THE OSCARS 2014 RED CARPET

Oscars 2014

This years telecast was one of my favorites, mostly for the fact that I was able to see 7 out of the 9 Best Picture nominees. It made me more invested in this years awards ceremony, and there were some really incredible performances to highlight.  

In the tradition of keeping my blog fresh, the theme for this one is 'Age ain't nuthin but a number' and I have grouped each nominee in their respective age brackets. I will also be giving out Hair Awards to the ladies that nailed it with their coifs.  So lets get it started!

Totally Twenties

My best dressed in this category are Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Watson.  Jennifer wears red on the red carpet yet again and once again she gets it right.  She radiates strength with grace.  I love the swept back hair and the thoughtful jewelry.  This to me is her standout look this awards season.  Emma Watson has a nice balance of chic and edgy, just the right amount for the carpet.  There's a hint of shimmer to her gown and I really enjoyed how in certain lighting and on stage, the two tones blended together and became translucent. 

My runners up in this category are Gabourey Sidibe and Olivia Wilde.  I loved the punch of color and texture Gabourey decided to go with.  The neckline and belt are flattering, and the side swept hair down keeps it formal with a classic feel.  Olivia radiates with that glow many pregnant women get, and it is stunning on her.  The halter, the draping, she looks so gorgeous here.  She is also my first "Hair Award" winner, the hair color is gorgeous and from every angle that updo was perfection.  

Now I didn't completely dismiss these looks, but they are on at the bottom of this category.  Anna Kendrick's dress was interesting with its hemline, and I actually liked it more when I saw it in motion, but not in still photographs. I think part of having a winning ensemble for the red carpet is also how it looks in print, and for that reason it ends up here.  Margot Robbie stunned us at the Golden Globes and I'm hoping she went dark for a role, because she had one of the best blondes I had ever seen in the business today.  This dress is just drab and disappointing.  

Thriving Thirty-Somethings

I have four best dressed in this category, and my first two are Charlize Theron and Kate Hudson.  The floating straps on Charlize's dress are mesmerizing. The neckline, the fitting, and can we talk about the train with the see through action double hemline?  This is spectacular!  Kate Hudson echoes a bit of Gwyneth Paltrow and Lupita Nyong'o (see here) but adds a touch of art deco and metallic.  When she presented on stage sans jacket it was still stunning, and that luscious hair was total ta-dah. She also is a hair award winner.  

Rounding out the best dressed are Angelina Jolie and Lupita Nyong'o.  Angelina drips in 'Dynasty' design and I am loving it.  She kept the hair down and simple to avoid doing a total impersonation and kept it modern. I also like that Brad Pitt cleaned up this time out for the event.  Lupita keeps on her trend of high fashion and this color on her was exquisite.  The grecian element and Fred Leighton headband had me at hello.  

I really wish Amy Adams had gone with a dress more like what Kate Hudson wore, especially after seeing her in 'American Hustle' with all those plunging necklines and fantastic hair.  This look is a little stiff with the updo and the gown is very safe to the point of being boring.  Karen O rocks it in this divine dress.  I love the interesting proportion, the sleeves and the full fringe.  Tres chic!  Take note Amy Adams!

Jessica Biel gets washed away in a gown a bit too similar to her skin tone.  It's very plain jane and the hair looks unfinished.  Kerry Washington is normally a standout and has the carpet down to a science but this time out she showed up wrinkled, and not so polished.  The plum lipstick is very 90s and could have worked, but with a different hue dress.  By the time she presented on stage, her dress had been steamed, so I am glad someone noticed.  

At first glance, Anne Hathaway's dress is pleasant to look at , but when I saw her on stage, I fell in love with it.  Not to the point that it would it consider it one of my favorites, but that is only due to the fact that there were a good number of great dresses.  It photographs much more biker than the glitzy glam that it is. Kristen Bell goes neutral just as Jessica Biel.  I like the design, but the color is too nude.  Her hair is reminiscent of Mrs. Bates with the part in the middle, and the tight bun makes this a total miss.   

Filling out the worst dressed are Penelope Cruz and Sarah Paulson.  Penelope looks like she got lost on her way to a toga party, and its a bit too reminiscent of Jennifer Lawrence's Golden Globes Lawrencing trend.  Sarah goes tan and dowdy, it ages her, and the design has nowhere for the eye to travel.  The only redeeming quality is her rich colored hair and sleek style.  

Fierce Forties

 

Now this is what you will find if you look up the word 'Dame' in the dictionary.  These two women exude femininity and a lusty attitude that comes with the wisdom that age provides.  I am a huge fan of growing older with dignity, looking the best for your age, and not measuring ourselves to society's opinion of what youth or anyone our own age is supposed to look like.  I am often asked by clients at what age they should cut their hair short and I feel that it is not something that can be measured in a general sense.  I think anyone can wear their hair long as long as the hair isn't wearing them.  Sandra Bullock is a great example of that.  At 49 years old she is my ultimate best dressed of the night, and also a best hair winner.  The curves of this dress, the deep blue against her skin tone, the gathered fabric and train, she hits every note.  My other favorite is Jennifer Garner.  The silver is not lost against her brunette features.  It remains statuesque, but has the shimmy to not be too stiff.  It moved so beautifully, and every time the camera caught her during the show all I could see was her perfectly waved, face framing, hair.  Also a hair award winner.  

This is how you do a neutral or light colored gown without getting washed out. Naomi Watts goes simple but adds the excitement with her red lips, diamond necklace at the right proportion, and strappy black heels that do not upstage nor distract too much.  Cate Blanchett adds detail to her flesh toned dress and it makes all the difference.  It is so ethereal, so light, and airy, and very Glinda the Good witch in every great sense of comparison.  The only thing that bothered me about her look was the smoother side of her hair was a bit too stiff and overly hairsprayed, but that could've been due to inclement weather.  

Julia Roberts redeems herself by going more classic and a little more glam than her norm. While I could have done without the peplum,  I like the arm exposure and the lace covered cleavage.  Laura Dern is on trend with the neutral color, but warms it up with her hair color and the exposed uneven fabric keep it from being boring.  I also think she didn't want to upstage her father Bruce Dern, and that makes this a great choice.  

And this is NOT how you do the early 80's glam.  Julie Delpy and Sally Hawkins go glitzy a la Joan Collins, but they miss the mark on the sex appeal.  Both of these looks are matronly and not vavoom enough. Julie's dress is ok up top, but then the fabric gathers and becomes very bottom heavy, lacking movement and the flirty-ness the top promises.  Sally's petite frame is overwhelmed with too much embellishing, and the bangs in her eyes kept bothering me, she just seemed lost in her look.  

Two victims of overly heavy fabrics are Idina Menzel and Viola Davis.  Idina, or as she was introduced by John Travolta (see here), Adele Dazeem???  Idina is drowning in that stiff gown, the hair is straight but also thick and heavy, this whole look bothered me. Viola looks awkward in her choice, I think with trying to keep the cut unique, the designer didn't take into account her actual frame and this  gown just reads 'off the rack' to me.  On a happier note, she does receive a hair award for the gorgeous finger wave with volume.  

Jada Pinkett-Smith's peach choice is so wrong for her.  She has such an amazing figure, but the cut of this does her no justice.  I hate the color, it fights with her natural skin tone    The extra draping fabric has no rhyme or reason, and the cut of the gown makes her bust area look like a breastplate.  Portia De Rossi works the halter as well, but I am not feeling the cutout stars, flowers and seashells?  It's a bit too macramé for my taste, and with her wife hosting the ceremony, I don't think this is formal enough.  

Fashion over Fifty 

I truly believe that fashion is for everyone at any age, and I have many clients that prove that to me everyday.  Tonight I loved seeing less of the starlets, and more of the legendary stars to mix it up. In cinema, it is also nice to see more film offerings for older actresses especially for the fact that when you work on your craft, you have so much more range and depth to offer the world.  I hope that we see more of this in the years to come.  My best dressed in this category are June Squibb, and Meryl Streep.  I love the elegance of June's gown, the emerald color is perfection, the jacket detail provides a nice flattering form and the sparkle is just the right touch.  Meryl goes more glam channeling Miranda Priestley, and I was so ecstatic to see this on her!  So graceful, I love the swept back hair, the off the shoulder number, and I absolutely love that this looks like Meryl Streep.  She always dresses comfortably, and I think that can also be paired with chic styling.  

When you reach icon status it can be a delicate balance between pleasing your fans, and still staying on trend.  Bette Midler and Liza Minnelli managed to do that tonight.  Bette's signature hair is more understated these days, but she compensates for the missing red with her gowns print.  The only thing her look is missing is some bling on her neck.  Liza ditches her usual black sparkle for electric blue and I love it.  I don't normally name drop designers but because of her long friendship with Halston, I love the fact that she is wearing vintage yet it feels fresh and exciting.  He really knew how to dress her.  The pop of color at her fringe is so hot and I just have to know..  is it HairChalk by L'oreal Professionnel?

The look I'm undecided on is Goldie Hawn.  Again, it is her signature and she looks great, but I just can't help envisioning her in a long tousled wavy bob, and in a more colorful gown.  This is on the edge of nightgown for me, and the drooping cuffs throw it off base.

My worst dressed in this category are Alfre Woodard and Glenn Close.  Alfre's hair looks great, but she gets it wrong with the sandals.  I understand if you need comfortable footwear, but perhaps cover it with your gown, or go with a choice that appears just a bit more cohesive to the dress.  Then there's the busy bust area; I for one love cleavage, but it doesn't need more attention grabbing with floral details; it is eye catching enough on its own.  I think the flowers would be better suited to add some interest to the bottom portion of the gown in an asymmetrical fashion.  Glenn is so striking with her appearance, but her fashion choice does her no favors.  It is rigid and almost masculine, and it looks like it would be so hot temperature wise in it, it makes me uncomfortable just looking at it.  She is such the right muse to be showcased in something stunning.  

The Men

There were a few non-black suits on the red carpet tonight and as a man who is a huge fan of color, I found that very refreshing. Chris Hemsworth wore blue to the Globes and here he wears a violet maroon.  It's so great to see in general, and especially for a guy with his build, that he doesn't let himself be limited.  His tailoring is impressive and it just goes to show that even with big muscles, you can be dapper as well.  Joseph Gordon Levitt goes for a subtle shimmer to his suit, it adds texture but it also adds a bit of a throwback to the early days of Vegas, especially with the cut, but without being too kitschy. 

Leonardo DiCaprio and Zac Efron go classic with two-button suits and are just plain handsome.  It would be hard to make these guys look bad.  Leo goes classic slick with hair, and the bow tie, while Zac plays up the hair and skinny tie for a more contemporary spin.  

Bradley Cooper's suit is almost great, but something about the tailoring of the jacket is off.  The jacket looks a size too small, and his hair is a bit too messy, and spiky for my taste.  Matthew McConaughey has been such a hit on the red carpet but here he drops the ball.  I'm not a fan of the cream colored jacket at all.  It's 80's in a bad way and I wouldve traded this look for what he wore to Independent Spirit Awards the night before. (see here)

Jared Leto and Pharrell Williams are my worst dressed men of the night.  Jared also dons the white jacket, but his is more wait staff, especially with the red bow tie.  His hair looks great, I just need to know if his ombré is natural.  I really hope it is!  Pharrell makes a mockery of black tie with his shorts and he might be one of the worst dressed of all time for me.  I understand that you are an artist, and you want to remain interesting, but there's a way to get that point across in a more thoughtful manner.  When your girlfriend is wearing a hotter suit than you, it might be time to rethink your decision.  

This marks the end of Awards season, thank you all for reading!  Until next time!