Démodé

historical costume projects & resources

Annual Oscar Fashion Roundup!

Best dressed:  Sandra Bullock, hands down.  WOW.  That dress was elegant and beautiful and simple and luxurious and and and… mostly it was elegant.  Loved the hair.  We watched a couple different pre-shows and on one show her lipstick was red and looked fabulous, on another it looked more fuschia and less so.

The rest:

Sarah Jessica Parker — if I put my 1960s hat on, fabulous.  From a modern perspective, maybe not so much?  Beautiful fabric, beautiful trim, beautiful hair… but yes, it’s all VERY 1960s, and I think that will freak some people out.  Too much black eyemakeup — she already has small eyes, and I think it just makes them look smaller.

Penelope Cruz — beautiful color, eh on the cut/style of the dress.  I don’t love the lopsidedness of it all, plus I never feel like dresses should stick up and out above your bust (ie not fitted to the body) — just looks like a weird shelf of doom.

Maggie Gyllenhaal — meh.  Nice cut and fit, don’t love the loud print.

Helen Mirren — lovely.  She always looks gorgeous and age-appropriate, but in a dress that would look great on a 20-year-old.

Demi Moore — matching you dress to your skintone is not such a great idea.  It could have been very pretty if it (or she) were a different color!

Charlize Theron — always bores me, this time she hurt me.  I actually think that the dress would have been gorgeous if it hadn’t been gathered over her boobs and had instead been a solid, fitted band across the bust.  I loved the fabric, cut, fit, and how the lighter color merged into the train.  But the flower boobs — NYET.

Gabourey Sidibe — I love this woman.  She absolutely rocks, and I adore her for being plus sized and unashamed.  That being said, I think I would have loved her dress better if it either did not have the bling, OR was not gathered (ie smooth fabric with bling, or gathered fabric without bling).  But really, she can do no wrong in my book!

Cameron Diaz — looked great, and I can’t fault anything, except that she sort of blended in with everyone else.

Meryl Streep — we know, we know, you’re an intellectual and an ARTIST and above all this.  I really really really want to see her make an effort someday, because the woman is GORGEOUS.

Mo’Nique — beautiful color, didn’t like the wide bands on the shoulders.  I think narrower straps, or some kind of sleeve would have been more flattering.

Kate Winslet — gorgeous color, interesting cut, beautiful fit, lovely fabric… but it didn’t come together right.  I think I’m disappointed to see her in such a neutral color, esp. after last year’s gunmetal dress.  Get shiny, Kate!

Kristen Stewart — is hilarious.  The dress was actually perfect for her — beautiful, Oscar-worthy, but the black kept it sort of alterna/punk as she likes to project herself.  I would have preferred some earrings or a necklace.  But she NEEDS to stop slumping like a cranky 13 year old.  Nobody’s making you go into this business!  I know you’re far too cool for it all, but it just looks stupid!

JLo and Amanda Seyfried had beautiful, lovely dresses and would have been 1000% fabulous if they weren’t wearing dresses made of pork rinds.

Carey Mulligan — I had to think a bit before I decided whether I loved the beading on her dress (which in the end I gave the thumbs-up to), but I LOVED the dress once I saw the shorter hem length in front.  And it was all such a great contrast to her short hair!

Miley Cyrus — wasn’t there someone last year who wore a cheap Victoria’s Secret bustier without an actual dress bodice over it?  COME ON, PEOPLE.  At least be original in your fug!

Vera Farmiga — Beautiful color, but just too much.

Queen Latifah — gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.  Cut, color, fit, bling, fabric, everything.  I love her!

Zoe Saldana — art school gone wrong.  It was about 3 different dresses that did NOT go together, and none of them were any good on their own, anyway.

Anna Kendrick — pretty and age appropriate.

Mariah Carey – ugh.  I guess it’s not HORRIBLE, but I just can’t think of anything to say.  Maybe “meh”?

Diane Kruger — I can see where they were trying to go.  The colors and fabric were both interesting, but they needed to be combined in some different way.

2 thoughts on “Annual Oscar Fashion Roundup!

  1. Loved Carey Mulligan–I think it was my favorite, although I also loved The Queen–whoever styled her gets a super AAA+++. And while I loved the color of Helen Mirren’s gown, I thought the cut of the bodice made her chest look matronly and sort of saggy. Liked Cameron Diaz very much–best she’s ever looked, IMO. I thought Jeff Bridge’s wife looked fabulous–great dress, great earrings, and the face of a well-taken care of woman of a certain age without freaky surgery or Botox. And Miley Cyrus? How hard do you make a 17-year-old look like a skank? MIssion accomplished, if that was the goal.

  2. I think Nicole Richie and Rachel Adams was my favorites.

    What’s up with all the Toilet paper dresses? Demi, Diane Kruger and Anna Kendrik looked like they were dressed in TP!!! At least Penelope found some Christmas wrapping paper to dress in.

Leave a Reply to athene