Post #8: So This Is The New Year

           So this is the New Year…and what better way to ring it in than with one of the biggest televised parties of the year: the Golden Globes. And while this is only the first of many awards shows to be filled with fashion bests and worsts this year, it’s a good one to note.

            Each awards show tends to have its own style reputation. You have the MTV VMAs with shorter, sexier, and sometimes daring outfits. You have the Oscars with their classic Hollywood glamour (definitely the most decadent and formal of all red carpet moments). And then you have the Golden Globes: a mix of class and risk.

            For the attendees, the Globes have dinner and booze and therefore take on one of the “biggest” party atmospheres in this category of events. And while we may have no need to wear gowns in Hamilton, New York, we can still admire those celebrity style icons who we turn to again and again. So, without further ado I present The Mannequin’s Golden Globes Best and Worst Dressed List:

The Best:

5. Catherine Zeta-Jones: This forest-green Monique Lhuillier gown added structure and a little daring to the red carpet. While the dress wasn’t flattering at every angle, Ms. Jones still looked exquisite and classy: a goal that every celeb should have while putting their best foot forward on the red carpet. 

(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1347827/Golden-Globes-2011-Catherine-Zeta-Joness-pride-Michael-Douglas-beats-cancer.html)

4. Eva Longoria: While some critics judged Longoria for her somber color choice, I happen to love this mature yet sexy approach to fashion. Her all-black Zac Posen dress with a daring neckline (and back) and form-fitting flair hit just the right amount of elegance and style for the Golden Globes. 

(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1347803/Golden-Globes-2011-Eva-Longoria-Christina-Aguilera-Scarlett-Johansson-best-fashion.html)

3. Megan Fox: Her Armani Privé gown with a multi-shade bandage top (complete with a single shimmery shoulder strap) and simply flowing fabric on bottom made for one classy Fox. She struck a perfect note with the delicate color while still keeping her reputation for sexiness with the gown’s form-fitting nature and mile-high slit. Aside from her fashionable competition, the only thing keeping her from being #1 on this list is the plain lack of finish on the bottom of the gown. 

(http://theskinnywebsite.com/site/2011/01/skinny-megan-fox-at-the-2011-golden-globes/)

2. Dianna Agron: Channeling Grace Kelly…Dianna Agron looked beautiful and classic with a look that was finessed from head to toe. Her curled hair, red lipstick, and simple yet elegant J. Mendel gown made her the epitome of classic Hollywood style. The pleated gown’s neutral color is completely on trend for this spring and her Cathy Waterman necklace adds just the right amount of sparkle to keep the look from being boring. This is one starlet who didn’t get washed out by this shade of nude. 

(http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/goldenglobes/photos/0,,20454828_20458137_20899445,00.html)

1. Olivia Wilde: Ball-gown for the win! Olivia Wilde’s chocolate brown Marchesa gown and simple hair made her an elegant princess all grown up. The jewels on her gown, which went from full concentration in the gown’s fitted bodice to increasing degrees of scarcity as the body of the gown’s fabric increased, made her the shining star of the night. While she could have run the risk of looking like she was going to junior prom, the rich color of the gown and the styling that went along with it made her both The Mannequin’s #1 as well as just about every other “Best Dressed” list’s top choice. 

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/16/olivia-wilde-golden-globes-2011_n_809757.html)

The Worst:

5. Leighton Meester: Her Burberry Prorsum gown was called an Amish prom dress on E! and unfortunately, I think I have to agree with that diss at the oatmeal-colored gown. Look youthful while you’re still young. 

(http://www.redcarpet-fashionawards.com/2011/01/17/leighton-meester-in-burberry-prorsum-2011-golden-globe-awards/)

4. Scarlett Johansson: What’s with the dowdiness this season? While neutrals can work well on some dresses, the long sleeves and grandma-like texture of ScarJo’s Elie Saab gown makes her look washed out and does not complement her figure at all. 

(http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/goldenglobes/photos/0,,20454828_20458137_20899480,00.html)

3. J. Lo: While she made some best dressed lists, her Zuhair Murad dress would’ve done better without the sheer outer shell on top. I’m always one for pure white done right, and her gown could have been sexily understated, instead of dowdy, without the extra bejeweled fabric on top. 

(http://socialitelife.com/jennifer-lopez-2011-golden-globes-01-2011)

2. Tina Fey: Fey’s navy velvet L’Wren Scott dress aged her well beyond her years. The sleeves were reminiscent of Natalie Portman’s on-stage transformation into the “Black Swan” in Darren Aronofsky’s latest critically acclaimed film. As for the rest of the dress, since when is velvet ever in? 

(http://www.stylebistro.com/Best+and+Worst+Dressed+at+the+2011+Golden+Globes/articles/V-0MM1D1KVo/Tina+Fey)

1. Michelle Williams: Most people and stylists agree: Boxy. Unflattering. Ugly. Washed Out Nude. Flower Power. Just “ew.” And to think…it’s Valentino. 

(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/16/michelle-williams-golden-globes-2011_n_809785.html)

And Then There’s Helena Bonham Carter:

While Bonham Carter seems to be dominating all of the worst dressed lists, let’s just admit it: this woman can wear whatever the hell she wants and get away with it because she’s Helena Bonham Carter. Her different colored shoes, cacophonous shin-length Vivienne Westwood dress, wild hair, and red-carpet sunglasses made for one objectively ugly and ragged look. But she’s Helena Bonham Carter, and we’ll love her even more for stunts like this. 

(http://www.goldenglobes.org/blog/2011/01/helena-bonham-carter-rules-the-red-carpet/)