Sunday, February 22, 2009

Melissa's Annual Oscar Fashion Review

Yes, I know you've all been waiting for this. Why listen to cranky Joan Rivers when you can have a completely subjective review by someone with no professional knowledge of the fashion industry. This year's big trend was: white, white, and more white. Even the winner of "Melissa's Best Dressed" joined the ranks of the white gowns:
A Big Congrats to Marissa Tomei in Versace. She may not have taken a statue home, but she was certainly dressed like she was ready to. I adore the structured layers of this gown. I really wish I could have seen the red carpet show to see how this dress moved. I bet it was mesmerizing!

Others joined Marissa in the ranks of the running of the brides:Jessica Biel - I think this one was a mistake. The front draping is really unflattering.Penelope Cruz - yikes, you knew you were probably going to win and you wore something that looks like two vintage bridal dresses thrown together. The lace, the frothy tulle in Disney's Belle ruching...definitely one of my lest favorite this year.Miley Cyrus - my initial reaction to this gown is I like it. Once you start analyzing the petals, she has some sort of under-the-sea theme going on (her belt has two shells on it), but I'm going to stick with my gut reaction and say I liked this look.Melissa George - no hesitation here. I don't like it. Morticia Adams in white whith corset strings that really need to be snipped shorter.Taraji Henson - I applaud any of the white dresses that stood out in my mind on Oscar night, and this is one of them. The layering of the fabric is gorgeous and sets off her skin tone beautifully.Nancy O'Dell - again, not too bad. If I was going to wear white to the Oscars, I'd want to look like a Greek Goddess, which Nancy O'Dell is pulling off here.Sarah Jessica Parker - another winner. I don't know how a woman her age can look good in net and tulle, but she just does. The fitted top flatters, and she's definitely channeling her Sex In the City days.Evan Rachel Wood - her hair is the only saving grace that allows her to wear this gown. I just don't think the gown should fade into the background because it exactly matches your skin tone. Beautiful gown, just not the one for Evan Rachel Wood.

To those who resisted the urge to fall in with the crowd and be an Oscar Bride this year, kudos go out to!Kate Winslet, My Best Dressed Runner Up in Atelier Yves St. Laurent. I don't know why, but I love this one. She looks very elegant.
Angelina Jolie - well, no big surprise that she wore black since it's her signature color, but it was a welcome change from the rest of the crowd.Viola Davis looks gorgeous in this gold dress, and definitely stands out in the crowd. The pleats are beautiful.Brownie points to Alicia Keys for wearing a flattering color, though she's channeling Beyonce a bit with that thigh-slit.Frieda Pinto - you know, I would have loved to see her wearing something by an Indian designer instead of John Galliano. That being said, it is a very flattering dress, and I actually really like the one transparent sleeve. The bottom of the dress has that same tulle effect that I liked so much on Sarah Jessica Parker.Amy Adams. There were a handful of red dresses on the runway this year, but none of them seemed noteworthy except for perhaps Amy Adams' dress. I LOVE the Fred Leighton necklace that she's wearing, but I'm not sure about the black pipe detailing on the dress. The draping in the front with chiffon is gorgeous. This one is a hit and miss with me. Natalie Portman - I love the dress shape, draping, and fabric, but I don't think bubblegum pink is her color. C+ for effort and not falling in with the all white dress crowd.Melissa Leo is my Runner up for Worst Dressed in Badgley Mischka. I don't know who to blame - the designer or the stylist. The color is horrible for her, and the torso of the gown is WAY too long to be flattering. This dress could have been a perfect gown, but instead it makes her look older and dowdy.This year's Worst Dressed goes out to Mary Hart. Her picture doesn't say who she's wearing, but it looks like a very badly wrinkled Monet gone all wrong.

Did I leave out anyone you feel is worthy of a mention? I couldn't fit everyone in here, so I went for the ones that jumped out at me. I'd be happy to discuss some more in the comments.

A little side note: I filled out my Oscar Ballot on Saturday. This year I got 18 correct out of 24 categories (about the same as last year). I decided that Mikey Rourke was probably going to win Best Actor, even though I though Sean Penn deserved it. Just shows, I shoulda stuck with my gut feeling. I thought 'Presto" was a shoe in for the animated short film (I mean, when was the last time Pixar didn't win this category??). I also missed Best Foreign - I think Waltz with Bashir got snubbed because it was animated. The others I missed were categories I frequently get wrong: live action short film, sound editing, and sound mixing.

1 comment:

Costume Diva said...

My apologies to Natalie Portman - it has been agreed that she was wearing lilac, which is a much nicer color than bubblegum pink, so she's one of this year's best dressed.

Jennifer Anniston, Tina Fey, and Anne Hathaway joined the 'dressed-in-silver/white' gang, but all pulled it off beautifully.