Happy Couture Week!
I don’t know about you, my dears, but I saw a glimmer of hope at Dior, today…
Oh what a tangled (couture) web we weave...
Lots more to come…
Happy Couture Week!
Image: Vogue.com.
Get filtered fashion fed to you, daily. Subscribe to the exshoesme RSS feed by clicking on the orange icon.- Happy Couture Week! January 24, 2012
- Golden Globes 2012: Young and Old January 23, 2012
- Golden Globes 2012: In Excess January 21, 2012
- Burgundy Bag Babe January 20, 2012
- Golden Globes 2012: Hitting the Vino January 20, 2012
- Golden Globes 2012: Swimming in Blue and Green January 19, 2012
- Golden Globes 2012: Not So Excessive Accessories January 19, 2012
- Golden Globes 2012: Doing the Do January 19, 2012
- Déjà Vu: Golden Globes 2012 – Fashion’s Trickle Down Effect January 18, 2012
- Golden Globes 2012: Clear as Black and White January 17, 2012
- Golden Globes 2012: Best Dressed January 16, 2012
- In Reverse January 15, 2012
- People’s Choice Awards 2012: Almost and Most of All January 14, 2012
- People’s Choice Awards 2012: Rock Solid January 13, 2012
- People’s Choice Awards 2012: The Naked Dress January 13, 2012
- People’s Choice Awards 2012: Hot Pursuit January 12, 2012
- The View from Tom’s Eyes January 11, 2012
- Union Jacket January 10, 2012
- Happy Birthday, Mr. Bowie January 9, 2012
- Fashion Archives: Wrapped Around Your Finger January 8, 2012
Golden Globes 2012: Young and Old
First rule of red carpet dressing: don’t let the dress wear you.
Second? Be age and personality-appropriate when it comes to your evening attire (when a gazillion people are watching). There are those that are young at heart and those that are old souls – it isn’t about paying attention to the number of years you’ve been on the planet, but rather, at the image and personality you project.
Here are some visual examples of what worked and what didn’t, when it came to young and old on this year’s GG red carpet.
There were some ladies who aren’t quite part of the Museum ladies-who-lunch-and-fundraise set as yet, so I don’t think they need to dress that way for a few more years, at least.
Very old New York - why was Claire Danes in J. Mendel?
Part of the fundraising set vs. the fun-raising set: Jessica Chastain in Givenchy (there were better choices from that collection, no?).
Why be old Hollywood when you represent new Hollywood? Would have loved to see her in something edgy - Todd Lynn, Ann D, something Belgian or Japanese...
Pretty dress, but not for the under-40 set. I would have worn it with a cropped motorcycle jacket.
Ariel Winter looked adorable in this purple Dolce frock and Charlotte Olympia heels...
...but does a girl who is not allowed to have a cell phone yet (as she told one of the hosts on E! that night), really need a push-up bra? Stylists, tsk, tsk.
Just because fashion is available to all celebs, en masse, doesn’t mean that everything is made for everyone – especially when there are soooo many professional stylists involved!
To end on a positive note, here are a few ladies that got it right when it came to balancing what was appropriate for their age, body and personality – in each unique case, you see the woman, then the outfit…and you nod in agreement.
Owen, with his mom, Laura. Now she could have easily opted for the predictable American designer ballgown, but I love that she embraced her personality and did the A-line knee-length and showed off her groovy gams.
Evan Rachel Wood changed her peacock-coloured feather gown for the party circuit. The suit was a nice twist, I thought.
Evan Rachel Wood showed up at the HBO after party in this fab skinny suit.
However, I think my fave dress that night – and one that didn’t make it in time for my Best Dressed post – was Georgina Chapman in Marchesa.
Like a Roman, Egyptian and Greek goddess, wrapped in one gorgeous woman.
Her look at the Weinstein after-party was effortless – and flawless.
See all Golden Globes 2012 posts.
See all the Red Carpet category posts.
Images: Danes photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America; Chastain photo via The Australian; Jolie image via The Sydney Morning Herald; Woodley and Winter photos by Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America; Wilson photo via MSN Wonderwall; Wood and Chapman photos via Vogue.com.
Golden Globes 2012: In Excess
Repeat after me: don’t let the dress wear you.
These ladies are lovely and don’t need that much embellishment. Stylists, take note.
Ms. Macpherson is a big enough personality. She didn't need the larger than life hair.
...or the frou...and tulle...and yardage. Super-lost in the dress.
Does Charlize Theron really need to be nearly naked to get attention?
I know she's got a Dior contract, but did they have to use all the bows and frills in France to build her dress?
Look how stunning she looked in Alaïa, last week!
Lea Michele is in the spotlight right now and she can do so much with her fashion.
Instead, she's overexposed. There were many Marchesa choices that would have worked better than this one.
Nothing wrong with the ladies – just their fashion choices for this event.
See all Golden Globes 2012 posts.
See all the Red Carpet category posts.
Images: Michele photos by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America; Theron at Golden Globes photos via JustJared; Theron in Alaïa photo via Vogue.com; Macpherson head shot photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America; Macpherson full shot from AP via The Globe and Mail.
Burgundy Bag Babe
Guilty. Guilty as charged.
I like the wine.
And may I just take a moment to whine that everyone is wearing my fave colour these days?
Well, I suppose I can stock up for when they are bored with the burg, which of course, I shall clutch on to, forevermore.
Lu-uved this Rachael Ruddick embossed bag to tuck under my arm for a trip to l’opera…or the supermarket (La Grande Epicerie de Paris deserves a little respect, after all).
Burgundy is never boring, for this burgundy babe.
Big enough for all the essentials - including an easy access zip for refreshing your Tom Ford lips. Black Orchid, of course.
It won the key to my heart.
I have the lipstick, shoes, ensemble(s) to match. Natch.
Available at Selfridges.
Golden Globes 2012: Hitting the Vino
Along with swimming the sea of blue and green, many Hollywood-types were also basking in Bordeaux.
One could say the host hit the vino early in the evening, as one of the first arrivals on ze tapis rouge.
The host with the least to lose, Ricky Gervais, wearing Ted Baker.
My mom said Viola Davis looked as if she were made of bronze. Talk about toned!
Viola Davis in a vin-red Pucci gown.
You already know this was one of my faves that night. She’s been making some good choices lately.
Emma, in Lanvin.
Julianna went for a lighter vintage, but it didn’t have any less impact.
Julianna Margulies in Naeem Khan.
She has the fashion experience to back it up, too.
My favourite colour is all the rage, these days.
See all Golden Globes 2012 posts.
See all the Red Carpet category posts.
Images have been edited and modified by yours truly. Original source photos are as follows: Davis and first Margulies photos from Reuters via The Globe and Mail; Stone photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America; Gervais photo via ABC.com; second Margulies photo via JustJared.
Golden Globes 2012: Swimming in Blue and Green
The tapis rouge was a sea of green…
Like a genie in a bottle - in a bottle green Andrew Gn dress.
Like fashion bookends!
Loved the colour of this dress and the simple detail.
I've always loved this colour combination. Mr. Depp, we are not worthy.
It was a sea of blue, too…
Two style rebels, one after the other. Tilda in Haider.
I also love that the woman in the background of this shot is wearing the same shade of azure blue as Bérénice Bejo, in Gucci Première.
Ms. Pinto in Mrs. Prada's frock.
This teal stole the show coming...
...and going.
Regal, in indigo.
And it was a sea of blue-green, aussi…
The Deschanel sisters - Emily and Zooey - swimming in blue and green.
Kelly Macdonald wowing in blue-green Wu.
See all Golden Globes 2012 posts.
See all the Red Carpet category posts.
Images have been edited and modified by yours truly. Original source photos are as follows: Dern, Depp photos by Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America; Dern/Wood, Pinto photos by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America; McCarthy, Swinton, Bejo, Vergara, Mirren, Deschanel photos by Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America, Macdonald photo via MSN Wonderwall.
Golden Globes 2012: Not So Excessive Accessories
Fab fashion accessories were scarce at this year’s Golden Globes. Here are a few that caught my eye…
My fave accessory this year? The red lip! It’s about time. Think they’ve heard my complaints over the years?
There was only one or two head cases, this time around.
These baubles were my favourite – Julianne Moore’s Fred Leighton tassel earrings. By the way, this isn’t the first time she’s worn a black dress with green earrings to the Globes.
Well, okay, maybe there was another sparkle that caught my eye…it was Jessica Chastain’s diamond ring.
I also liked the ease of Eve’s layered bracelets.
You didn’t need an eagle eye to spot Emma Stone’s excessory.
The men had a few tricks up their sleeves, too. And they weren’t always cufflinks!
And the woman with the biggest closet of all, did the PR rounds with her PPR hubby – the best accessory?
See all Golden Globes 2012 posts.
See all the Red Carpet category posts.
Images have been edited and modified by yours truly. Original source photos are as follows: Theron, Stone, Chastain and Pinault/Hayek photos by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America; Jolie photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America; Moore photo via fabsugar; John/Furnish photo via MSN Wonderwall; Ewan/Eve photo via Reuters.
Golden Globes 2012: Doing the Do
Hairstyles come in waves.
Waves were the biggest thing on the red carpet at the Golden Globes this year.
Oh, and there was big hair, too.
Regardless of style, however, there was a common theme that clipped them all together – movement. Of course, with all the hair spray that was used that night, the hair didn’t move – but it looked like it could have.
Here’s a virtual walk through the salon. Get your own cappuccino and air kiss the person next to you, before beginning.
Sofia Vergara kept it sleek but not stiff - and that side sweep does the job of a necklace, with a strapless dress.
I didn't love Jessica Chastain's Givenchy dress, but I thought her hair was the perfect balance between done and natural.
It looked great from behind, also.
This is what I mean by acting your age. I loved that Zoeey Deschanel went for it, with a big 60s 'do and makeup. She didn't dress like a 50 year-old.
Hayek wore a Gucci disco-inspired dress and completed the look with Studio 54 hair. I'd love to try this big hair. And I have a gold dress...
Loved how Laura Dern's soft curls offset her bottle-shaped Andrew Gn dress.
Andrea Riseborough's Renaissance-y curls matched the historic references in her Westwood dress.
Old-world Hollywood couple, Diane Lane and Josh Brolin kept things classic.
Julie Bowen should have gotten the Golden Globe that night for best transformation. She looked lovely and feminine and the hair suited her so much, don't you think?
Dianna Agron's whole ensemble that night was simply, a work of art. She was one of my picks for best-dressed.
Ms. Winslet's soft locks seemed to belong to one of her many Victorian heroines.
The dress had far too much going on, but I loved Charlize's soft updo and diamond headband.
Sophisticated, without being austere, Ms. Mirren is chic in a chignon.
Rooney Mara stays true to her sleek pony. It shows off her cheekbones so perfectly, after all.
Then there are those, who march to the beat of their own drum - in another land, far, far away. Ms. Swinton, doing what only she knows how to do.
How does this man do it? He looks better and better each time I see him. The perfect scruff on his face and the perfect tousled strands atop his head...and the most perfect blue eyes...
See all Golden Globes 2012 posts.
Compare to Oscars hair: Oscars 2011: Hair Apparent.
See more Head Cases like Charlize.
See all the Red Carpet category posts.
Images have been edited and modified by yours truly. Original source photos are as follows: Vergara, Chastain, Brolin/Lane, Bowen, Agron, Mirren, Mara, Lowe photos by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America; Deschanel, Hayek, Riseborough, Theron, Swinton photos by Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America; Dern, Winslet photos by Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America.
Déjà Vu: Golden Globes 2012 – Fashion’s Trickle Down Effect
Remember that scene in The Devil Wears Prada where Miranda Priestly talks about the turquoise belt and the “pile of stuff”?
Well, it’s what I call fashion’s trickle down effect. There are so many shows and designers these days and immediate access to all of it, all the time means that the inspiration trickles down PDQ.
Let’s just say this year’s Golden Globes red carpet was one big déjà vu.
The hosts of the red carpet show on E! kicked things off. Giuliana Rancic wore two different gowns for the broadcast and while each looked lovely on her, they both had me doing a double-take.
Giuliana Rancic braved a zillion cameras despite her tough year.
Her first dress for the pre-show was by Monique Collignon. To me, it had echoes of Sarah Burton’s more intricate gown from Alexander McQueen SS11.
Do you see the inspiration from this in the dress above?
Rancic’s second dress was a nude number by Basil Soda.
Nude on nude embellishment, courtesy of Basil Soda.
For me, it recalled Rodarte.
See the trickle down effect?
The Soda dress was embellished with twisted, frayed zippers.
It's the same idea of movement from Rodarte FW06.
Rancic’s co-host, Kelly Osbourne had her own déjà moment. Her Zac Posen was ahem, borrowed from Roland Mouret. That Galaxy dress is a like a giant star that burst into thousands of tiny stars – traces of it are everywhere.
Osbourne contrasted her dyed grey hair with a royal blue Posen gown. Every second gown on this year's carpet seemed to be by Posen.
The out-of-this-world Galaxy dress by Mouret, from FW05.
Blue was the reigning colour this year (gee, I wonder how many of these stars share the same stylists?).
Sarah Michelle Gellar said her daughter chose this Monique L’huillier gown for her.
She seemed to get a little lost within it. I actually liked the print, just not all the other fuss.
My eyes only see Sølve Sundsbø within it.
Sølve Sundsbø photographed Edita Vikeviciute for Vogue China's SS11 Collections issue.
Edita in Yohji, with a trace of blue.
And lastly, we’ve seen Mila’s Dior gown before, haven’t we?
Mila didn't look happy in a single picture. Pour quoi, I wonder...
Nicole Kidman (who wore a ghastly Versace gladiator gown this year) made a spectacular choice at the Oscars in 2003 - midnight blue Gaultier.
We’ve seen a version of this Gaultier on another red carpet before this, too.
I am sure there were a few more, but these were the ones that screamed to me right away.
Yes, these are the random fashion bits that live in my head…
See all Golden Globes 2012 posts.
See Sundsbø’s full editorial for Vogue China.
Video via MovieClips.com; Images: All GG red carpet photos by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America; all runway shots and Kidman photo from Style.com; Sundsbø images from The Fashion Spot.
Golden Globes 2012: Clear as Black and White
Every man, woman and their dog knows that looking good on the red carpet is really as simple as black and white – and about being comfortable in your own skin.
Ms. Streep may end up on a few worst dressed lists, but I thought she looked elegant and so at ease, in this Western-inspired shirt-dress. This Iron Lady was all soft and glowy.
Ease should be Kate Winslet's middle name. She knows what looks good on her, and her personality always shines, regardless of the designer she dons.
Livia Firth wore an Armani gown, made from recycled plastic bottles, as part of her Green Carpet Challenge. I'm sure it's never a challenge to have her handsome hubby as an arm accessory. I'm guessing he's in Tom Ford?
Uggie, the dapper dog from The Artist, knows how to work a classic bow tie, too.
See all Golden Globes 2012 posts.
Images have been edited and modified by yours truly. Original source photos are as follows: Meryl Streep and Uggie via MSN Wonderwall; all other photos by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America.
Golden Globes 2012: Best Dressed
It’s been a loooong weekend, my dears, so just one Golden Globes post tonight, with lots more to follow in the coming days.
I give you my best dressed, each for very specific reasons, and in no particular order.
I loved Andrea Riseborough in Auntie Viv’s regal gown. Riseborough is English and she chose a dress fitting her personality (not to mention her nationality) – and it happened to also fit her frame ever so perfectly. It takes a certain kind of woman to pull off this dress and I think she did it with ease. She looked comfortable in something that would have worn others and her curls had me green with envy. The hair and lip colour also complemented the pale green of the gown, just so.
Andrea Riseborough in Vivienne Westwood. Madge is in Reem Acra, but didn't make my list.
Speaking of green with envy…
Could you not admire the style and the man all day? Accents are another matter.
I also applaud Dianna Agron for going for it, in Giles. I don’t watch Glee and didn’t know who she was, but this dress will have many take note. Again, it takes confidence to wear hand-cut swans on a red carpet, and she embraced the challenge with grace.
Tiered, laser-cut swans. Poetic and edgy.
I loved her hair and makeup, too. Take note of just how many women actually wore lip colour this year! Hurrah!
My top pick may just be Emma Stone in Lanvin. As with the People’s Choice Awards last week, she looks ultra-comfortable and I like that she keeps it interesting in terms of colour choices.
Two-toned Lanvin, accessorized with an eagle bejewelled belt.
Bordeaux was a popular colour choice this carpet and you already know how I feel about the colour.
Julianna Margulies in Naeem Khan also worked the vino.
Julianna so often gets it right, doesn’t she?
Many a mermaid made the scene, too. I loved the scaled, feathered Gucci number worn by Evan Rachel Wood. It was a little old Holly, a little goth and a little off-mainstream – just like the woman who wore it.
Evan Rachel Wood in Gucci Première.
Julianne Moore wore tiers of Chanel chiffon and I liked how her hair fell the same way as the hem of her dress.
Julianne Moore in Chanel.
Rooney Mara is really making a name for herself this style season. I think she’s made some really good choices and this Nina Ricci was no exception. While the dress on its own may not be the most spectacular piece you’ve ever seen, it suits her personality so very much, that you see it in a different light – her light.
Rooney Mara in Nina Ricci.
On Mara, the minimal makeup and no jewellery is preferred.
It’s like looking at a Sargent painting, isn’t it?
"I have heard the mermaids singing each to each." TS Eliot
Each red carpet, I look forward to what Helen Mirren will wear. She makes choices that work for her figure, her age and she always looks comfortable, while keeping it fresh. Here, she chose a shade of sapphire (the red carpet was all about blue this year) and accessorized with sparkle.
Helen Mirren in Badgley Mischka.
Eve Mavrakis accessorized her blue with gorgeous accessories, including her hubby Ewan McGregor.
Love Ewan's skinny suit and Eve's fringed lapel dress and jewels.
I’ll look at the details, trends and yes, a few misses in the next few posts.
Good golden night for now…
See all Golden Globes 2012 posts.
Images have been edited and modified by yours truly. Original source photos are as follows: Johnny Depp photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America; Emma Stone and Evan Rachel Wood photos by Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America; Juliana Margulies photo via The Sydney Morning Herald; Ewan and Eve photo via JustJared; horizontal Rooney Mara photo by AP via The Australian; all other photos by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America.
In Reverse
At the intersection of form and function, one must sometimes put it in reverse.
At Jil Sander FW12 Men's show, a leather suit gets cloaked by a wool overcoat...
...but it is possible to reverse your decision on the matter, too.
Images: WWD.
People’s Choice Awards 2012: Almost and Most of All
As far as red carpets go, the pickings at the People’s Choice Awards this year were slim. It was pretty easy to choose a best dressed.
With the homogenization of fashion these days, and the ubiquity of the celeb stylist role, everyone thinks they can wear just about everything and – everyone is.
While there is nothing wrong with pushing the envelope, I think one always has to dress for one’s personality – respect thyself – and not let the clothes wear you. Add to that, respect for the designer and style you are wearing. Then, of course, look at the occasion you are dressing for.
Below, are some almost-but-not-quites, that I noticed on the PCA red runway this year
Going back to rule number one and not letting the clothes wear you, I ask, do you see the dress or the woman, first?
Ginnifer Goodwin in Roksanda Ilincic.
I’m not sure whether it’s the pastel pink versus what should have been a jewel-tone pink or the shoe, or that I can’t seem to figure out Goodwin’s fash personality, but something’s a little off for me. I see the dress, dress, dress and oh, there’s a girl in there somewhere.
Also, didn’t Lanvin already do a variation of this dress? In a better colour and fabric?
I was also on the fringe about Lea Michele in a white, fringe-y Marchesa dress.
Lea Michele in Marchesa.
Now, the Marchesa ladies make dream-worthy dresses, don’t get me wrong. You just have to have a strong enough presence for this dress, so as not to get lost in the movement of it. Again, I see dress before girl. And those shoes are so distracting! Why would a dress this intricate need an embellished, platform sandal? Same for the hair – why is it falling all over the fringe? These are the details that matter, my dears.
I understand that she wanted to show us the back, but bringing the hair forward messes with the front view. And honestly, all I see are disco shoes!
Remember, these are not ordinary people walking down the street that I am commenting on. These are professionals, dressed by dozens of other professionals.
In other cases, there was an attempt at a look beyond one’s comfort zone – and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Vanessa Hudgens in Jenny Packham.
However, if you are going to go goth, go all the way, please! The hair should have been down, the jewellery should NOT HAVE BEEN GOLD and can we please, oh please, get rid of those terrible short-toe, clunky platform pumps? This dress is crying for the pointiest of pumps peeking out beneath, a metallic cuff or arm crawler, and for the love of all that is gothentic, it needed a darker lip (the colour of the carpet would have been perfection).
Also, Daphne Guinness does spider webs better.
Authenticity is something everyone talks about these days and no one really does.
I loved Zachary Levi’s Westwood suit, but not the faux-hawk he sported with it. If you are going to wear a suit by a woman partially responsible for the punk aesthetic, respect her enough to go full mohawk. What would have been even sexier is a buzz cut and McQueen boots – and undone cuffs on the shirt.
What? Like I said, details are important.
Zachary Levi in Vivienne Westwood.
Which brings me to my final almost – host Kaley Cuoco in one of her many outfits of the evening.
Kaley Cuoco in Catherine Deane.
The tiered and beaded chiffon number by Catherine Deane was her best look all evening – it fit her well, it moved beautifully, it had just the right amount of drama and detail. What went wrong here, were the accessories. This dress needed a pewter sandal with a heel that wouldn’t catch the dress and it needed a bit of sparkle – in the form of a gunmetal drop earring and that hair needed to be managed, pushed behind her shoulders.
The misses are discounted, but these almosts bother me most of all.
See all 2012 People’s Choice Awards posts.
Goodwin and Levi photos by Matt Sayles/AP; Michele front of dress photo and Hudgens photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America; Michele back of dress photo via JustJared; Cuoco photo via Huffington Post.
People’s Choice Awards 2012: Rock Solid
Proof that you don’t have to be twenty-something to sparkle on the red carpet…
As I always say re: the red carpet, if you're going to go, go for it!
I know many of you will say it’s too much, but I think Sharon Osbourne looked great. The dress moved really well when she went up to present and she’s got the personality to pull it off.
And – she didn’t allow the dress to wear her.
Sharon Osbourne with Jesse Tyler Ferguson presenting at the 2012 People's Choice Awards.
See all 2012 People’s Choice Awards posts.
Top photo by Jordan Strauss WireImage; bottom photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images North America.
People’s Choice Awards 2012: The Naked Dress
The Carrie Bradshaw “naked dress” makes a come back.
Julianne Hough, at the 2012 People's Choice Awards last night, looks all simple and shiny until...
As Big said to Carrie: "interesting dress".
The original dress on SJP as Carrie B.
See all 2012 People’s Choice Awards posts.
Julianne Hough photos by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images North America via CeleBuzz; SATC promo shot via HBO.