The bitching hour is upon us.

ROONEY MARA at the Rome premiere of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo // gown by Valentino

Check back here in late December 2012 to find this look in my Best Dressed of the Year post. I’m calling it now. This is red carpet perfection.

ROONEY MARA in Rome // dress by Dion Lee, shoes by Pierre Hardy

But nobody’s perfect, of course. I’d love the boldness and intrigue of this look if she hadn’t worn such similar things to the Berlin premiere (in Michael Kors), the New York premiere (in Prabal Gurung), the Stockholm premiere (in Roksanda Ilincic), and so on. Even her white gown at the London premiere (by Givenchy) had those same side-tummy cut-outs!

Don’t get me wrong – if I had her stomach, I’d never stop showing it off. But if you’re going to stick primarily to LBDs (the above red gown and aforementioned white Givenchy gown notwithstanding), you can’t also stick to side-tummy cut-outs. It basically guarantees that everything you wear will look like everything else you wear. But I must admit, with all the awards shows this week (National Board of Review Awards post is already up, People’s Choice Awards and Critics’ Choice Movie Awards coming soon) and all the big red carpet events coming up, I’m excited to see what Rooney brings to the table. If she can break out of the mold she’s created for herself just a little bit, I think she could really blow us away at the Golden Globes and beyond.

JENNIFER HUDSON in New York City // dress by Roland Mouret

J.Hud, congratulations – you just found your new color! Seriously, that yellow is absurdly fantastic on her. Her body, as always, looks amazing, and I just think this is the perfect dress for her. I wouldn’t have picked the shoes, but they’re a nice break from black or nude pumps, right?

MICHELLE WILLIAMS // top and skirt by Jason Wu, shoes by Miu Miu

Fantastic. Love the colors, LOVE the sweater, and I can’t believe how well that skirt fits her. It hits at the perfect spot on her leg, making her legs look crazy long in those fucking fabulous Miu Miu pumps.

MICHELLE WILLIAMS // dress and shoes by Versace

The dress is a little forgettable. I like the shoes, but not with that toenail polish! Tsk, tsk.

CAREY MULLIGAN // jacket by The Row, jeans by Isabel Marant, shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo

Fabulous for a casual daytime industry event. Wish she hadn’t gone so heavy on the blush, though.

JESSICA CHASTAIN at the Palm Springs Film Festival // dress by Lyn Devon, shoes by Jimmy Choo

I love her hair and makeup, and I think this color is stunning on her, but there’s something very pre-teen ice skating tournament about this. The shoes aren’t helping.

JESSICA ALBA // dress and purse by Valentino, shoes by Sergio Rossi

Everyone’s wearing these leather Valentino dresses – you’ll see a lot more this week, I promise. I think she should have done hair up with such a busy dress, and I think the green studded purse was a pretty weird choice. But I don’t dislike it.

NINA DOBREV // dress by Monique Lhuillier, purse by Rebecca Minkoff

Considering the fact that I hate that floral print and the dingy color of this dress, she’s working it pretty well. The pink purse helps a lot; the yellow-nude shoes do not. It’s a great silhouette on her – a different color and print would have made this fabulous.

LIV TYLER in New York City // coat, dress and shoes by Stella McCartney

That coat would be fierce if it weren’t about six sizes too big on her.

KATE BECKINSALE in New York City // dress by Donna Karan, shoes by Christian Louboutin

Boring but glam, like virtually everything Kate wears.

LUCY HALE // dress by Paul & Joe, shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti

I was about to defend Lucy by saying that although this is hideous, if you can’t wear this dress when you’re fifteen, when can you wear it? Then I wikipedia-ed Lucy and discovered that she’s TWENTY-TWO YEARS OLD. She’s got virtually no excuse for wearing a neon yellow dress covered in giant fucking butterflies.

ANGELINA JOLIE in New York City // top, skirt and shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo

Just when you think she can’t get any more boring… okay, I’m being too harsh. It’s probably the best she’s looked in ages. But am I really supposed to cream my pants over a white blouse and black pencil skirt?

KERRY WASHINGTON // dress by Jenny Packham

Ashley Tisdale called. She wants her dress back.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH in Pasadena, CA // dress by Bec and Bridge, shoes by Jimmy Choo

So unreasonably hideous. I love Cheno so much and yet am ALWAYS disappointed by her fashion choices.

RASHIDA JONES in Beverly Hills // gown by Burberry Prorsum

Rashida, I can save this! Really, I can! Here’s how:
1. Lose the braid. Forever.
2. A skinny thing like you doesn’t need to hide behind a giant belt. Find a thinner one.
3. Look into colors. They are nothing to be afraid of.
4. Cut at least six inches off that hemline.

Poof! Fabulous.

JENNIFER MORRISON // dress by Bill Blass, shoes by Nicholas Kirkwood

Great color, hideous dress. The skirt part is fine, but that droopy blouse is depressing and the pussy bow is giving me an aneurism. Her cuff bracelet is weirdly placed and hair down would have looked nicer.

FLORENCE WELCH in London

Ohhhh, Flo. I worship you, and so I will offer this advice gently: Keep the jacket, but wear it with none of those other pieces. Keep the blouse, which I love, but wear it with none of those other pieces. Throw the pants away, because the shape of them is sad and you have killer legs that should be shown off a little better. Give that briefcase-looking purse to your bodyguard. And burn those shoes in a fire.

MADONNA at the London premiere of W.E. // gown by Jean Paul Gaultier, cape by Dolce & Gabbana, gloves by Chanel

The cape is beyond unnecessary, and the gloves feel like Madonna desperately clinging to the 80s, but I like the way they match her lipstick. Tom & Lorenzo noted that Madonna’s wearing gloves everywhere to shut everyone up about her veiny hands, and I think they’re right, because she donned them again this week.

MADONNA in London // gloves by Chanel

But here, I think the gloves look kind of fucking fabulous. I mean, that dress is gorgeous, if a bit too tight. It actually looks great on her body, but she could have avoided the sweat stains in a looser-fitting version. But I love the cut and color, the sexy keyhole, and the gloves actually enhance the look rather than distract from it. Hair and makeup look fab and the sheer black hose are right on trend, but I think if you want to wear peep-toes, you need to go bare-legged.

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© Democracy Diva, 2012.
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