Teen Choice Awards 2010 Red Carpet

Glee Dos and Don’ts

Jenna Ushkowitz in Tadashi Shoji

Glee‘s resident “Asian” (not to be confused with “Other Asian”) finally looks chic, mature, and utterly fabulous on the red (well, technically blue) carpet. Nude dresses are all the rage, and the interwoven print of those two different fabrics is subtle but gorgeous. I’d have done a lighter shoe (the dress is so pale, plus it’s the middle of the summer) but this is definitely a hit. And her makeup looks absolutely beautiful. She’s glowing.

Naya Rivera

Kudos to Santana for stepping outside the box. It feels like at every red carpet event, young Hollywood tends to wear the same short, tight, sparkly dress over and over again. Just seeing a different silhouette is refreshing. I’m not in love with the pattern (it matches my bedding perfectly, but I’m not sure it’s great on a dress) but it fits her well. I love the length and the way the skirt flares out. I do wish she’d worn a little bling, but she chose the right shoes, and her hair and makeup are natural-looking and perfect. She’s an incredibly beautiful woman, and with a little coaching (and the right gays) she could become a real fashionista.

Heather Morris

Everybody’s favorite dumb blonde is a beautiful girl who consistently looks terrible on the red carpet. This poor girl has no idea what works for her and what doesn’t. First of all, her hair always looks stupid. I don’t understand why she can’t be content to just show off the natural beauty of her gorgeous blonde hair. And her makeup always ages her about ten years. On Glee, Brittany looks fresh-faced and youthful, but this sort of looks like she used ten pounds of makeup to try to achieve a “natural” look. And the outfit is clearly a disaster. Is it an ugly dress, or is it a mismatched top and skirt? The patterns are too much, the proportions are way off, and the fit is terrible. And I’m not sure whether or not I support those shoes. I’m wary of them, to say the least.

But zoom in on that big chunky cuff bracelet, with the exposed zippers and the gold and silver safety pins. That bracelet is gorgeous, and huge, badass bracelets are uber-trendy right now, from the Chanel runway shows to the street. So I am holding out hope for you, Heather, because I know you have potential.

Jayma Mays

I think this is a great dress for Jayma. It says “I may not be a teen, and I may play a teacher, but I’ve got style and a teensy waist and am overall adorable.” Seriously, her tiny little figure is too cute, and the dress is perfect for her. All Jayma needs is some help with accessories. The belt only distracts from the beauty of the dress, and I don’t like those shoes with it at all. And girlfriend needs some bling. But the dress is supremely cute and the hair and makeup are perfection. Keep it up, Emma!

Lea Michele in Naeem Khan

First of all, let’s say what needs to be said: Lea is looking a little thin lately. She used to be normal-woman thin, but now she’s Hollywood thin, and although she looks incredible, I think there is cause for concern. Lea, do not lose another pound, especially if you’re going to be flying back and forth between LA and New York every day to film Glee and perform in the Funny Girl revival. You’re way too classy to become one of those scary-thin, coked-out, over-extended Hollywood starlets. You’re a nice Jewish girl from Jersey – please don’t turn into Lindsay Lohan.

All public service announcements aside, Lea Michele is once again KILLING IT on the red carpet. This dress is mega-sexy, but not inappropriate for a teen event. Her legs are astounding, the Christian Dior shoes were a stroke of genius, and her hair has never looked better. That natural windblown beach hair look is great for her. She could have eased up on the makeup a touch, but that’s a minor complaint. Say what you will about this diva, but bitch knows how to dress like a winner.

Gomez Gone Wild

Selena Gomez in BCBG Max Azria

Selena Gomez in BCBG Max Azria

The little white dress, like the little nude dress, has taken over the red carpet recently. And Gomez rocks the look, particularly because of those fabulous, 1970s sleeves. The hair is effortlessly beautiful, and the makeup is fresh and natural with heavy eyes, which I love. The shoes aren’t for me, but the black nail polish is badass against the white dress. (Remember: black nail polish is okay on the red carpet; it’s dark toe nail polish that makes starlets look like they’re growing fungi.)

But once you see the back, the look goes from fabulously 70s to Studio 54 cage dancer. I’m not saying I hate it, but there’s something a little trashy about all that silver running down her back. But I do commend her for steering away from the shiny, tight, short dresses or red cocktail dresses that she and Taylor Swift basically live in at most events. It’s always good to try something new, even if from the back she looks like a Cher video.

Worst Dressed

Emma Roberts in Brian Reyes

Emma Roberts

Oof. This is a disaster for quite a few reasons. That lime green color is terrible on Emma’s ghostly white skin. I’m pale as can be, but even I know that porcelain-skinned girls need to stick to certain colors or get a tan before appearing on the red carpet. Her skin looks grey, the shoes are too much, and the bag is ugly. But what the hell is happening with her makeup? Who on earth told her that brown shadow UNDERNEATH her eyes was a good idea? The grey skin with the brown bags under her eyes makes her look like she belongs in a hospital, not on a red carpet.

Best Reason to Not Loathe Twilight (But I Still Do)

Ashley Greene in Valentino

Simple silhouette with a unique and beautiful print – always a solid choice. Ashley brought out all the stops in this fabulous little Valentino number. The peep-toe pumps are perfect, the purse is cute, and I’m loving the ring on her left hand. And the hair and makeup are flawless. She’s a stunning girl who made all the right choices, and that’s simply unstoppable on the red carpet.

© Democracy Diva, 2010.

Fashion Week: Predicting the 2010 Red Carpet

The Democracy Diva has the power to see the future. She, after looking at literally thousands of fresh-off-the-runway dresses, will predict who will wear what to this year’s red carpet events. And if she is wrong, it is only because celebrities too often listen to their stylists instead of the Democracy Diva. Shame on them.

Kate Hudson

Erin Featherston Fall 2010

I immediately thought of Kate Hudson when I saw this dress. She’s definitely worn a metallic dress with the same shape as the top of this dress, but that extra bow switches it up a bit. And she’s become more and more fond of flowy dresses at events over the last few years; I could certainly see her pairing her love of flowing skirts and her love of shiny objects together and rocking this dress at the Academy Awards.

For Cougars and Glamour Queens

Tadashi Shoji Fall 2010

This gown simply screams, Wear me to the Oscars! Actually, if I’m going to personify this gown, I should do it more properly. She’s holding a long cigarette, and in a sultry rasp, she purrs, “Darling, you’re not wearing me to the awards. I am the award.”

Regardless, I could easily see Kim Cattrall clinging to her youth for a few more milliseconds by wearing this to the Sex and the City 2 premiere in Los Angeles (it’s a much more L.A. dress than New York). Really, any cougar, or any aspiring cougars (like Hayden Panettiere, who inexplicably has been styled to look twice her age lately), could easily pull off this dress. I’d honestly be shocked if I didn’t see this shiny, Grecian look, or something intensely similar to it, at the Oscars in a few weeks.

Dressed to Win

J. Mendel Fall 2010

This is the kind of dress that you see on the red carpet and you think, Obviously, she knew she was going to win, if she wore that dress. Which is kind of problematic for this year’s Oscars, because Sandra Bullock knows she’s not glamorous or graceful enough to pull off this dress, and it’s not something Mo’Nique would wear either, and they’re both basically shoo-ins for the female acting awards.

But I could see several of the nominees rocking this gown. Maggie Gyllenhaal in particular would nail this; I personally would like to call her stylist and recommend it, because she epitomizes the intrigue and style that this dress conveys. Carey Mulligan’s boyish looks would go great with a look like this that’s feminine in shape but not overly girly. Penelope Cruz would wear this, but probably in red, black, or silver. She’s not exactly a woman who epitomizes subdued colors.

But most of all, I see this as Lea Michele’s next great wardrobe step. She’s got the makings of a style icon, and can rock high fashion without seeming like she’s trying to dress too maturely. She may be playing a sixteen-year-old, but she’s 23, and certainly old enough to glam it up instead of running around with no pants on like half of Young Hollywood seems to be doing lately.

Fit for The Queen

Oscar de la Renta Fall 2010

To me, if you take the neckline up just a bit, this dress is made for Helen Mirren. She has a knack for dressing better than most women half her age, and, most importantly, not trying to grasp onto her youth (that’s right, Jennifer Lopez, I’m talking to you). This is classy, but still fun and interesting and basically ageless. Just like Dame Helen Mirren. (I don’t think she’s technically a dame, but she is in my heart.)

Who is Divalicious enough for Christian Siriano?

Christian Siriano Fall 2010

This is a gown fit for a diva.

No matter how much I desperately wish that Beyoncé would, after a decade in the music business, finally learn how to dress herself (or hire people with the skill to do so), I know it’s a lost cause. But she would look phenomenal in this, with hair down and jewels blinging. Assuming she wore it in her actually size, instead of two sizes smaller, which is what she seems to do with her entire wardrobe.

It’d be a waste on Rihanna, who brings no grace to anything she wears. And it’s far too simple for my Lady Gaga. If Taylor Swift were two years older, she could nail it. And it’s a little too obvious for Pink. Because, you know, it’s pink.

But if Carrie Underwood ever gets out of her phase of wearing white/silver/ivory sparkly dresses (I almost wrote an entire blog post about it – I found literally 20 pictures wearing practically the same dress to almost every red carpet event of the last few years), I think she’s the lady for this dress. Young and hot enough to pull it off, and she’s got a sense of fun and light-heartedness about herself that would help nail down this look.


Check out The Democracy Diva later tonight and this week! We’ve got tons more to say about this fabulous week. And by we, I mean me.

No more posts.