanKendall Jenner in Alon Livne, Kylie Jenner in Alexandre Vauthier, Chanel Iman in Balmain

Power Couples:

ireland baldwin adam levine mtv vmaIreland Baldwin in Roberto Cavalli and Angel Haze in Helmut Lang, Adam Levine Behati Prinsloo

Sister, Sister:

beyonce vma red carpetBeyonce in Nicolas Jebran, Solange Knowles in H&M Studio

Fulfill Your Destiny:

mtv vma red carpetKelly Rowland in Kaufman Franco, Michelle Williams

Soft and Subtle:

mtv vma red carpetKesha in Johanna Johnson, Jessie J in vintage Halston

Silver Lining:

iggy azalea jennifer lopez red carpet vmaIggy Azalea in Versace, Jennifer Lopez in Charbel Zoe

Animal Instinct:

2014 MTV Video Music Awards - Arrivals Nicki Minaj, Charli XCX in Moschino

Red Alert:

mtv vmas rita ora demi lovato red carpetRita Orain Donna Karan Atelier, Demi Lovato in Lanvin

Double Trouble:

kim kardashian joan smalls mtv vmasKim Kardashian West in Balmain, Joan Smalls in Balmain

Pink Ladies:

gwen stefani chloe moretz mtv vmaGwen Stefani in L.A.M.B. Couture, Chloe Moretz in Louis Vuitton

Cobalt Queens:

sarah hyland julianne hough mtv vmasSarah Hyland in Kaufman Franco, Julianne Hough in Emilio Pucci

Singing the Blues:

katy perry riff raff taylor swift mtv vma red carpetKaty Perry and Riff Raff in custom Versace, Taylor Swift in Mary Katrantzou

 You’ve Got Chainmail:wiz khalifa amber rose mtv vma

Wiz Khalifa, Amber Rose in Laura Dewitt

 xx,

WhyDid

 

 

Friday Frocks: Chemise-try 101

By |August 8th, 2014|Friday Frocks, Why Did You Wear That?|

lingerie clothesline bridal showerI remember slumber parties.  I don’t remember pillow fights in my panties though.  I think that cliché is some sort of sleazy scenario concocted by pervy males, when in reality, most slumber parties I attended involved Cosmo quizzes, Dr. Pepper, and pizza.  I guess nearly nude party games do sound a bit saucier.  At our age, most of the sleepovers we now attend are a bit more exclusive- like party of two and maybe a lucky dog at the foot of the bed.  While we probably should keep playing games of truth or dare until we die, we don’t necessarily need to continue donning oversized t-shirts and Soffe shorts of platonic slumber parties of years past.  One way to ensure the fire doesn’t dwindle after hours is to dress for bed like you’re dressing for your first date.  Not literally, of course, because you wouldn’t necessarily wear something see through to dinner at Le Cirque and a bodycon dress for bed might be too binding- but maybe you’re into that.  Swap your boxers for something silky, skip the pillow fights, and get right to the pillow talk.

eberjey lingerie chemise sleepwear1. Fleur of England Esme Babydoll Contour Slip, 2.Calvin Klein Underwear Infinite Lace and Stretch Jersey Chemise, 3. In Bloom by Jonquil Exclusive Lace Chemise, 4. Stella McCartney Minnie Sipping Lace Trimmed Stretch Silk Satin Chemise, 5. Natori Boudoir Tank Chemise, 6. Eberjey Golden Girl Chemise, 7. Rosamosario Floral Print Silk Chiffon Chemise, 8. Eberjey Amaya Chemise, 9. Honeydew Intimates Emma Elegance Chemise, 10 .Oscar de la Renta Elegant Touch Satin Chemise

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

Setting the Mood: Love Me Tender or Not So Much.

By |February 10th, 2014|Setting the Mood|

valentines dayThe only day in February with more unnecessary hype surrounding it than the first day of Fashion Week is Valentine’s Day.  While I’m love’s greatest champion even after all my crashing, burning, and broken hearts, Valentine’s Day gives me a little bit of anxiety.  Not really for myself so much as the rest of the general population.  My blackened heart basically makes me immune to the inevitable disappointment of people everywhere who dreamt up a day so romantic it would make Cinderella sick.  Without fail, plans fall apart, hearts get shattered, and mascara finds its way down tear stained cheeks.

Don’t believe me?  Check out a few of my Valentine’s Day massacres:

One year it was spent eating an entire box of red velvet cupcakes and crying with my gay best friend.  Did I mention the cupcakes had been meant for his date who canceled an hour before?

I once went through a breakup while seated next to my boyfriend turned ex boyfriend on an airplane on the way home from Los Angeles.  That was an awfully long flight.

And last year I really exceeded all of my bad decision making capabilities with a late night margarita fueled rendezvous.  That lead to an entire year of what some might consider an all around bad decision.  I’d actually like to thank the fine folks previously employed at Mole for having served us more tequila shots than there are days in February.

But it’s not all bad.  People have gotten engaged, met at single’s mixers, and lived out The Bachelor worthy dates.  So, let’s go with that.  While I’ll probably padlock myself indoors and surrender my iPhone to my doorman for the evening so as to avoid my apparent February 14th curse, you kids go out and have fun.

 

sexy valentine gift

 

Agent Provocateur Soiree Liu Liu Lace Bra and BriefsHotel Costes Red Eau de Toilette, Oscar de la Renta Gold Plated Crystal Rose EarringsNicholas Kirkwood Lace Mesh Pumps

 

xx,

WhyDid