Style Showdown: Lea Michele and Janet Jackson Battle in Plunging Necklines

Trend #1: Plunging Halter Necklines

Photos: Mr. Blue/WENN.com, Lia Toby/WENN.com

It’s a tie! A white dress is the epitome of innocence, and I’ll agree that it’s definitely more interesting to shake that up with a tough or sexy element. But Lea Michele and Janet Jackson went a little too far with their white halter dresses. Lea Michele made our best dressed list this week, but it wasn’t for the white Amen dress she wore on The Late Show with David Letterman. The little white dress featured cut-outs on the sides but also seemed to have a rather large piece missing on the bodice. While not technically a halter neckline, the strange band across the front only drew more attention to the area, resulting in a NSFW look that could’ve been saved with a few inches of fabric.

Simply because she’s Ms. Jackson and not the star of Glee, Janet Jackson’s dress as the amfAR Gala wasn’t quite as shocking. But I still wish she’d opted for less cleavage and left the plunging-to-the-belly-button keyhole neckline where it belongs—with J. Lo at the 2000 Grammys.

 

Trend #2: One-Sided Peplum

Photos: Lia Toby/WENN.com

Close call: Peplums are every red carpet star’s friend this season, and they were all over the place at Cannes. Milla Jovovich and Freida Pinto put an asymmetrical spin on the trend, though, in similar gowns by Atelier Versace which both featured structured peplums on one side. Jovovich’s choice of gown had a lot going on. The one-sided peplum should’ve been the centerpiece of the look, but from the silver and gold layers to the thigh-high slit to the Madonna-esque metal bustier top, the shape got overshadowed. Pinto’s selection was much more understated—the chartreuse color was eye-catching, but the unique structure of the peplum was allowed to take center stage. Though Jovovich is undeniably gorgeous, her overdone dress wasn’t as flattering as Pinto’s. Do you agree?

 

Trend #3: Black-and-White Geometric Pattern

Photos: WENN.com

Miss: Gwen Stefani’s looks are usually on-point, but at the “A Time for Heroes” celebrity picnic benefit for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, she missed the mark. The black-and-white geometric pattern on her maxi skirt is perfect for this season, but the multiple tiers are distracting. Stefani made the look even more undone with sloppy hair, a low-waist exposed midriff, and bra straps hanging out of her tank top. Bring back the Stefani we’re used to!

Hit: Head-to-toe geometric print is tough to pull off, but Jessie J did it with a fun onesie outside the BBC Radio 1 studios in London. Her cobalt blue jacket really popped against the monochromatic print, and her bag and booties completed the wild-child look.


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