Trend #1: Black and White and Checkered All Over
Photos: Getty Images, WENN.com
Miss: Kylie Minogue usually has the stuff to pull off an eye-catching look, but the black and white gingham dress she wore to the Q Awards just made my eyes swim. The dress may be Stella McCartney (and Anne Hathaway did venture out in another version of the same look for an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon so it has celebrity approval), but I just don’t think the daring dress flatters Minogue’s age-defying figure. Apparently she didn’t think she could get away with baring this much either, because the nude illusion is just that — one of those tacky swaths of nude fabric that figure skaters love so much. Sorry Kylie, you should’ve kept this look in check.
Hit: Kristen Stewart’s Louis Vuitton checked romper was a unique choice for the actress’s first Breaking Dawn: Part 2 premiere, but it works for her. This is a great example of a star taking something that would definitely not work on all of her peers and using that to her advantage — after all, we’re all tired of seeing Stewart squirm in mini-dresses, and this choice solves that problem. Her short black manicure and strappy Brian Atwood pumps complete the updated-mod look.
Trend #2: Sheer Overlay
Photos: Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com, David Bodrick/DMBJ/WENN.com
Miss: Julianne Moore is so stunning, and it’s such a shame that she often makes quirky fashion choices that don’t always allow us to appreciate that. The Alexander Wang dress she wore to WSJ Magazine’s Innovator of the Year Awards was just too innovative. The sheer t-shirt style dress would look edgy on a heroin-chic girl smoking a cigarette outside of a warehouse party, but on Moore it just looks a little saggy.
Hit: Salma Hayek’s black Stella McCartney dress at the Here Comes the Boom premiere in NYC did the sheer overlay trend perfectly. The peekaboo effect of the underskirt was tasteful —thank god she didn’t do the bodysuit thing—and the pleats in the floral lace were lovely and romantic. Hayek’s bright red lip and clutch turned up the sex appeal on this look just enough.
Trend #3: Medieval Times
Photos: FayesVision/WENN.com
Close Call: Gucci has been pushing a medieval revival with the heavy bishop sleeves, so it was no surprise that two starlets would show up in this look at the designer’s LACMA Art and Film event. Too bad that Karlie Kloss’s Gucci look perhaps should’ve been left in the dark ages. The emerald velvet is pretty but the off-the-shoulder shape, long necklace, and unstyled hair leave her looking like a damsel in distress.
Hit: Florence Welch’s iris-colored Gucci dress was a knockout, and her medieval-inspired hairdo complemented the high-drama look. Her crown braids, intricately woven with elegantly layered gold chain headbands, made the Florence and the Machines singer look like Guinevere.
