Post #119: Worst Dressed at the SAG Awards

For as much as the red carpet at the Golden Globes continuously impressed me this year, the one for the Screen Actors Guild Awards made me grimace and cringe. Someone let Lea Michele and Mad Men's Teyonah Parris dress for the senior prom in shiny cheap-looking fabrics. Jane Lynch showed up in a David Meister gown that screamed bondage and Xena more than age-appropriate and flattering. Rose Byrne's flowy concoction made me think of grandma's curtains. And amidst all of the mess, a select few stood out. So, this time around I give you not the Top Five, but the Top Six worst dressed of the night.

6. Sofia Vergara: At the Golden Globes Miss Vergara was sequined and oh so va va voom. Last night's appearance in Donna Karan made me imagine Marilyn Monroe coming into contact with the two evil stepsisters from Cinderella before the ball.

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5. Julianna Margulies: Many a starlet tried for color-blocking in black and white...and this one was a swing and a miss. The skirt appeared heavy and sack-like and the waistline fails to flatter. And while I wish I could give her credit for pairing those shoes with this Chado Ralph Rucci gown, I wish she had made a more demure choice instead.

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4. January Jones: I can't quite tell what this dress is going for. Between the asymmetrical draping and the high (in the words of a friend: "lobster bib") collar, Miss Jones has missed the mark in this Prabal Gurung number. Can't she just go back to looking vintage Grace Kelly chic à la Mad Men?

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3. Anne Hathaway: Frumpy, frumpy, frumpy. So far Anne Hathaway is 0 for 2 with red carpet winners this season. On someone else, I might say that this Giambattista Valli gown is playful and fun. But for Anne's body type it is all wrong. First, the shoulders make her look broad, then it doesn't come in at the waist enough before tutu-ing out of control. And the sheerness of the front is more kitsch than class.  Can we please go back to her looks from last year?

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2. Morena Baccarin: This Basil Soda dress looks like it's been dragged around one too many times. Or as if it belonged to a mermaid who's been swimming in some pretty dirty water. While I love the bodice and how it flatters Baccarin's figure, the skirt (especially with the center slit) is all wrong.

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1. Julianne Moore: You would think that after Michelle Williams and Sienna Miller people would stop trying the flower dresses. Somehow, they always fail. And Julianne Moore's Chanel Couture dress lives up to this poor reputation. Perhaps it would not have been so bad had the tailored body conscious skirt (with full flowers) continued up to the bodice and ended as a strapless masterpiece. However, the shoulder straps and chest area seem roughly thrown together. Does anyone think this looks like it fits?

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Agree? Disagree? Let us know and COMMENT!

Post #118: Jennifer Lawrence at the Golden Globes

 

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Gorgeous from the front. Gorgeous from the back. But then there's the side view...

Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior Haute Couture. Discuss. 

Post #117: Golden Globes 2013 Worst Dressed

          It happens every year and it happened again. The mighty rose and the unfortunate fell. While I loved most of the wide plunging necklines on the runway, I hated the awkward just-above-the-ankle/not-quite-tea-length skirts that kept showing up. For some, like Anne Hathaway, I questioned whether they looked at how boxy dresses could affect a midriff. For others, like Rachel Weisz, only sheer beauty could combat a sheer polka dot-bottomed affair. Yet others (we'll get to you later, Jennifer Lawrence) still leave me struggling.

          But for now, The Mannequin presents the Red Carpet Bottom Five:

5. Kelly Osbourne: The girl can pull off purple hair (love it!), but unfortunately this alien gray/green Zac Posen gown missed the mark. The deconstructed feel made for an unflattered torso and a less than polished look. 

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4. Jessica Chastain: Seafoam waves could've made this red-head a gorgeously modern little mermaid...but her Calvin Klein gown just gave her a wrinkly and drooping chest.

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3. Giuliana Rancic: This black and nude lace Celia Kritharioti combo screamed antique funeral. I wish that Giuliana would skip the high black necklines for once, as they only serve to make this gorgeous woman look severe. 

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2. Emily Mortimer: To take a line from Sassy Gay Friend: What, what, WHAT are you doing? This space age silver turtle neck managed to be both unfortunate and frumpy. 

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1. Sienna Miller: The normally fashionable Ms. Miller apparently did not learn from last year's Michelle Williams Valentino daisy dress mistake. The two-piece Erdem ensemble was a huge floral DON'T. The top's construction gave the beautiful actress boxy shoulders and while the skirt hugged her curves, the stick-out flowers were more than a little arts and craftsy.

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Disagree? Agree wholeheartedly? Have an opinion? Comment!

Post #116: The Best of the Golden Globes

I'm more than pleased to say it, but this year it seemed like there were many more DOs than DON'Ts on the Golden Globe Red Carpet and stage. From our stunning hosts to ladies in red and stunners in black, I couldn't help but applaud actresses and stylists alike.
In honor of these fashionable ladies, I present you with The Mannequin's Golden Globes 2013 Top Five in their very own post:

5. Marion Cotillard: One of the great things about the Globes is that they give actresses some wiggle room to have a little fun. Cotillard took this cue and stood out by going short. It took me a few looks to get used to the asymmetrical draping of her Christian Dior by Raf Simons dress, but then I was sure that she just looked red hot.

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4. Tina Fey: While I wasn't the biggest fan of Tina Fey's awkwardly tea-length red carpet gown, I couldn't help but think she looked fabulous when she stepped out on the Golden Globe stage. The hair style and color were perfect. Her body looked amazing. And that blue dress was slinky fabulous. The only thing I can't find online? Who it's by! Not to mention a lack of pictures...

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3. Lucy Liu: Who knew that matte floral print could rock the red carpet boat so well? Another gown that took a few looks, Liu's blue Carolina Herrera number was silently stunning.

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2. Julianne Hough: Rock of Ages? Try Rock CHIC. Hough was a punk princess tonight in Monique Lhuillier. Harsher metallic pieces fell into dreamy layers of tulle in this white and gold gown. What made it even more special though were her accessories: a gold Ferragamo clutch, a very "natural" ear cuff, and a perfect updo.

 

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1. Kate Hudson: Hudson was simple and stunning in her black and gold Alexander McQueen dress. While I think it looked even better live, the picture speaks for itself.

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Have an opinion? Think someone else deserves to be on the list? Comment!

Post #115: Up in the Air

Burberry's all film noir, Guess is looking "innocent" for once, and Chanel's a darker Marie Antoinette...

And I'm one of those people who absolutely loves looking at the plethora of ads that starts off every magazine I pick up.  

That being said, upon beginning my front-to-back read of the December/January 2013 issue of Harper's Bazaar, I couldn't help but notice that more than one design house was hit with the "travel ad bug." Based on the seasonal urge to beat the winter blues, the general concept is unsurprising. But this blogger was pretty shocked to see two ads that were more than a little similar. 

Louis Vuitton's L'Invitation au Voyage campaign has dazzled me since I first saw it almost two months ago. The fashion film, starring Arizona Muse, was directed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin and unexpectedly set to a tune from 28 Days Later (who knew horror flicks could offer perfect fashion soundtracks?). The print ads use an image of Muse with her Louis Vuitton bag in a hot air balloon. 

After seeing Vuitton within the first few pages, I was shocked to flip a little further and find another hot air balloon. This one belonged to Carolina Herrera's CH ad campaign. While the differences between the ads include a couple and a purse-studded basket, I personally found the similarities a little too close for stand-out-potential comfort. 

From Louis Vuitton:

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From Carolina Herrera:

What do you think?