14 DAY TRIAL // Even before the Oscars 2011 wrapped up on Sunday night, thus marking the end of another awards season, fashion critics had already decided who rocked and who didn’t on the red carpet. Some of those considered worst dressed are also presented below so that you can form your own opinion.
For starters, one must note that these things, determining who was best and who was worst dressed, are hardly ever set in stone, unless someone really puts their foot in it, which is never the case with ceremonies of such a caliber as the Oscars.
In fact, they’re more a matter of taste and of what fashion critics tell us. They, in turn, take into consideration more things that just the appearance of a star on the red carpet, such as trends, whether the dress is appropriate for the moment, styling, and so on and so forth.
Starting from the top, we have Cate Blanchett, one of the few actresses considered able to do high fashion on the red carpet and actually be able to work it.
Blanchett chose a lilac Givenchy Couture gown with a heavy beaded top, a chiffon lower part and something that could be described as a “frame” on her chest.
The back came with a cutout on which straps intersected; these were covered in mustard yellow-colored beads which marked a sharp contrast with the rest of the outfit.
Critics were quick to blast Blanchett for her outfit, saying she’d tried to make a statement but ultimately failed because the dress was too odd and “boxy” to suit anyone, no matter how fashion-forward.
Of course, they are also those who believe Cate can basically get away with everything and who state that, though odd and clearly out of the ordinary, she still pulled it off – with some help from a good hairstyle, excellent makeup and her unmistakable confidence in herself.
What Mila Kunis wore is also considered by some a hit-and-miss, not because she looked that bad, but because she could have looked so much better. This is the same girl who wowed at the SAG Awards with her unconventional beauty and style.
With her Elie Saab lavender dress, she just looked washed out, which has prompted some to say she would have done better in a more startling color and less conventional cut.
The lace detailing on the gown and the hair did not help either, voices online are saying. While posing for pics, she also seemed to be quite uncomfortable about being there.
Marisa Tomei wore a navy blue 1950 Charles James couture dress from Lily et Cie for the red carpet and the Oscars, a vintage gown of which she said she had in her wardrobe just waiting for the perfect opportunity to take it out for a spin.
Perhaps she should have waited some more, fashion critics are saying: the asymmetrical tulle skirt was not very flattering, as neither was the bodice, which seemed as if was too large for her, like she’d just lost some weight overnight and did not have the time to get it re-adjusted.
One of the female stars guilty of trying too hard on the red carpet at the Oscars 2011 was definitely Sharon Stone, fashion gurus point out.
With a body to die for and the same fierce attitude as ever, Sharon could have worn whatever she wanted – sadly, she settled for an off-the-shoulder feathery Dior creation to which she added bouffant hair, lots of eyeliner and bright red lipstick.
Undeniably, Stone could teach all the other young stars a thing or two about posing on the red carpet and the proper attitude at such an event, but there was something about her Cruella de Vil look that simply didn’t click right with critics – or the event, for that matter.
Emma Stone and Lea Michelle are among those young stars who should take tips from Stone: one wore a “mullet dress” by Chanel, the other went for a “no bits left uncovered” creation by Roberto Cavalli.
Both failed to impress critics because, while they are pretty girls who could basically wear a rag and still look fabulous, what they were handed for the Oscars left them looking as if they were little girls who’d just come out of a bedroom full of women, where they were dressed and had makeup applied more or less against their will.
Helena Bonham Carter is up next, the woman who literally worked hard for the Best Dressed title, as she admits herself with trademark humor.
This year at the Oscars, though, Carter did not make the list because she was poorly dressed but rather because she compromised her kooky-ness for the awards, something she promised she never would.
Carter wore a Colleen Atwood creation with a velvet bodice that was nothing really out of the ordinary, which, so far, is her biggest fashion crime – as compared to what she wore at the Golden Globes.
Last but not least, Nicole Kidman in white Dior, the one dress that all fashion critics seem to passionately hate.
First of all, Nicole doesn’t really look that great in white because she’s of a pale complexion. Secondly, the boxy design (or “hip shield,” as some have called it) was too much for her slender frame, as was the heavy golden detailing in the front.
Thirdly, Nicole opted for red shoes on the red carpet, apparently with no connection whatsoever with the rest of her outfit.
