That was by far the most entertaining Golden Globes in a while, am I right? I think we can thank these fine ladies for hitting it out of the park with their hosting job:
Well done, Tina and Amy! That applies to their sartorial selections, too. The colors and styles flatter each, although I could've done without the velvet strap on Tina's and I went back and forth on the way the sleeves attach to Amy's. It would've been cute to have them coordinate in some way, but they got that out of their system on the red carpet.
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And how did the rest of the attendees fare? I've organized them by color trend, so let's get started!
DOING A NEU(TRAL) THANG
Am I bored by Amy Adams wearing strapless mermaid gowns? Sure. And the color (or rather complete lack of color) on this one isn't do anything to make it more exciting. But the fit is impeccable and I love how delicate and feminine the lacy details are. I also think her hair and eye makeup are quite pretty. Still, this is essentially the exact shade of her skin, and there's just not a lot of visual interest here.
I think this mermaid gown on Hayden Panettiere works better than Amy's, although it isn't any more exciting. But at least the fishtail here doesn't feel like an afterthought, and the bodice has some nice detailing. I mostly included this because for once Hayden looks close to her actual age. Girl is only 23, and she is frequently dressed looking a decade older. All the styling here, particularly the hair and fresh makeup, are lending a youthful hand. Every time I look at her clutch, though, I think she's holding her iPhone in a giant pink Otterbox case.
I... have feelings about Kerry Washington here. There are elements I don't mind, but I kind of want to just start removing stuff to get it pared down to the dress I want it to be. First of all, I find the cream band at the collar distracting and odd. I'd love to get rid of that and just to have the deep V as the actual neckline. I'm not sure about the belt, either, but I can live with it. And finally, I really want that lining to go all the way, and for the whole thing to be floor length. I think that would solve some problems, because I like the idea of the dress just fine. Looks gorgeous with her skintone.
Oh T-Tami! I know, I know, she has a real name. But Connie Britton will only ever be the Mrs. Coach of my heart. BRB, marathoning Friday Night Lights for the thirtieth time. Anyway, it pains me to say anything other than effusive praise for her, but this dress is standard. Sparkly, which I love, and a great fit, which I appreciate, but standard. Her hair, however, is spectacular as ever.
Don't they paint a pretty picture? Emily Blunt looks pretty amazing in everything she wears, but I've been going back and forth on this gown. Really the only thing that I'm not sure about is the color. Having not seen her during the actual telecast, I can't get a read on the true color. In some shots, like this one, it looks to be beige, but in some other photos it looks much more golden. I don't want it to be the same shade as her skin, but I don't want it to clash with her natural undertones, either. The bright pink earrings were kind of a kicky touch. Do you guys have thoughts on Emily here?
Ugh. As I mentioned to Heather during our live-chat, I really wish Hollywood would stop trying to make Julianne Hough happen. Why is she at the Golden Globes anyway? Because she's Ryan Seacrest's "girlfriend?" (Yeah, those quotation marks are intentional.) Unless you're a big-time nominee or a mega-star, this is too much dress. That being said, on its own it IS kind of an awesome dress. I can see Pink or someone similar wearing it to the Grammys.
Amanda Seyfried was a "no" for me. I'm mostly okay with everything from the waist down, but the bodice is just weird. I'm sure that pin at the top is supposed to be ornamental, but it looks functional, like a pin to hold the pieces together that someone forgot to remove. I've talked about this before, but it is rare that blondes do well in shades that so closely mimic their skin and hair tones. Speaking of hair, hers is lovely but I don't think it is doing anything to add to the overall look.
Anne Hathaway looks gorgeous in white, and she wears it often. While not earth-shattering, I think this is very pretty. I confess that the first thing I thought is, "I wonder if she's pregnant." Because if a girl was about three months pregnant, the subtle flare on that top would be a great way to hide it. Of course, maybe she just wanted to be able to breathe and be comfortable, and if that is the case, then well done.
Look! My friends* Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard were there last night! Impending motherhood looks lovely on Kristen. The shoulders on that dress... not so much. The rest of it, I quite like. And I commend her for picking something that isn't standard maternity-esque. But can we please stop making dresses the color of dishwater? Veronica Mars deserves better than dishwater.
*I do not actually know them personally. But we would be friends, I am confident, if we ever met.
When Lea Michele was presenting on-stage, she looked alarmingly orange, but here on the red carpet the tan appears to be under control. This dress also feels like something we've seen before, but she still looks nice. She's petite enough to handle the high halter neckline, her hair looks great, and I love the emerald earrings. Also, she's not posing to save her life, so... progress!
***HANDSOME MAN PALATE CLEANSER***
Eddie Redmayne and his exceptional bone structure in a velvet tuxedo jacket.
LADIES IN RED
Initially, I was fully committed to approving the Claire Danes look here, but after some time considering it, I'm not so sure. The fit seems a little off, and while I like her hair down and loose, it looks a little unkempt in some of the pictures I saw. I also want to give her some bangles or some chunky bracelets or something. What say ye, readers? Fans of this look?
Love Jennifer Lawrence. Love the color of this dress. Love the metallic belt. Love the flare of the skirt. Hate those weird boob shelves with a fiery passion.
I want to give Zooey some credit because while this dress is in her wheelhouse, it isn't nearly as cutesy as we all know she can get. I hate her bangs parted like that, and would've loved to style this a little differently: sweep the bangs to the side, nice and sleek, swap the pearls for a more funky or interesting statement necklace, or maybe get a belt on that dress. As is, it is so similar to the pale blue strapless sweetheart gown she wore at the Emmys just a few months ago. And while it looks safe here, I saw some other shots where it was clear she was yanking that thing up all night to keep it from falling off. Still waiting for the day when she totally knocks it out of the park. I know you have it in you Zooey!
Mrs. Affleck! Loved how happy she was for her man and how grateful he was to her in his acceptance speech. I just got done streaming all five seasons of Alias, so I'm fully on board the Jennifer Garner train right now anyway, but even with that bias, I think this is one of her better red carpet looks. She is one that can get super-thin, but I think she looks amazing just like this. The dress isn't anything cutting edge, but it fits, and the texture and color are beautiful. Approved! Sidebar, I wanted so badly for Jennifer, Victor Garber, and Bradley Cooper to stage a mini Alias reunion last night! They could even have included Quentin Tarentino, who acted - yes, acted - in a couple episodes.
***HANDSOME MAN PALATE CLEANSER***
Benedict Cumberbatch being awesome in a three piece suit and whyyyy is Sherlock taking so long to come back?!?!
BACK IN BLACK
This is bad, right? Debra Messing has been wearing black dresses for a while now, but I don't remember her ever looking such a hot mess before. This gown is not only totally unflattering but it looks like it is falling apart at the bottom.
Total personal best for Emily Deschanel. Gorgeous, gorgeous dress. Love the jewelry. Flawless hair and makeup. Well done Bones! Well done!
Oh Eva. No, no. No. It's like every dress Lea Michele has ever worn and Angelina Jolie's leg from the Oscars had a baby at an overly sexy funeral.
I... don't know about this. The dress is very pretty and different from the types of things Julia Louis-Dreyfus usually chooses. But I'm just not sure how flattering it is on her specifically. She's petite, and even though this is hemmed to a proper length for her, it still feels like a whole lotta dress. I think without the belt (or faux belt) it would've been better; as is it is chopping right across the corset detailing of the bodice.
I think I was one of the few people who did not care for this dress on Julianne Moore. It made her look like a rectangle. I can't recall if it was better on stage/in motion, but in the still pictures I was so not a fan. The back was just totally bizarre, and almost seemed to be designed to look like it was falling off. Which... weird, right?
Kate Hudson looked slammin' in this Alexander McQueen. She's one that can pull off this type of dress without looking tacky, because even with her (alleged) enhancements, her chest is still small enough that we can somehow see her whole sternum and yet not see too much boob. I only wish she had pulled her hair up or at least back, because it was obscuring that statement-making bejeweled neckline.
I feel like if you looked up "trying too hard," Katherine McPhee here would be the attached picture. It's so exposed as to feel vulgar, and the fabric looks terribly cheap. And the shoes... clear straps do not a classy shoe make. She is a beautiful woman with a talented voice. Leave these tacky tricks to a Kardashian.
This is certainly a Nicole Kidman-esque dress, I'll say that much. Do I like it? Ehhh... It's odd, for sure, but it fits her like a glove and man alive, she is SO thin. Her waist! Fun fact, the embellishments around the collar are actually little gold bees. I just don't know if I can get on board with that exposed lace corset business. And I say this every time, but please, Nicole, would you consider being a redhead again?
I cannot even with these two. I was going to say, "Objectively speaking, I'm not sure I actually like Rachel Weisz's dress," but how objective can you be, really, when 007 and his real-life Bond Girl are staring you down? I could be like, "I wish that overlay was hemmed properly so it didn't puddle at your feet," and Rachel would be like, "Gee, thanks, I hadn't noticed. I was too busy looking hot and being MARRIED TO JAMES BOND." So, fine. You guys win. I'm going to go put a paper bag over my head now.
I think this dress that Zosia Mamet is wearing is awesome. You would expect a black gown with leather inserts to look a certain way, but the cut and style of the dress is quite sophisticated, not to mention it somehow looks comfortable. What I do not understand the complete lack of styling. No makeup, almost no jewelry, and hair in a tight bun. This dress is begging for some cleverly selected accessories and a smoky eye or a bold lip. Disappointing.
***HANDSOME MAN PALATE CLEANSER***
Ben Affleck winning awards and rocking a perfectly-trimmed beard.
PAINT WITH ALL THE COLORS OF THE WIND
Here are the facts. Halle Berry is amazingly, enviously gorgeous. Her face is ageless. Her body is sick. And she is 46 years old. I'm afraid she's on the Demi Moore train to crazy-ville, where this is going to become a thing, this unnecessary need to wear things that scream HEY EVERYONE REMEMBER I'M STILL TOTALLY HOT. This dress is a ticky-tacky mess, like a swimsuit and a sarong that got sewn together. She's beautiful and sexy just by existing on the same plane as the rest of us; an age-appropriate dress isn't going to change that at all.
You know, say what you will about J-Lo, but at least the underlay of her dress goes all the way to the floor, as opposed to pointlessly stopping mid-thigh. Other than that, though, I feel like this is what a figure skater would wear if they could compete in full-length gowns.
Jessica Chastain won the Golden Globe for Best Actress, and she's also winning my award for Least Flattering Dress Good Grief Did You Want to Look Like You Had Saggy Boobs and No Waist and Also That Hairstyle is Awful. She is such a beauty, but these red carpets tend to get the best of her. I've got my fingers crossed for the Oscars; last year she wore that gorgeous black and gold McQueen and just nailed it. Here's hoping for a repeat.
At first I had her grouped in with the black gowns, but upon further inspection it appears Julianne Margulies is actually wearing a really gorgeous deep navy. A lot is going on with this dress, perhaps too much, and I especially loathe that the underlay stops as a mini skirt, whereas the multiple lace layers continue as a a sheer full-length. That seems completely pointless, especially since all the lace and embellishments mostly obscure her legs anyway. Also, I find the giant "O" shape on her chest distracting. The more I look at it, the more of a mess it becomes. I'll give it a pass on cut and color, but everything else is too much.
Thandie Newton, what in the name of figure-skating, boob-splosion, turtleneck crazy weirdness are you wearing? Judging by your facial expression, you aren't sure yourself. Are your shoes pink? Tell us who did this to you! They can be stopped!
***HANDSOME MAN PALATE CLEANSER***
Paul Rudd, as darling now as he was seventeen years ago in Clueless. And now you feel old.
AMY'S BIG WINNERS
Forget the actual awards, what all these celebrities really want to know is did they make my best-dressed list. Congratulations to the following three ladies for being my Golden Globes fashion winners!
Naomi Watts read the weather forecast and was like, "Oh, it's supposed to be freezing* here in Los Angeles; I'll just wear full-length sleeves, be warm, and look AWESOME doing it." A lot of times people use the phrase, "Old Hollywood," but she legitimately looks like she could've stepped right out of history, and I mean that in the best way. There is a train that feels a little unnecessary, but everything else here is totally working. Such a gorgeous red, so perfectly fitted, lovely styling. APPROVED!
*It was in the 50s, so only really freezing to Californians.
Lady Mary in the house! Or the lovely Michelle Dockery, for those of you who don't watch Downton Abbey. But who am I kidding. Anyone who is friends enough with me to be reading this blog is definitely a Downton Abbey fan. This look won me over, head-to-toe. Flawless. This isn't my style of dress, but it is perfection on her. She looks so long and lean. Love all the gold details and that one little emerald pop from her ring. APPROVED!
Oh, it's about to get controversial up in here. Lucy Liu's enormous floral Carolina Herrera was hotly contested by fashionistas both for and against. I'm no fashionista, but I'm officially FOR. When I saw her outside on the red carpet, I just got a glimpse and I was hesitant. It looked like a whole lotta dress - and it was. But what pushed me over the edge was when I saw her walk out on stage to present. I'm pretty sure I made an audible gasp. The way it moved was so gorgeous, and the fishtail braid, which seemed incongruent before, totally clicked for me. And now? Now:
Alright folks, that's it! Whew! Thanks for sticking in until the bitter end. The Oscars are barreling down on us, so let's do this again in a month, shall we? As always, leave your own thoughts on this year's fashions in the comments!
