Lip trauma



Paz de la Huerta in Twenty Cluny and scary makeup

 Having the attention span of a gnat, I'm already bored with the whole SAG fashion thing and wasn't going to write any more about it.  Then I saw this picture of Paz de la Huerta and I had a flashback to days gone by when I spent hours doing my makeup just. so.  The whole routine included cover-up, foundation (always something expensive, it does work better), three shades of eye-shadow (medium shade on the lid, dark in the hollow, highlight on the brow), two shades of blush (dark in the hollow, bright on the apple of the cheek).  Gawd, I'm exhausted just thinking about it.  Then the look was finished off with lip liner and lipstick in various shades of maroon, oxblood, and brown.  Especially brown.  I thought I was the bomb.  Bomb victim, more like.

I do, however, really Paz' dress, but the matching lipstick should be saved for Halloween.

SAG Awards 2011 -- down-hearted, depressed and in a spin

Helena Bonham Carter in Marc Jacobs

Helena Bonham Carter looks bored and depressed in this picture.  I feel her pain.  The SAG Award red carpets are usually interesting, but usual is not always, and this was a complete snooze-fest.  Even the ugly was boring.  But hell, I'm going to post some pictures anyway.

Christina Hendricks in L'Wren Scott.  I give her props for wearing a bathrobe; comfort is a wonderful thing.

Diana Agron in Chanel.  She looks like she was playing dress-up in her grandmother's closet.  She and January Jones would probably get it right if after they picked dresses for an event, they swapped.  Except for this event, where they both got it wrong.

  

Jenna Fischer in Fendi.  She looks as depressed as HBC.

Natalie Portman in Azzaro.  The commentators were happy she was showing her bump.  I think she could have bumped better. 

Jane Lynch in Ali Rahmi.  Enough with the ball gowns.  The divine Ms. Lynch needs to be Swinton-ized.

Kara Mara in Herve Leger.  Oy.  And vey.

Melissa Leo in Randi Rham.  Tight, long and shiny looks cheap too.



January Jones in Chanel.  From burlesque queen to dowager duchess in a week.  I think I liked the fringed look better, at least she looked like she could sit down in it.



Drive-by post

Oh, I am sadly, sadly behind in my clothes comments, what with inaugurations, the Award Season's red carpet parades, the Paris couture shows and all that. I haven't been behind in my bookmarking, though, and I want, at least, to share two fun links with you. One is from zimbio, comparing what women wore on the red carpet to the runway looks, here. The photo of Laura Linney, wearing my favorite Golden Globe look, is a sample thereof. Oh, I do love me some goddess look and some yellow, and nothing's better than yellow goddess gown in my book. I'm so happy to see red carpet dresses trend away from the strapless mermaid and toward the goddess; anything that gets rid of strapless gowns and the often ill-fitting bodice is great in my book, even if it's done one shoulder at a time.

Oh, and I followed zimbio's link to redcarpetfashionawards.com. Eye candy for days, including a runway to red carpet review for the SAG awards. And speaking of sag, (unfortunate pun, but too obvious to ignore) good grief, Katie Holmes!

Maggie Gyllenhall in Lavin, Golden Globes, 2009

Vogue just posted a Style Note titled "Ladies, We've Got Your Backs: critics hated these red carpet looks, but we beg to differ." I agree with them about Tilda Swinton (black modern Lavin goddess); Nicole Kidman (in gold Dior goddess); Kirsten Dunst (blue Rochas that should have been mine, MINE, I TELL YOU!, and worn with a big jet choker); and Maggie Gyllenhall (printed Lavin proto-goddess). Good for Vogue for pointing out that the infamous swan dress was a joke, but, sorry, Cameron Diaz looked like a mess in that Ungaro kimono dress. Poor dress.

I kept searching the stage for heaters while I was watching the Inauguration because I couldn't believe that Michele Obama and Laura Bush, both of whom were wearing buttonless coats (albeit over suits) could look so comfortable in that freezing weather without a little outside help. I didn't see any, but maybe the crowd kept them warm. January inaugurations must have been easier on first ladies when hats, hose, slips and girdles were required, and fur trim at least an option.

Michele's gown was on trend, one-shouldered and white. I appreciate that she wore the work of a relatively unknown designer, Jason Wu, whose clothes I like. I'm assuming that gazillion-dollar outfits by the big names won't be among her wardrobe for a while.

And speaking of white, I'm not thrilled about all those actresses showing up on the red carpet dressed like brides. But that's a topic that will have to wait for another post.

The no-SAG Awards

The Screen Actor's Guild Awards show is one of the classier affairs, more serious award season affairs, so its red carpet features fewer B-listers in "what the HELL is she wearing?" mode. This year, I'm pleased to say, the older (well, Helen Mirren) and relatively larger ladies really appeared looking great, giving me, as an older and relatively larger lady, hope. From top to bottom at left that's Helen Mirren, Sara Ramirez, America Ferrera and Jennifer Hudson. The possible exception was Chandra Wilson, who wore a white satin dress that wrinkled like crazy. Satin is way better in concept than in practice fabric, imo.

Most of the actresses wore relatively safe dresses, and those that didn't wound up on the worst-dressed lists. I liked Ellen Pompeo's rather 70s retro gown, but the voters in E! Online's poll didn't. Mary-Louise Parker got well and truly fugged. Actually, I think her pleated dress is pretty, but it's too young for the 43-year-old Parker. She should have changed dresses with the 26-year-old Rinko Kikuchi, who wore a black Chanel dress with a train. Toot toot!

Svetlana Metkina and Vanessa Williams redeemed themselves after their Golden Globes mistakes. Let that be a lesson to you ladies: leave the bondage straps and fright wigs at home.

And Rachel McAdams, poor dear, gets the prize for How Not to Do a Retro look. Really, dear, 50s-style stilettos with a 60s-style shift? Just say no.