Paltrow shines at award ceremony

Esra Erdogan/Life! Editor

When it comes to watching the Academy Awards, the statues come in second to the dresses. Here are the actresses that I noticed for their choice in dress, bad and good.

Natalie Portman:

Portman wore a vintage red Christian Dior polka dotted gown. This look is completely underwhelming and I’m shocked that Vogue put her on their best dressed list.

Portman isn’t the type that can pull off a vintage gown like this one; the volume and cut overwhelmed her tiny figure. This style of dress should have been hemmed at her ankles so that we could see her shoes. Also, letting the dress touch the ground made her look short.

To top it off, her accessories made her look even older. With some more modern accessories and a pair of interesting and visible shoes, this dress could have wowed me.

Jennifer Lopez:

I’m pretty sure Lopez has worn a dress exactly like the Zuhair Murad couture she wore, to every event she’s ever been invited to, leaving me yawning permanently.

Don’t get me wrong, the dress is an incredible piece of art. The sunburst design in shiny beading over a see-through gown is completely gorgeous. For Lopez to have looked more original, I would have taken the sleeves off completely.

I’m also tired of her wearing her hair in a high bun. Pairing some soft waves with this glamorous dress would have been fresh and youthful.

Gwyneth Paltrow:

When I saw this white Tom Ford on Gwyneth Paltrow, I actually got the chills. The sleek white floor length gown and matching cape— yes, you read that correctly— was the number one look of the night.

The one-shoulder gown had minimal draping, which let the cape look like an extension of the dress.  Paltrow wore her hair straight and sleek in a low pony and kept the makeup minimal. She wore a diamond cuff and ring— that was it.

She didn’t even wear nail polish. The simplicity suited her perfectly and was the best example of not letting a dress overpower you. I am obsessed.

 

Emma Stone:

She’s been on my best dressed list every single time this awards season, but I feel like Stone let me down this time. She wore a raspberry Giambattista Valli dress with a bow around her neck and a cinched waist. I did not like this dress at all.

In addition to being way too similar to a red dress Nicole Kidman wore at the Oscars in 2007, Stone looked like the dress was wearing her. The top part was way too voluminous and took all the attention away from her fresh face and very chic hair.

Angelina Jolie:

Jolie’s been stunning me left and right with unexpected choices this awards season so it was just a matter of time before she picked something too safe. The Atelier Versace dress was beautiful, but boring. I wish she would have at least chosen a pair of colored heels.

Michelle Williams:

This gown was one of my favorites. Williams wore a bright gown with peplum detail by Louis Vuitton. The fun coral color popped on the carpet and looked stunning with her pale skin. This gown fit her so inexplicably well and had such amazing detail on the bodice and the skirt with delicate details of chiffon.

The brooch pinned on her waist was also a very cute touch. The only thing I didn’t like about her look was her lipstick, which was too similar to the color of her dress. A darker pink or mauve would have looked amazing.

Glenn Close:

I can’t go on without mentioning Close’s amazing take on Zac Posen. The 64-year-old paired a gown with a jacket from a different outfit from the Fall 2012 collection.

The metallic-looking dark green gown hit her in all the right places and the color complimented her skin and hair. Not many women can pull off a structured gown that calls attention to the waist and hips like this one does, but Close pulled it off. That’s just not fair.

Rooney Mara:

Mara’s edgy looks are always a favorite of mine and her Givenchy gown was no exception. But what really made the lacy white dress stand out was Mara’s hair and makeup.

I feel like a lot of times the hair and makeup are overlooked when it comes to awards night looks, but they shouldn’t be.

Mara was channeling a Bettie Page look with her short bangs and hair in a tight bun, along with a bright red lip.

It really made her dress suit her, which would have looked mediocre with natural hair and makeup.

 

Haute Topic is a weekly fashion column. Email esra.erdogan@fiusm.com.