SAG Awards 2013

SAG AWARDS 2013 FASHION CRITIQUE

So, as a warning...I don't have a lot of good things to say about this collection of dresses.  I don't usually have all negative reviews in my fashion critiques but honesty is the best policy. They talk about a totally disappointing herd of dresses...  Here we go:

Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Dior Haute Couture

This was all around disappointing. First of all, she completely loses her phenomenal hourglass shape in this does-nothing-for-her-figure selection. The color is drab, the cut is nothing special OR memorable, she had that awkward dress malfunction in the middle of the night when the lower half started to fall down her legs, and it's made out of that damn annoying prom dress fabric!  Thick, shiny, bulky, stiff. This shade of blue is passive, and her complexion against it loses life.  Forgettable.

What the hell is this contraption?  Awkward colorblocking application.  Horrendous choice in shoes.  Weird jersey-knit top that does not match the skirt's theming.  It reminds me of some kind of cleaning activity.  The location where the waist hits is just off.  Confusing, and also forgettable.

Zac Posen

Another completely forgettable dress!  Seriously, did these actresses all pick their gowns with the idea in mind "its the SAG awards - we want to be taken seriously and not appreciated for good fashion whatsoever.  Better go with the mediocre at best pick."  Did they not want to be taken seriously for their fashion at this awards show or something?  There is SO much mediocrity on the red carpet this time around. Back to this dress....again, like her last dress at the Golden Globes: it does not fit well.  It needs to be tighter and she needs to stand up straight, with some presence. In order to pull off a drab color, you need to BRING IT.  You need bring WOW in some other way.  With her pale complexion, slumping (a chronic isssue with her), boring presence all-througout...the only saving grace here is the nice draping on the bottom half within the skirt.  Who is going to remember this dress in a year.  Nobody. Ps, look how much better it looks on the model:

Yea. And the necklace.  Really?  Who picked that final touch out?  Smh.

January Jones, Prabal Gurung

What in the pompadour mullet hell is going on with this look? The end product of this entire look from hair to gown was shit. This is actually kind of offensive.  Doesn't she just look like she's pissed off, or sulky?  Her agressive hair and overdone makeup is reminding me of cruella deville or the piss-attitude of Anna Wintor's character in The Devil Meets Prada.  January Jones is one of those actresses that constantly irritates me like Leah Michele.  She always seems so smug, or holier than though.  And again, the location where the waist hits and where the two color blocks meet is too high and awkward.  The hair in combination with this serious dress makes her look too hard.  As in hard-faced. 

 Oscar de la Renta

This was thankfully a bright spot in the sea of disappointment  but even this isn't THAT great.  She looks pretty.  The dress is glamorous and maybe it wasn't photographing as well as it appeared in real life, but the shade of gold seems to be falling flat.  I am happy to see her dressed up again though.  I saw just yesterday how she went out with wet hair, square glasses, baggy capri cut jeans, and a huge mens' cardigan.  

Anne Hathaway,  Giambattista Valli Haute Couture 

Frumpy.  The length is awkward which also happens to highlight/reveal the poor choice in those clunky shoes.  This bevy of actresses need some god damn spray tans!!!  Also, I am OVER the see-thru minidress/full length gown.  Short underneath with a sheer long layer over.  It never works.  The neckline above her breasts is lopsided; the whole thing is a let down.  She looks like a little girl dressed up.

Sophia Vargas in Donna Karen

Ugh this was terrible.  What the hell is going on with the neckline???  It's reminiscent of an arm sling.  The slit hits at such a makes-no-sense and not-flattering height.  The side strap falling down her arm is super annoying.  I want to chop both straps off and make this a strapless...like EVERY other gown she wears yet an improvement nonetheless.  Worst dressed nominee.  This is haphazard and sloppy.  Not a fan of the shiny fabric, either.  It's like a wedding dress mid-design, first-fitting and she went on a bathroom break.  Stiches all over, fabric hanging all over the damn place.  

I have no idea who this is, but imagine cutting that side hip thing off.  If that part was gone, this dress would be very pretty.  I just had to include this picture in there to add something somewhat pretty to the array of lame dresses.  I like the graceful shade of seafoam, the lace detail and the invisible neckline, as if the lace florals are climbing up her décolletage + the nude mesh.  Just chop that folded segment/partition off her hip, please.

Kerry Washington, Rodarte 

This is very similar to the white body cast that Anne Hathaway wore last week to the Golden Globes.  Rigid bodice, white gown...except this one is a little better.  I feel like the silver studding throughout the bodice does not go with the delicate lacework towards the bottom hemline of the gown...and was another...yes, awkward touch.  Random design of this dress, additionally.

Givenchy 

This is offensive, also.  She looks tired as hell.  This looks like a bad design out of the 90's.  A boring black long dress with a heinous flare added to it plus a batwing. The fit is lifeless.  The batwing is terrible.  And the kicker...LOL...that DAMN geometrical black and white print stripe along the slit is so ugly.  Her hair looks messy and that dark lipstick is.....UGH.  The orange eyeshadow, too!  I'm so disappointed by the herd of terrible dresses at this awards show!  This deserves an F bomb.  What the fuck happened with this fucking eyesore.

Leah Michelle in Valentino 

True to form.....Leah Michelle is annoying me again.  First of all: the hemline.  It might have been an added detail of this dress that was part of the design, but it photographed as if they took the dress up at the last minute and gave it a bad stitch job.  The skirt is also mis-shaped and billows out at the bottom in an unflattering way. It's a pepto bismo pink strapless prom dress and her bangs are unsightly.  Worst dressed nominee.  Not only is it nothing special, but it's a juxtaposition-ing her look in general.  Ugh.

Learn your style, Learn Yourself, Love Your Life

I was perusing the UK celebrity gossip website (my daily indulgence) the DailyMail, and came across this article about a recent Miranda Kerr spotting in New York.  They often report on her, and it's apparent from all the pictures that Ms. Kerr is one of those rare celebrities that has and practices a keen sense of style on the daily.  Every day, she looks polished, chic and very well put together.  I doubt her stylist (if she has one) styles her every day outfits, so I think it's safe to assume that these looks are all Miranda. Here's the picture from the article:

Then, as I was reading the comments (best part about DailyMail, by the way...) I came across this comment:

"Ok, that's enough!  I just can't believe this girl - almost every single outfit she wears is impeccable.  I would kill to own half of her wardrobe!  Some girls have it all! So unfair!" -MsKingsley, Southsea, United Kingdom 25/11/2012 12:28 

My very first thought after reading this was: "Wow...I guess I'm at an advantage.  I'm so glad I know that you don't need money to have style.  And a little Forever 21 does NOT hurt."

I don't know how and I don't know when, but... I am going to pursue and achieve the following.  After years of aimless wandering within my career, I've finally found the direction I should be traveling in (fashion) and I've finally composed one of my top career goals.  Somehow, someway - I will not only make America's women well dressed - but I want to teach them on a broad scale - the knack for dressing themselves with style.  I want this to be known amongst American women in a manner that will be as widely accepted and exercised as driving a car. I want to teach women how to understand their bodies - good fashion coming as a side effect of that. The comparison to learning and knowing how to drive a car I believe is surprisingly fitting.  A woman could go her whole life without knowing how to drive, and gets by just fine.  Not the most convenient at times, but no harm done to her whatsoever, not knowing how to drive.  However, having a drivers license and being able to drive a car provides many more opportunities and general benefits over not having a car.  Similar to looking good.  You don't have to - but it damn well helps matters, and I think it should be just as commonplace as women driving cars in 2013.  It's an untapped skill.

I think with a lot of women, style and dressing well is an "all or nothing" kind of thing.  They think that either you have it, or you don't - and if you don't, that's just fine because it's too high maintenance, anyways... and besides, poorly dressed women are so common here in the US, this leads women towards justifying putting next to zero effort in and always looking sloppy.  When you are surrounded by mediocrity and can easily blend in to the blase, frumpy canvas that is the majority of the American fashion arena, the easy action is to jump aboard the cattle heard and follow along.

Clothing, fashion, style, my wardrobe - is my thing, and I guess people have come to know me for it.  If I'm going to go out and be seen, I have a certain fashion reputation to uphold!  However...I have a confession. Half of my clothes come from forever 21.  HALF.  You would never guess, because I will style an outfit that looks near identical to what Miranda Kerr is wearing in that picture, for drastically less money than most women assume it takes to achieve that kind of look.

I recently went wild in the children's section of target.  Yes, the kids section - and I scored numerous pieces reminiscent of J Brand, Theory, Burberry (yes, Burb), and L Wren Scott.  I'll even prove it to you.  I bought this girls' cream lace crop sweater, perfect for layering and fits exactly like all of my other "Womens'" cardigans I've bought in the past:

Cherokee Girls Sweater, $16.99

This one below, available at Barneys by L Wren Scott for $1695 gives the same ambiance and style of what I had in mind when I purchased the Target brand.  I even like mine better, because the lace is in the front instead of the back!  Here's the seventeen hundred dollar one:

Of course I realize that there are certain benefits of going with the L Wren Scott purchase...better fabric, craftsmanship, life of the piece...but lets face it.  Some people will never be able to afford this caliber of clothing.  Most of us aren't included in the target market which these clothes are geared towards.  Does that mean we can't look just as good?  Nope....

And here, this coat:

$59.99, Merona Wool Coat with shawl.  Sixty bucks...compared to these:

Max Mara Gatti Coat, $2,719

Tahari, Mink Brown Wool Blend Oversize Collar "Janine" Coat, $595

Here's the most important part of this piece:

It's one thing to find one piece that you adore, scouring the web/racks until you find a cheaper version of something that brings the same effect, but it's an entirely different thing - developing the skill of recognizing a piece at random, on your own, in a setting that doesn't automatically arouse your fashion radar.  THIS, my friends - is the trick.  Once you develop this skill, your ball is rolling.  You are now becoming fluent in fashion.  For this, you need to develop "the eye".  The eye is about a true understanding of your body and your style.  I believe that a lot of badly dressed women are so because they never discovered what their personal style is.  So, the next time you do stumble upon something unexpectedly instead of passing it by without a second thought, almost missing a gem - snatch that sucker up, ignoring your freinds' snickers, because after they see how you wear it they'll be asking "Hey, where'd you get that jacket from again? It's growing on me...it's way cuter on than in the store!"

I fully believe that having an understanding of your body and knowing your personal style can secure an understanding of who you are, what you want out of life and who you want to be. It sounds a little exaggerated, but it's has more value and is more relevant than you might think. You look good, feel put together - this will extend into other parts of your life and for me, keeps me in tune with myself. It's not about just shopping - it's about becoming and embracing your style - beyond your clothes - and this builds confidence.  

It bugs me when I hear people say "the cheap clothes never fit right.  And they fall apart after one wash!"  This my friends, is an EXCUSE!  When girls quip that they "cant deal" with Forever 21 and that "their clothes don't fit my body type", my eyes begin to roll themselves.  The women who say that are usually the women who don't know what they're doing with fashion.  Yea, I said it. Its all about knowing your body type, working with lengths, layering, balance and a developing "know how".

We all have aspects of our body that don't work with certain styles, cuts, trends, ect. Forget that - forget the rules of fashion.  When people say that, I believe it's 1. A sign of not knowing one's personal style, and 2.  It's an excuse for not being willing learn how to dress yourself properly 3. A girl pulling her nose up at lesser quality clothing brands, stating that her impossibly unique body type can only be dressed by X super expensive fancy designer.  It doesn't take money to have style.

Have you ever heard the expression "She would look fabulous in a brown potato sack".  It doesn't just refer to women with the perfect figure - it's often said about women who always look fantastic - no matter what they're wearing.  There are very few things that are just completely, impossibly atrocious with zero hope or potential of ever being styled to look halfway good.  It's great practice to take the boring pieces you have, and pair them in ways you typically wouldn't.  You'd be surprised how the inspiration and "on a roll" you will feel after just a little while of doing this.  It's fun!  And, the benefits are highly worth it :-)

Here's some more examples of Target childrens' section scores!

These Mossimo jeggings, on sale for 4.99:

And then there's these...

Jbrand Maria Leggings, $189

And lastly, this and this - fun for the holidays!

Cherokee Girls at Target , $16.99

Cherokee Girls at Target , $16.99

Compared to these...

 L Wren Scott, $2,470

Jones New York, $89

Happy hunting!  Ps, WalMart is NOT the same as Target.

xo,

Viva

Golden Globes 2013 Fashion Critique

Amanda Siefred, Givenchy

Maybe it's her posture, maybe its the dress....but for some reason this one isn't doing it for me.  I think the neckline and sleeves are cut in an unflattering way. It looks frumpy, and it makes her look pale. You want at least a hint of color if you're going to go with white.  Perhaps if it was a better fit on the upper portion of her body, and she was standing up straighter it would give a better overall picture...but this looks as if she borrowed her big sister's dress at the last minute.  And, the all there hair is drowning the whole look. And she looks short in it!  3 out of 10.

Hayden Panettiere, Roberto Cavalli 

This one is a better version of what Amanda Siefred's should have been.  At the same time, it's not the most memorable dress, either.  Additionally, the choice of clutch seems random and almost clashes with  the ballet pink shade of the dress - the almost fuchsia "pop" of the clutch.  I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10.

Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Dior Haute Couture 

A lot of critics had negative feedback about the way this dress fit Jennifer's upper body, but I really liked the pointy, almost "Madonna-esque" look of this dress (you have to see it from the side). It gave it an editorial and avant-garde look, evocative of something straight off the runway at fashion week.  Had it not been for the enthusiastic bust, this would otherwise be another strapless prom type gown that wouldn't have batted an eye.  However, I'm not a fan of the thick, rigid fabric it's made out of, and in most of the red carpet photos it looks like a coral-orange.  However, later in the night when I saw the dress in different settings, it was apparent that the dress is actually red, which I really really liked.  I think it's slimming on her, and the golden, chrome belt was a satiating touch.  8.5 out of 10.  I just love her, by the way.

Julianne Hough, Monique Lhuillier

This might have been my favorite look of the night.  I love the white and gold sparkle, the cut of this dress and her almost "rock star" hair, which gave a scruffy edge to an otherwise princessy dress.  This is also probably her personal best red carpet look to date.  Impressed!  9 out of 10.

Anne Hathaway in Chanel

Everyone raved and raved about this.  I think its a disappointment.  I hate it when an actress is on fire within her career, and all the fashion people just feed off that fire and kiss her ass, always giving rave reviews over mediocre at best ensembles.  They do that with Angelina Jolie chronically!   The bodice looks weird.  It's not tight enough.  It looks like its falling down, and makes her shape look boyish. Maybe its just that this damn hair she has right now is going to ruin any red carpet look.  Either way, this was not worth anything more than a 3.5 out of 10.

JLo in Zuhair Murad 

My absolute favorite of the night.  J Lo has been pretty reliable lately in the fashion forward best dressed arena.  I just love the nude look of this dress, yet also the regal feel it gives from the lacework.  It covers up, but hugs her body so well that it's quite sexy.  She got the hair perfect, and her neutral makeup compliments the overall look quite well.  This is chic by definition. This is a dress that can look great on any type of person, too - from voluptuous, bootylicious J Low to twiggy Nicole Richie - due to the neutral tones and simple cut. As long as it's fit snug and fills all the right places properly, it's a winner.  So young, but elegant and sophisticated at the same time.  I hope someone makes a good copycat of this - cause I want one! 10/10.

Jessica Alba in Oscar de la Renta

This is the definition of mediocre.  Readers who are familiar with my blog might know that I'm not a fan of this thick, shiny, bulky prom dress fabric.  It ruins every dress it's made with. They do upholstering with this shit!  A dress made with this can be cut and tailored perfectly without any flaw, yet here comes this fabric along with its debbie downer attitude.  It has a cheap look to it that they haven't found a way to modernize.  Always one solid color, some gathering at the side...blah blah blah.  And the orange color isn't paying her any favors, either. NEXT 3/10

Jennifer Garner, Vivienne Westwood

It's great to see her dressed up!  Every picture they print of her is always featuring really drab soccer mom outfits.  I get that she's a mom of three and fashion isn't really a priority right now, but the stuff she wears nowadays is beyond drab - jeans 3 sizes too big, ugly ass hats, really non feminine glasses...no excuse.  You can still be comfortable without being unattractive.  It's bad.  This is a fantastic change of pace for her and definitely brings back the "body" she was known for back before she had the babies.  I loved the sparkly, jewel red and she's posing well with it too.  In fact, I think this is the first time her body has made an apparence dressed up in at least three years. 8 out of 10.

Kate Hudson, Alexander McQueen

I loved this dress.  Epitome of fierce.  My first thought was "this needs a more dramatic, pulled back hairdo", but after looking at it the tumbling, cascading blonde locks don't really put me off that much.  If she had more/longer hair, it might have been a disaster, but her hair is not too agressive for this well, agressive, dress.  I loved it, and would be honored to sport this gown any day.  9 out of 10!

Leah Michele in Marchesa

Ugh.  I don't know why, but everything she does annoys me.  If she's annoying me in Marchesa, I'm apt to say that it's me, not her.  There is never, ever any look she pulls of in a fantastic way.  Everything she wears looks slightly wrong for some reason.  It seems that she's struggling to find her style, and this dress follows that habit.  I can't put my finger on what would have made it better - hair up? No...different shoes?  Better, but no...
In any case, I'm not feeling it.  Maybe I'm just not feeling her.  5 out of 10.

Megan Fox, Dolce and Gabanna

Out of the many nude lace dresses running up and down the red carpet, this was my favorite.  However, there's something about the way she carries it that bothers me.  She always seems so smug with that pouty look on her face and the tattoos. Also, while the dress is gorgeous, it doesn't seem to fit her persona well. She's in this precious, darling dress with that irritable, "bad girl" look on her face. Lighten up, man.  You just had a baby. Smile, or wear black to go with your "vixen" thing. Whatever.... 8 out of 10.

Taylor Swift in Donna Karan Atelier 

This is a fresh breath of air for Taylor Swift. It's nice to see her in something not so sugary for a change.  She doesn't often wear dark, jewel tones on the red carpet - and this was a welcomed variation from her normal look.  I think a tad more makeup - eye makeup - (and a slight tan) would have suited this look better, to complete the rich, deep ambiance that she's radiating.  However, this look is SO far from what she normally goes for that one can't help but think "Oh, she's trying so hard to radiate the "revenge" look here in response to yet another failed 1 month tryst with that British boy band guy", which makes her look kind of desperate.  In any case, A for effort!