I hope you’ve had your Sunday afternoon coffee, because we’ve got a LOT of fabulous and even more fugly to get through. Fashion’s most glamorous red carpet event, the Met Gala, was this week, so let’s dive in.
Bitches We Hate in Gowns We Love
Let me preface this by saying: I hate Jennifer Lopez. She’s a decent dancer, an unimpressive singer, and a completely untalented actress, and yet somehow, her name is still occasionally used in the same sentence as “triple threat.” I don’t even think she qualifies as a single threat. I hate almost everything she wears, I think her Peter Pan syndrome and shameless fame-whoring are almost as bad as Mariah Carey’s, and I’m like 80% sure her husband is gay.
Regardless, I think she looks absolutely perfect here. Dramatic and flawless hair and makeup. The gown is near-perfect – I could do without the jewels decorating the bust line, but the color and fit are divine. So, J.Lo, I guess you’re still allowed to exist, much as I loathe you, because at least you know how to wear couture when it counts.
Ladies We Love in Outfits We Loathe
Tina Fey is, above all else, a writer. She may be a hugely successful, hilariously funny and beautiful actress and producer, but when she shows up on the red carpet wearing something this disastrous, I feel the need to remind the universe that she is a writer. She got into this business so she could sit around a table with a bunch of overweight Jewish guys and make the world laugh, not so that she could strut her stuff on a red carpet. So I refuse to hold Tina responsible for this ensemble – it is not her job to look great. It is her job to pay people to make her look great.
The people who have failed miserably are Team Tina – her stylist, and whoever else saw her between the time she got dressed and the time she got out of her limo at this event. Because ANYBODY whose job it is to know fashion should know better than to put Ms. Liz Lemon, or anyone else, in this ensemble, especially at this event. The makeup is too dramatic for her features, SHE’S WEARING A FUCKING JUMPSUIT TO THE MOST FORMAL RED CARPET EVENT OF THE YEAR, and it’s not even a well-made jumpsuit. I’d yell at Rachel Bilson for wearing this to lunch on a Tuesday. Tina’s Gays, you better get your shit together. You are taking one of the most inspirational women alive and making the world laugh at her instead of with her.
Best Dressed Person We’ve Never Heard Of
So I had to wikipedia Maggie Grace to find out that she is an actress from Lost. Well, kudos, Ms. Grace. For you are incredibly well-dressed for someone so irrelevant. Hair and makeup are beautiful and elegant – the headband is cute and doesn’t dress down the look too much. The bottom of the gown is borderline mermaid, and I loathe mermaid gowns with all my soul, but it flares out in a beautiful instead of unnatural and awkward-looking way. Great color, great fit, and a fabulous design. Good work, Maggie.
Mad Men‘s Women Gone Mad
I just recently started watching Mad Men, and already I can tell you with certainty that Joan Holloway is, under normal circumstances, the sexiest woman alive. She, and Ms. Hendricks, who plays her, has red hair I’d kill for, a gorgeous face, and possibly the greatest rack in Hollywood history. But she was the textbook definition of a hot disaster at this event. Let’s start at the top and work our way down.
The hair is sloppy. This event is not the time or place to be lazy when it comes to hair. The makeup was clearly done by a nearly blind prostitute. There is something resembling a beaver resting atop her right shoulder, and her right elbow is apparently camera shy, as it feels the need to be hidden by a giant and unnecessary piece of fabric. I think the length is awkward, the color is terrible, the gown is boring, and the bust is offensive. Are designers and stylists so used to dressing anorexic, size-zero Mary Kates and Ashleys that they can’t correctly fit a bust on a woman with real tits? Sure, Christina is much more boobalicious than the average gal, but it’s not like she wears a size H bra or something. If you can’t deal with real tits, then leave Christina to the real professionals who know how to handle her fabulous figure.
Christina Hendricks may be the sexiest woman alive, but Betty Draper (aka January Jones) is the most classically beautiful. She is the ultimate American woman, so I’d love to know what kind of crack she was smoking when she decided to wear this to the Met Gala. The makeup is truly terrible, as is the hair (you can’t really tell here, but from the side, she looks like an alien). And this dress looks like an old lady’s couch on acid. January, every single thing about your appearance is virtually perfect. You are truly blessed. And it insults us mere mortals to see a woman as goddess-like as yourself dressing up like a fucking idiot. Get your shit together, January.
Most Surprisingly High Fashion
When I hear “Mila Kunis,” I think a few different things. Hot… Dumb… I guess that’s basically it. I certainly don’t think “high fashion” or “risk taker” or “glamorous fashion icon,” but I think she did a damn good job of proving me wrong. A lot of critics hated this gown, but I think it’s simply marvelous. It’s gorgeous and interesting, and it’s definitely risky and difficult to wear. I remember loving this dress in Vera Wang’s collection during New York Fashion Week, and I’m impressed that someone as generally boring as Mila Kunis decided to test the limits and wear something so fierce. Kudos, Kunis. I think you nailed it.
Jessica Szohr is another person I have very little to say about ordinarily, usually because I still have no idea how to pronounce her last name. All I know about her is that she’s racially ambiguous and plays the most boring character ever on Gossip Girl. But I think she really made an effort with this Versace gown. It’s not something I would have chosen, but it’s still beautiful and interesting, and I think it’s quite a step up from the boring/ugly dresses that most young starlets (especially the GG cast) tend to wear. And, holy hell, this bitch can POSE like she’s at the end of the Paris Fashion Week runway! Get it, V. Keep up the good work.
Worst Dressed: Pastel Saloon Edition
As far as I can tell, Ms. Dawson and Ms. Farminga are both currently employed as saloon whores in a barely settled western territory in the 1840s. And they decided to dye their gowns for Easter. I can’t say they look anything other than uber-fugly, but at least they’re dressed for the same event. Also, Rosario? Lay off the spray tan. You’re looking quite orange lately.
Women We Worship in Dresses We Dig
I’ll admit it. I have a total girl crush on Claire Danes. She can do as many bad movies as Jennifer Aniston, but I will always think of My So-Called Life and Romeo + Juliet and be unable to have anything but undying devotion for her. And I think she looks perfectly fabulous here. Not exactly daring, but definitely a beautiful gown worthy of a fabulous woman at a glamorous event.
Gag-Worthy Girls in Loathable Looks
Malin Akerman is one of the least talented actresses in Hollywood. Her most memorable roles are showing her tits in Harold and Kumar and playing Katherine Heigl’s cunty little sister in the dreadful 27 Dresses, a movie so awful that even I can’t watch it without feeling embarrassed. And I watch Spiceworld. She is truly awful to watch and listen to, and though her makeup looks good here, I think she’s very unattractive. This dress looks too casual for this event, and I think it’s cheap and tacky-looking. It’s not helped by her hair, which clearly was peroxided half to death a few weeks ago, and it looks as if she hasn’t washed it since. Malin, I hate your name, your face, your acting “skills,” and now I hate your fashion sense as well. Time for you to disappear.
Completely Gratuitous
In the immortal words of Van Halen, Got it bad, got it bad, got it bad, I’m hot for teacher! Those eyes, that scruff… Mr. Schue was pure deliciousness at the Met Gala.
Victims of Fashion and Botched Botox
I’m fairly certain this is the worst Padma Lakshmi has ever looked. She’s ordinarily stunning, and my roommate Roxie met her once and said she’s just as beautiful in person. Not that you’d ever know it from this picture. This gown is awful – trashy, unoriginal, poorly made, wrinkled, and far too tight. To make matters worse, Padma’s face looks suspiciously awkward. Zoom in on that face – I think it’s more than just a bad moment. I think the new mommy tried to get rid of some new wrinkles and it didn’t go quite as well as she wanted. All in all, this was one of the worst looks of the night.
Fashion Icon Favorites
This is one starlet who never ceases to amaze me. I think Ms. Hermione Granger herself is incredibly beautiful. She’s impeccably stylish, nearly always looks fantastic, and is the role model for intelligent girls who happen to like looking good too. And kudos to her for wearing a white gown (before Memorial Day, no less) and somehow not looking bridal. I love the super-high slit on her petite frame, and although we see draped gowns every day on the red carpet, I think this draping is particularly unique and beautiful. She always manages to look casually fabulous but not under-dressed, glamorous and elegant but never matronly. And now I’m just excited for the next Harry Potter movie to come out.
Our favorite sister-wife got a lot of flack for this outfit, but I think she looks killer. Ms. Sevigny loves to push the fashion envelope and surprise us with her indie-hipster style. And I think this dress says indie-chic gone glam. Of course it’s casual, but she’s not exactly the floor-length glittery Vera Wang kind of girl. Her shoes are epic, the color of the dress is beautiful, and I love the little bit of navy crinoline poking out from under the fabulous teal floral dress. The long sleeves, the sheerness, the high neck, and the open back (which you can’t see here, but trust me, it exists) all keep this look very intriguing and modern. I do wish she’d brush her hair once in a blue moon, but I suppose that’s the pot calling the kettle black.
Worst Dressed of the Night (or possibly of all eternity)
We’re going to have to do this one in bullet points, because I’m afraid my head may explode if I try to tackle this whole thing at once.
- Your Joan Jett film is over. You no longer have an excuse for your hair always looking like shit.
- Let’s be honest, Kristen. You’re not a beautiful girl. Your head is weirdly shaped, you have beady eyes and thin lips, and you’re definitely the most awkward girl in Hollywood. And that makeup is not doing you any favors. You don’t have the face to wear heavy makeup, so you should steer clear from the smoky eyes and the dark lips.
- Honey, you’ve worn Chuck Taylors and denim on the red carpet and still looked uncomfortable in your own skin. How the hell do you expect to be able to pull off haute couture – and CHANEL haute couture at that? Wearing Chanel haute couture requires elegance and an aura of confidence that you simply lack. Leave the crinkled, asymmetrical bodices to the professionals, and go back to shopping at Hot Topic.
- Say it with me: accessorize. A little ugly clutch does not count. No bracelet OR earrings OR necklace? Inexcusable at such a fancy event.
- I love black nail polish just as much as the next girl, but this is the Met Gala, for crying out loud. Show some damn respect.
Best Dressed
I don’t care if people said this gown was too safe, too boring, too princessy, too obvious, whatever. I think Anne Hathaway looked better than every single other person at the Met Gala. Perfect hair, makeup, and jewelry, and that gown is perfect on her. Glam and glitzy, like a true diva should be.
I love everything you wrote. I think this is one of your best posts ever. Here’s my two cents:
JLo- I basically agree with everything you said. This is the dress I would most like to wear to this event. I don’t like how dark her eyeliner is (particularly under her eyes) as it makes her already squinty squint even squintier. I do, however, love the fact that she didn’t wear jewelry in addition to the blinged out dress. And aside from all of that, this dress must weigh a good ten pounds, but she wears it like she’s floating on air. My only criticism is that it looks A LOT like the dress SJP wore to the oscars the other year (she referred to its color as “barely mint” and it made her boobs look fake. Possibly Dior???), but other than that this was a total win.
Tina Fey- I agree that she looks fug, but I do not agree that she gets a pass because she’s a writer and it’s not her “job” to look Hollywood. I don’t know if you read the Vogue article about her but she makes it very clear that in order to take her career from SNL Writer to SNL Star, she had to lose 30 pounds and start dressing the part. This was a conscious decision she was making and, as such, there are responsibilities that go along with that. Like not wearing something that has a zipper from your breasts to your vagina on the red carpet.
Maggie Grace- I disagree totally. I don’t know who the fuck she is and that gown is ordinary. It’s a step up from what I wore to the eighth grade dance and her face and hair look like she’s getting ready to go to the beach. Hate the whole look.
Christina Hendricks- I usually love everything about her, but with this look she gave chicks with big tits a bad name and I take PERSONAL OFFENSE to that. Her forehead is botoxed to oblivion, her hair sucks, you’re right on about the beaver thing and bitches say it with me- WHEN YOU DRESS A SIZE BIGGER, YOU LOOK A SIZE SMALLER. There is no reason why Valentino, king of the hidden built in corset, hasn’t taken her under his wing.
January Jones- You’re name is fucking January. Also, I disagree that she’s classically beautiful. She’s rocking serious manface in this picture, as well as in all pictures. She also looks like she let her child do her makeup and is wearing a swatch of upholstery Bubbie Genny discarded in the pillow selection for her crazy green couch.
Mila Kunis- Biggest “Holy Shit!” of the night. She looks divine. Too bad she can’t act, talk or exist without being incredibly annoying. Love the look, though.
Jessica Szhor- Looked fucking incredible. And bitch has SERIOUS MObama arms. Agreed about her last name (not that we should judge about last names) and I both love and hate her for cheating on the real life Chuck Bass.
Rosario Dawson and Vera Farmiga- You really read my mind on this one. The only thing I have to add is that Rosario speaks fluent Klingon and does karaoke at parties to November Rain. Clearly we’d hang out with her, so, I dunno, excuse this one based on the fact that she’s the only actress in Hollywood that was willing to be in a movie where she had to say “sometimes, it’s acceptable to go ass to mouth”.
Clair Danes- This is exactly what Angela Chase dreamed of looking like. Minus the Doc Martens. LOVE IT.
Malin Ackerman- EVERYTHING YOU SAID IS TRUE. I hate her name, her face, her overacting and her outfit.
Matt Morrison- Listen Matt, you got REALLY lucky that somehow a show about kids with too many feelings who like to sing became a national sensation. You are only one season of a hit TV show out of being an underpaid broadway starlet. For these reasons, SHOW SOME FUCKING RED CARPET RESPECT and shave your goddamn beard. You’re a fucking GAP Khaki add, not a badass; you don’t need a day and a half of growth. Also, why is your bowtie so wee?
Padma- Ugh, Padma. Everything is wrong about this. She literally looks sewn into it. And if Amy Adams and Angelina Jolie can rock a red carpet with their water practically breaking, then Padma has no excuse for not kicking ass with her curvy post-baby bod. This dress is horrible, and worse, it looks CHEAP.
Emma Watson- Perfection, though that slit is MIGHTY HIGH.
Chloe Sevigny- I would love to be able to watch her decision making for red carpets. Think about what has to have gone through her mind before picking this horrible outfit. Other outfits were cast aside and deemed inappropriate IN FAVOR OF THIS FUCKING HOT MESS. She looks terrible, severely under dressed and not even creative. You want to look creative and avant garde on a red carpet? Wear some fucking McQueen and brush your damn hair. You can be beautiful and original at the same time.
Kristen Stewart- There is so much wrong here. Her hair is never clean, the length of this dress is distressing and somehow she got it into her head that having no personality or interest in her profession = edgy. She’s wrong and looks fucking terrible like always. She really should just quit the business entirely.
Anne Hathaway- I love everything about this. If I didn’t think the color would wash me out, this is my second choice for what I would have worn that night. She looks elegant and regal and her skin glows beautifully. Every time I see a really pale woman who has skin that glows so well, they all seem to use La Mer moisturizer (which is a few hundred bucks PER OUNCE), and I long for the day I have the money to blow on that. She’s absolutely fabulous. If I have one criticism, it’s that her hair is a tad underdone.
Love you shmoo. Great post.