[pullquote1 quotes=”true” align=”center”]Academy Awards sees blend of gaudy, glamorous[/pullquote1]
Staff Writer
While this year’s Oscars may have been full of distasteful and cringeworthy jokes thanks to Seth MacFarlane, the majority of the fashions were anything but and kept fashion fans glued to their TV screens. Stars from all genres hit the red carpet on Feb. 24 looking fabulous, attempting to make one last grand showing as the awards season winds down. While there were countless hits, even the misses were quite interesting to look at.
Many women proved this wasn’t their first time at the red carpet rodeo and dazzled in long gowns. Charlize Theron, red carpet professional, looked flawless as per usual, adding herself to more and more “girl crush” lists. In a white Dior Couture gown, Theron had women everywhere envious of her pixie hair and her pristine dress. While peplums can be tough to pull off, she did it wonderfully, balancing the full hip with a fitted bodice, tasteful deep-V neckline, and a flowing train.
Jessica Chastain actually could’ve passed for a retro goddess in her champagne custom Armani gown, featuring an interesting, yet not distracting, web of beading across the entire dress. While champagne proves tricky for some pale ladies, Chastain chose a hue just dark enough to let her dress shine while allowing her skin and red locks to glow.
Naomi Watts looked forward-thinking in a futuristic, asymmetrical Armani gown. At first glance, it might appear too Jetson-y, but between the cutout above half of her chest and beautiful dark grey sequins, she was honestly just too fierce for old-school ABC — and her critics quickly shut up.
Although Kerry Washington generally doesn’t attract too much attention, her coral Miu Miu gown deserves a round of applause. With a Swarovski-embellished bodice, and featuring gold hues and a small bow at the waist, the dress was exciting but not overwhelming and offset her skin perfectly.
A sure sign of a ballsy dress is when critics, magazines, and fashion reports can’t decide if the wearer deserves to be on the best or worst-dressed list, and the following ladies certainly fall into that category.
While some critics and viewers thought Zoe Saldana’s Alexis Mabille gown had a bit too much going on, they couldn’t deny she still looked great. Featuring a ruffled hemline, applique bodice, belt, and bow, the barely off-white dress may have been too busy for certain taste levels. Had she removed the bow, Saldana probably would have been a shoo-in for best dressed.
Fans are torn on whether or not they approve of Jennifer Lawrence’s Dior Couture ballgown. On the one hand, she’s Jennifer Lawrence and can do no wrong. But on the other, more critical hand, she resembled a heap of light pink crepe paper left over from a young girl’s birthday party.
In a voluminous Oscar de la Renta gown, Amy Adams looked a little bit like a bird, piñata, and superstar all at once. The pale blue dress featured a stunning sweetheart bodice and a skirt and train that seemed to have endless ruffles.
The downright bad category of ladies on the red carpet was pretty small this time around, leaving poor Anne Hathaway pretty lonely. For all of her successes this year, Hathaway missed out on her last opportunity on the major red carpet for a while. There were just too many things wrong with her Prada gown. First, the material allowed for too much crinkle, too many wrinkles, and overall shininess. The back slit, while different, just didn’t work with the overall gown and the loose knot in the middle of her back. While the pale pink color was pretty, it couldn’t make up for her distorted bust, which was by far the most distracting, negative aspect of the star’s dress.
As the 2013 award show season comes to a close, the 2013 Oscars left fans and critics with plenty to think about and gawk over until next time.
Questions? Email Elizabeth at flast@fandm.edu.