From couture in China to the August: Osage County premieres, the stars hit the red carpet in all sorts of ridiculous shit this week. 

ZHANG ZIYI in Macau, China
gown by Armani Privé, purse by Charlotte Olympia

FLAWLESS. I wouldn’t change a thing. This unspeakably glamorous gown was my Spring 2013 couture red carpet prediction for Claire Danes, but Zhang brings it to life with those gorgeous diamonds and her all-around elegance.

JULIETTE LEWIS in New York City
gown by Naeem Khan

I wasn’t anticipating a lot of great fashion from the August: Osage County press tour – Meryl doesn’t care about fashion, Julia Roberts hasn’t worn anything interesting in the last decade, and Juliette Lewis is more often than not a red carpet hot disaster. So you can imagine how over-dramatically I gasped when I saw this photo of Ms. Lewis at the New York premiere of the film. The hair, makeup, and pose are old Hollywood perfection, and the gown is a goddamn dream. I’m not one for sheer skirts or trains, but both are working pretty damn perfectly here.

JULIETTE LEWIS in Los Angeles
gown by Monique Lhuillier

This is the kind of gown that requires a steaming during the limo ride to the event, and an assistant on hand to keep fluffing out the skirt. Otherwise, it gets a little droopy and sad-looking. But it is a gorgeous gown in a really interesting color. I’d predicted Emmy Rossum would wear it first, but I do love the idea of it on Juliette Lewis, even if the result is a little off.

ZOE SALDANA in Los Angeles
top and skirt by Sachin + Babi, shoes by Bruno Magli

Mixing monochromatic prints? Way to nail two trends with one fucking fabulous stone, Zoe. This look exemplifies what I love about her style – romantic and glamorous, but a little bit quirky. And all-around delightful.

ZOE SALDANA in Los Angeles
dress by Marni, shoes by Christian Louboutin

You definitely have to have Zoe Saldana’s body to pull off this silhouette – I, for one, would look like an emo blowfish with those black puffy sleeve-and-hip embellishments. On her, it’s fashion-bitch-fabulous. Because life isn’t fair.

JULIANNA MARGULIES in New York City
dress and purse by Bottega Veneta

A deceivingly simple look that I fall more in love with the more I look at it. The texture to this dress is just so interesting, and the sleek, classic styling only enhances everything I already love about the dress.

KATE MARA in Los Angeles
top and skirt by J. Mendel, shoes by Charlotte Olympia

I, for one, cannot wait until Kate Mara is back on my computer screen constantly via House of Cards. The next season comes out February 14th, so I hope my boyfriend is down for a Valentine’s Day filled with Kevin Spacey murdering people. Anyway, this strange, leafy little dress is kind of great, no? Bizarre, but I think in a good way. The blonde hair is working for her, and I’m always a fan of a boxy metallic clutch, but doesn’t she look like she can barely stand in those shoes, let alone walk? I think I can see the whites of her toe-knuckles. That can’t be a good sign.

ROONEY MARA in Los Angeles
coat and shoes by Givenchy

Kate’s little sister Rooney joined her on the red carpet, but there weren’t any surprises to be found here. She continues to look like a robot who has yet to be informed that colors exist.

FREIDA PINTO in Gstaad, Switzerland
gown by Anamika Khanna, belt by Gucci, cuff by Aquamarine, purse by Pinky Saraf

A stunning dress, and sexy shoes. But I’m not sure pairing a skinny studded leather belt over the delicate draping of a sari-like gown makes much sense. I get that she was going for a gritty-meets-pretty thing, but I think it takes away from the beauty of the draping rather than enhancing it.

OLIVIA WILDE in Los Angeles
dress by David Koma, shoes by Jimmy Choo

Olivia Wilde looks fabulous, and look at her and Jason Sudeikis’s future spawn making his or her first barely-visible red carpet appearance! Good job, team.

KIM BASINGER in New York City
suit by Ralph Lauren

Sixty years old. Kim Basinger is SIXTY YEARS OLD. And she’s going all-out with her menswear chicness. I’m not such a fan of the tie, but I love everything else about this suit. Black shoes with a navy suit don’t really work for me, and the hair and makeup are incredibly severe, but it’s refreshing to see someone really working the menswear trend for all it’s worth.

ANNA KENDRICK in Mountain View, California
gown by Temperley London, purse by Rauwolf

Simple but lovely. The hair seems a little stuffy, but I want to make out with her purse, I love it so much.

ANNA KENDRICK in Washington, D.C.
gown by J. Mendel, purse by Swarovski

Anna Kendrick in ivory velvet is an absolute dream. The keyhole just beneath the bustline is not my favorite, and like most gowns the 5’2″ star wears, it’s too long on her. But the draping over her stomach and hips is just lovely, and this fabric is incredibly luxe.

AMY ADAMS in Los Angeles
dress by Lanvin, jewelry by David Yurman, shoes by Christian Louboutin

The dress is instantly forgettable, which is a shame. The earrings are kick-ass and the shoes are heavenly, so this actually could have been quite the look, but the proportions and fit of this dress don’t make any sense.

JULIA ROBERTS in Los Angeles
jacket, blouse, skirt, and shoes by Givenchy

I just think that awkwardly high neckline paired with the awkwardly high waistline makes Julia Roberts look like a Catholic school teacher who grew out of her uniform. It’s just bland and weird.

JULIA ROBERTS in New York City
dress by Proenza Schouler, necklace by Wilfredo Rosado, shoes by Charlotte Olympia

I could have liked this dress – Julia’s wearing a color! The silhouette makes sense! – but then I saw the matching bridesmaid’s shoes, and threw up all over my computer. Roberts, you owe me a new laptop.

KATY PERRY in Cannes, France
dress by Osman, shoes by Christian Louboutin

I’m not sure why shoulder-cut-outs have become such a trend on the red carpet. From my perspective, it just looks like everyone’s dresses are literally falling apart at the seams. But they look even more awkward when paired with the mullet skirt and diagonal sleeves. There’s just too many different design elements competing with each other for attention. Then she adds in earrings the size of sailboats, and a braid so gigantic, it might actually take over the world. It’s just a lot to take in, Katy.

ABIGAIL BRESLIN in New York City
gown by Zac Posen, purse by Reece Hudson

Save the stuffy, boring gowns for when you’re older, Abigail!  A seventeen-year-old doesn’t need to take the red carpet this seriously.

ABIGAIL BRESLIN in Los Angeles
gown by Norma Kamali

Oof. Okay, let’s take this one step at a time. The fishtail braid is never a trend I support, but when the braid is an entirely different color than the roots of your hair, it’s even more problematic. Now, the gown: it’s clearly a size too small, which is probably the most egregious problem. But that tightness emphasizes other problems with the gown – like the fact that the illusion netting is much darker than Abigail’s actual skin tone, making it look like someone wrapped her in cheap pantyhose. Even in the right color and size, this isn’t a dress I’d recommend for a seventeen-year-old, or anyone who isn’t already a fashion professional. Actually, I might not recommend this dress for anyone at all. And the beige suede pumps came out of absolutely nowhere.

KRISTEN WIIG in New York City
gown by Prada

STOP DOING THIS TO KRISTEN WIIG. SHE DESERVES BETTER.

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© Democracy Diva, 2013.
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