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ELIZABETH BANKS at the Berlin premiere of The Hunger Games // gown by Elie Saab

Whether you’re a Hunger Games devotee, or just waiting for this PR juggernaut to blow over, you can’t deny that Ms. Elizabeth Banks ruled the red carpet at the movie’s film premieres last weekend. Elizabeth used to be a hit-or-miss dresser, but as her fame explodes, her fashion choices have gotten better and better. Case in point: this orange Elie Saab gown. I look at a lot of Saab gowns and think how beautiful they’d be on any star, but this color can’t be worn by just anyone. Kudos to the woman who not only opts for a killer color, but rocks it this hard.

ELIZABETH BANKS at the Paris premiere of The Hunger Games // dress by Marc Jacobs, shoes by Walter Steiger

But Elizabeth wasn’t done showing off her colorful, stylish side (and there’s more where this came from coming in Part 2 of this recap in a few days) and upstaging bitches half her age (don’t worry, Jennifer Lawrence, we’ll get to you soon enough). Here, she stuns in a glittering fuchsia cocktail dress that’s all kinds of fierce. I don’t always go crazy for Marc Jacobs stuff on the red carpet – sometimes his stuff is either great on the runway, or great in real life, but usually not both – but I’m all about this look. Welcome to the best dressed list, Elizabeth – let’s hope you stay here.

LILY COLLINS at the Los Angeles premiere of Mirror Mirror // dress by Dolce & Gabbana, shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti

Let’s hold up a minute. Lily Collins is the star of Mirror Mirror (the Snow White flick that doesn’t have Kristen Stewart’s miserable face in it), and I wikipedia-ed her age in order to brag to you about a 14-year-old girl being this well-dressed. This led to my awesome discovery that her dad is none other than Phil Collins, so we know she’s got an emotional ballad in her soul. Anyway, the point is, in searching for her age, I learned that Lily’s TWENTY-THREE. Honey, I know you’re trying to get the kids to see your flick, and if you were a tween, I’d say you looked pretty close to perfect at this premiere. But oh my God, woman. Grow up. We’re the same age, and I know I’m too old for a little princess dress like this.

Okay, okay. I’m being unreasonably harsh – she really does look beautiful, and there’s nothing wrong with this very lovely dress. I’m just tired, which makes me feel old, which makes me feel like women who are my age shouldn’t dress like Disney princesses, even when they’re playing Disney princesses.

MILEY CYRUS at the Los Angeles premiere of The Hunger Games // top and skirt by Emilio Pucci

At the Emmys in September, Gwyneth Paltrow attempted (and failed) to rock a similar Pucci crop-top-and-skirt combo. But I think this actually works on Miley, because she’s got one thing Gwyneth doesn’t – youth. It’s not that Gwyn doesn’t have the body for a crop top – she totally does, and she probably has a more kickin’ figure than Miley – it’s that certain things will never look good on a woman who’s pushing forty, because they’re made for a nineteen-year-old pop star. It’s not a style I hope sticks around, because lord knows us mere mortals can’t wear a crop top, but Miley can pull it off. And her wavy bob is fantastic – so much better than the cheap extensions she’d been wearing for years prior.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE at the Los Angeles premiere of The Hunger Games // gown by Prabal Gurung, shoes by Jimmy Choo

The alleged star of The Hunger Games brought some ferocity to the table, but she couldn’t quite compete with Elizabeth Banks’s stunning, multicolored wardrobe. This gown was my Fall 2012 red carpet prediction for Gwyneth Paltrow (I apologize for the constant references to her in this post), but I don’t think Jennifer’s got quite the grace to pull it off. It’s gorgeous, and she’s gorgeous, but here, it just looks like she got wrapped in some gold tin foil that got ripped at the sides.

And though the side cut-outs are fine from the front, that gold strip down her spine is awful, and completely unflattering. The fabric busting out from right below her ass reads as kind of tasteless and tacky, doesn’t it?

JENNIFER LAWRENCE at the Paris premiere of The Hunger Games // dress and shoes by Tom Ford

We all love black and gold, and it fits well with the film’s logo, but it doesn’t really keep things interesting several premieres in a row. (Wait till Part 2 of this recap, and you’ll see Jenn’s THIRD gold-and-black look of the weekend.) And we all love to wear black in Paris to feel like we belong, but this doesn’t have the drama factor that I want to see. Another glimpse:

Naw, honey. Backless is fine, but when you add that gold trim and your hooker heels, we’re back into tacky land.

DIANE KRUGER in Paris // dress by Derek Lam, shoes by Versus

I’ve loved this dress since it hit the runway during New York Fashion Week – it was my Fall 2012 red carpet prediction for Kirsten Dunst. This mixed-print thing is so now, and Diane is the woman for this look. Love the mega-chic, just-above-the-elbow sleeves, and the adorable heels.

DIANE KRUGER in Miami // dress by Jason Wu, shoes by Gucci

Democracy Diva’s Third Law of Fashion Dynamics: For every fashion success, there is an equal and opposite fashion disaster. And as awesome as Diane’s printed Derek Lam was, she gave us the textbook definition of a hot mess with this Jason Wu tunic/poncho thing. First of all, I’d like to call for the immediate termination of those hideous faux-sleeves. They look terrible on virtually everyone, and that gold embroidered grandma’s-couch print isn’t helping. The red satin purse is all wrong, and even though she’s not necessarily showing that much skin, she looks like she accidentally left the house without her pants on.

JESSICA ALBA in West Hollywood // top and pants by Kate Spade, shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti

You rock those bright monochromatic pieces and your cap-toed pumps, girlfriend! What a casual but terrifically chic ensemble. However, I too am wearing orange-red ankle-length pants today (mine are WAY less bright, I swear), so take my commentary with a grain of salt.

JULIANNE MOORE at the New York City premiere of Game Change // gown and purse by Lanvin

Julianne Moore promoted her Sarah Palin flick in a lovely two-tone column gown and adorable green boxy clutch. She gets it wrong more often than she gets it right, but this is chic and sophisticated, if a little underwhelming.

JULIANNE MOORE at the Washington, D.C. premiere of Game Change // dress by Tom Ford, purse by Judith Leiber

Well, it looks like you CAN go wrong with a redhead in green. Very, very wrong. The color is nightmarish, the velvet-and-satin combo is really dated, the shoulders look absurd, and the gold accessories are killing me.

ZOE SALDANA in Beverly Hills // dress by Alexis Mabille, purse and shoes by Jimmy Choo

Adorable dress and killer shoes, but I think the “look at how well I mix prints!” purse is kind of fug.

ELIZABETH OLSEN in New York City // suit by The Row, sunglasses by Elizabeth and James, shoes by Jimmy Choo

I think if a girl wants to rock a reddish-brown velvet pansuit like she’s a pimp in the 1970s, more power to her. But I will never love the buttoned-up-to-the-chin thing, dear readers. Never ever.

DAKOTA FANNING in New York City // dress, shrug and purse by Miu Miu, shoes by Prada

Maybe you can’t wear a red cape without getting fairy tale references thrown at you, but fuck Little Red – Dakota’s red cape, periwinkle dress combo is adorable. And a rare moment where nude shoes work perfectly. Let’s de-cape-ify and see if it still works:

The tiny, tiny little strip of skin between the top and skirt – it’s perfect. The dress could be borderline dull without it, but that color is perfect on her porcelain skin, the proportions are excellent, and the seaming in that dress is mega-flattering. Work it while you’re still young enough to, Dakota!

MICHELLE OBAMA and BARACK OBAMA // gown by Marchesa

Michelle Obama, I love you and your style. But no woman alive should don that many necklaces at once, at least if she’s not on a throne or a catwalk.

SHAILENE WOODLEY at the Los Angeles premiere of The Hunger Games // gown by Honor

Shailene, you’ve been on the red carpet FAR TOO LONG to not have: A) a stylist – one who will slap her across the face if she tries to wear another shapeless floral nightgown, and B) professional hair and makeup artists. You’re twenty years old and you survived the red carpet mania that was the press tour and awards season for The Descendants. If you don’t have some pros on your team by now, that’s YOUR fault. Step up your game, or step up the amount you’re willing to spend on those who will make you look like you have game.

ELLIE KEMPER at the Los Angeles premiere of 21 Jump Street // dress by Oscar de la Renta, shoes by Alexander Wang

This is so far beyond terrible that I’m still reeling at why some of my fellow fashion bloggers LOVED this cupcakey confection. Let’s start with the hair and makeup, which are about 50 years too dated – and not in a cool, vintage way. A grown woman in a dress like this is a stretch to begin with, but she probably could have made it work if it weren’t for the world’s most hideous pink clutch. Unless you’re Barbie or the Queen of England, there’s virtually no reason for that clutch. The strappy sandals (possibly with pink ankle-straps?) and the pink toenails push this far into over-the-top territory.

ELLIE KEMPER in Beverly Hills // dress by Peter Pilotto

Better, but not my favorite. I really want to like Peter Pilotto – all the printed dresses from the label are interesting and innovative – but to be honest, his prints give me a fucking migraine. This is no exception.

JANUARY JONES in Beverly Hills // dress by Jenny Packham

A dress that could have been cute on one of the Fanning sisters or another fresh-faced tween. But those black stockings and pumps were an awful choice, and made what could have been a cute dress into this awkward ensemble we’re looking at. And January, sweetheart, the hair and makeup – they need fixing.

JANUARY JONES at the Mad Men season premiere // dress by Roland Mouret

Oh, J.Jones. The hair and makeup is cleaner and brighter, but not exactly stylish, and the dress? Do you really need half a dozen cut-outs AND white wings on either side of your knees? I don’t care how great your post-baby bod is – this is one fucking ugly dress.

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© Democracy Diva, 2012.
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