Trend: Gunny Sack
Photos: Apega/WENN.com, Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.com
Miss: Busy Phillips hopped on the hippy braid train that swept through the SAG Awards, and kept riding it right back to the 60s. Unfortunately, her outfit featured few of the things I love about love-child fashion and many things I dislike about anytime-fashion. To start, nothing about this look says “January”, but that can be forgiven as there’s no such thing as January in California. To follow, the print of her Katie Nehra dress, the sleeve length, the gunny sack hem, the unflattering cinch, the cheap-looking necklace, the mismatched clutch… Something about this ‘make love not war’ ensemble must be working though, because I’m starting to feel mean.
Hit: While I don’t love the gunny sack iteration that Drew Barrymore wore to Covergirl’s 50th anniversary event in West Hollywood, I like it a lot better than the one Phillips wore. Certainly not a winter look by any means either, but the goldenrod color is smashing—especially paired with her black cylindrical clutch—and she avoids the busyness (pun intended) of Phillips’ look by sticking to a solid color which keeps the essential long-line effect of an unfitted maxi skirt. This dress blends the flapper silhouette with the hippy silhouette in a way that somehow works for me.
Trend: Prints Not-So-Charming
Photos: FayesVision/WENN.com, usmagazine.com
Miss: I’ve had my eye on Shailene Woodley ever since she played the prettiest, most wholesome teen mom ever on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, so I was excited to see what would happen when she ventured out of promise ring territory and into Hollywood with her role in The Descendants. Unfortunately, it’s this. A lot of people liked the loud hibiscus print on her L’Wren Scott dress (it is on-theme with the Hawaiian setting of her new movie) and I suppose I would like it too if it weren’t set against a backdrop of ice skating leotard shimmer. The dress drapes her figure nicely but that neckline is much too high (hasn’t she seen the way other stars her age expertly tart it up on the red carpet?) and her bumpy low ponytail looks pre-hair and makeup.
Hit: Once again, Drew Barrymore is barely sliding into hit territory here, perhaps if only for the fact that her Ports 1961 enlarged houndstooth print dress has the two R’s—retro and risky. I appreciate the risk she took (although with the slams she got for this dress, I’m not sure it paid off) and the vintage vibe of this conservative dress, but the print is a little too close to digital camo for me and her hair is eerily similar to Woodley’s unfinished look. I’ll probably be writing a celeb hair trend post on the boring nape-of-the-neck pony all too soon…
Trend: Sheer
Photos: WENN.com, andrewmorel.com
Miss: If there was a trashy 80s horror movie where Kate Middleton died and came back from the dead as a zombie bride, I think she might be played by Lauren Pope in this outfit. Sheer is a huge trend with celebs, but this is less sheer and more barely clothed. I’ll probably never be able to get behind a bell sleeve, but her shoe choice is the most confusing part of this look—she managed to match her powder blue eyeshadow but wore black studded peeptoe heels.
Hit: The only thing I’m not feeling about Diane Kruger’s look from the Sidaction Gala Dinner in Paris is the asymmetrical hem on the under-dress. Otherwise, the actress’ sheer Erdem dress is lovely. The puffed shoulders put a spin on the sheer sleeves trend and the lace is very feminine and tasteful—it looks like the whole thing might’ve been made out of baby’s breath.
