Style Fix

The 60th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were presented last night, which means today we get to pour over the luscious - and the not so luscious - fashions donned by celebrities on the red carpet.

There were a lot of popular looks: black gowns, one-sleeved styles, metallic colors, and a number of white, yellow, and sage green dresses.

Here are a few of the women’s looks from the evening that I have deemed “almost too similar looks.” Many of these had additional near-matching looks on other celebrities, too:

Pure white gowns should be saved for wedding days, but white is a stand out color on a red carpet and is very flattering, especially on darker skin tones. To pull of the glowing hue without looking like a bride, add dark, contrasting accents as shown here on soon-to-be well-known actress Jennifer Sciole (a.k.a. Boobs McGee … cover them up a little, Jen!) and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Other celebs demonstrating this style included Cheryl Hines, Lisa Edelstein, and Vanessa Williams.

Showing off a sexy back is always a elegant look, so long as you cover up elsewhere! Julia Louis-Dreyfus loved the back of her dress so much, she spent the entire evening facing away from the photographers. Damages actress Anastasia Griffith only occasionally turned around.

Speaking of Anastasia … the French-born British actress also demonstrated the popular bright yellow shade and the one-bare-shoulder cut. Mariska Hargitay wore a very similar dress, also showing off these two popular trends. Others celebs in yellow included Teri Hatcher and Top Design contestant (and Rick Shroeder’s wife) Andrea Bernard. Jane Krakowski and Heidi Klum also rocked a single shoulder exposed.

House star Jennifer Morrison and Christina Applegate displayed three popular looks all at once: single shoulder, metallic, and a fly-away train. Hargitay, above, also had some kind of veil trailing her, but metallic colors were by far the choice trend of the evening. There were dozens of gold, silver, and other shiny metal tones. A few of these were on Rita Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Eva Longoria Parker, Evangeline Lilly, Felicity Huffman, and the newest House femme Olivia Wilde.

Anastasia Griffith wore my favorite gown of the evening. Who wore your favorite look?

Teenage and young 20-something girls and women tend to get overzealous when it comes to accessories. When getting ready (likely in a group, with chipper pop music playing), they get too focused on liking each individual piece of flare, that it becomes too hard to see the big picture.

Usually, this makes for good critiquing of teen celebrity outfits. But that seems too cruel to do too often. Especially since hardly none of us, myself included, can claim innocence in the matter: we all did it in high school, college, or both. It is just a way of developing our fashion taste and style identity.

So I commend the Bag Lady on her fun way of pointing out that starlets at the Teen Choice Awards loved their accessories, without destroying their ego: a fun matching game of teen-to-20 celebs’ faces and their award-night accessories. Go check it out!

Every fashion, gossip, and celebrity Web site is jamming up your Internet connection with slideshows of the handful of celebs that walked the red carpet at Sunday night’s SAG Awards (E! Fashion Police is always my fave). And since I like to be different, here, instead, is an adorable picture from the press conference and photo op for the 58th annual Sanremo Music Festival in Italy.

How stylish are these two international hotties?! On the left is 28-year-old, Hungarian-born actress and model Andrea Osvart. Bianca Guaccero, 25-year-old, Italian actress, is on the right.

Aren’t non-Americans attractive, fashionable, elegant, mature, and classy?

sanremo music festival, sag awards, international actresses

This weekend was the Miss America Pageant 2008. In the weeks preceding the beauty competition was the more entertaining show - TLC’s Miss America: Reality Check. The top 52 (the states plus D.C. and Virgin Islands) women were pitted against each other in competitions; forced to jump into a pool, thus messing up their hair and makeup; told that their hair looked like a helmet and their makeup was that of clowns; and given advice on their gowns, looks, walk, talk, and more (you gotta love reality TV).

The whole point was to update the pageant. Did it work? Let’s analyze.

1. See these earrings? They made appearances multiple times on multiple lobes in multiple neon colors during the reality show without being thrown back to the 1980s. They even made an appearance on the big night. Where were was the advice on the accessories, TLC? To find a picture I had to search 80s costumes!

2. Several girls who became faves during the reality series, weren’t even given a nod on the stage. Instead, those who refused to change instantly made it to the top. We still saw teased, sprayed hair; heard bad vocals and saw comical pointe dances; and were subjected to endless ice skater-ish, sequined, sheer dresses.

3. Their introductions were “modern.” There were movie quotes (Miss Washington asked us “How do you like those apples?”), attempts at jokes (Miss Georgia said that her state was the only place where you could have both a Southern accent and a college degree); slightly offense “oh my, did she just say that” moments (Miss Nevada thanked you for leaving your money in her state), and all around poor choices made.

4. And the pageant’s changes? Oh so corny! On stage there was a DJ that played beats instead of songs, and a losers’ party with dessert. Not to mention, if you watched it replayed after the live performance, they gave away who was going to win! More than one commercial told viewers who the winner was when there were still ten women in the running.

So while I appreciate the attempt, and was entertained by Reality Check, it did not work.

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With award shows being canceled or downgraded this year due to the writers’ strike, the red carpet (the only part I watch or care about, really) is out the window.

For some reason, however, the First Annual BET Honors still went down this weekend on Saturday, January 12, in Washington, D.C. They were protesters, and only three recognizable glamor girls in gowns, but it was a carpet-ish award show.

Alicia Keys won for entertainment. Tyra Banks won for her role as a media mogul, and for showing America that you can be beautiful even with some “junk in the trunk.” Both tried an over-played trend: Alicia wore a beaded neckline; Tyra, a feathered one. Click on each picture to see it full-size.

The Washington Post was there and detailed the whole event from the technical problems to the signs in the crowd: “I Am Not a Pimp.” And “I Am Not a Gangster.”

This was my NOT my Project Blog entry … but I am still very much in the running! Take a moment to rock the vote? Please note, that it has moved to a new home page - BCS Frenzy.

Apparently, I am not the only one that has been noticing Ali Larter’s new, fabulous style. InStyle picked her as one of the top five looks of the day for her shiny, red, strapless Emmy gown by Reem Acra on September 17, and again on today, September 18, for her pre-Emmy satin, blue Alberta Ferretti worn with silver Jimmy Choos, shown here. InStyle also gives you - the reader - a chance to vote on your favorite Look of the Day each day, and Ali has already commanded the day with over 40 percent of the votes (and I swear I only voted once!), and InStyle recognized her as today’s top pick out of the top five.

*Sniff* Our little Jersey, whipped-cream-bikini-wearing girl has grown up!

Just remember, I said it first: Ali Larter is becoming a style maven!

Did you check out the Emmy Awards this weekend? Award shows bore me, so I didn’t. I usually just wait around until after the show airs and watch the post-show fashion police, best and worst, and whatnot. So here is my personal fashion highlights and reviews.

I have put together a slideshow for you, and you will see that there were definitely some trends occurring on the red carpet. This fall’s hottest trend-to-be is plumage, which Vanessa Williams and Ugly Betty’s Becky Newton showed off beautifully (and hopefully fake!).

The carpet was over-whelmed with red as celebs apparently wanted to blend in with the walkway. Was this an homage, per chance, to recent retiree Valentino whose signature color was red?

If they weren’t bright red, the gowns of the evening were likely to still be as bright and bold as could be. Though a few did go the with classic white, and others leaned toward pastels and neutrals, but only a small handful bought into the safe black dress.

Accessories caught my eye - in a good way - more so than usual. Marcia Cross had elegant, colorful, fun earrings; Portia de Rossi added the bling to her dress’s neckline.

A few standouts were Eva Longoria who always dresses to accentuate her figure, and Hayden Panettiere who was, unfortunately, engulfed in a mess of tulle.

Ali Larter and Kristen Bell (a.k.a. Veronica Mars), who will be co-stars on the upcoming season of “Heroes”, were two of my personal favorites, but I have a bias as I love both of these actresses.

The only standout man - that is, the only one who didn’t wear a black and white suit with a tie or bowtie - was another “Heroes” star: Zachary Quinto.

And although I did not include their photos, it cannot go without saying, that Judith Light (Angela Bower on “Who’s the Boss”) and LeVar Burton (”Reading Rainbow”) were in attendance. Talk about a blast from the past!

For the past two months, since I have started writing for Style Fix, Sienna Miller has consistently been the major search string that has led people here. So of course, my interest had been sparked and I simply had to see: why Sienna Miller?

After reviewing several outfits, I’d say that she is neither a style star nor a flop; however, she always goes full throttle when selecting what to wear. She never seems to throw on an average tee or jeans. This, I can only assume, is what is intriguing you guys to the point of searching out pictures and info on her fashions.

Last Friday, September 7, she attended the 32nd Annual Toronto International Film Festival in … umm … a mime’s outfit?

At Valentino’s 45th Anniversary Celebration, July 7, she rocked his signature red color and this fall’s hottest trend - feathers.

At the March 13 Factory Girl London Premiere she made these black tights work with matching shoes and trim on her slightly sparkly smock.

And, for best dressed ever in the history of clothes, check her out here at the Orange British Academy Film Awards February 11. I must have a dress just like this; I just must!

If you turned on the television or opened a newspaper or magazine at all this weekend, then you know that it was a busy weekend in the fashion world. Here’s a quick recap of the major highlights:

**Vera Wang - shown here at the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Hot Pink Party in April - designed collection exclusively for Kohl’s that was announced in August 2006 has hit the stores! Originally set to be called Very Vera by Vera Wang, the line now dubbed Simply Vera by Vera Wang began being stocked last week, hit stores officially Sunday August 9, but won’t be fully stocked in all stores until Monday August 17.

**Dame Anita Roddick - founder of The Body Shop, blogger, and human rights and environmental campaigner - passed away at the age of 64 after a brain hemorrhage.

**Fashion Week has been going strong. Unfortunately, I am not cool enough yet to be invited to any of the designers’ shows. So instead, I will direct you to Vogue at the Shows where Vogue writers who are actually that cool provide full coverage on Style.com. Related site Men.Style.com offers coverage of the men and their Fashion Week shows. Women’s Wear Daily provides all the scandals of the weeks including last minute cancellations …and if there is a slow day later this week I’ll compile some slideshows for you from a few favorites since I am cool enough to have access to press photos! Any requests?

**Talk-of-the-town Britney Spears danced and performed “Gimme More” at the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday evening in a black sparkly bra and boy shorts with knee-high boots. And of course, people are making fun of her left and right. But come on people… no she doesn’t look as good as she used to (how many of us look the same at 25 as we did at 15?), and yes she could have picked a better outifit, but I’d like to see any one of these stone throwers look half as good post two pregnancies. Heck, I hope I look like this after I have two kids, though I also hope someone steps up and reminds me to put clothes on over top of my underwear before I go out for the night.

If you, like me, had better things to watch on television tonight then the 2007 Teen Choice Awards, here is quick highlight of some arrival fashion. There were some definite hits (Olesya Rulin) and misses (Megan Fox), at least one guy that did more than thrown on jeans and a tee (Zac Efron), and even two lovely bumble bees (Hilary Duff pre-hostess wardrobe change, and Andrea Bowen). Check them out; my faves are the ones who remembered to dress appropriately for their audience and the event (Jessica Alba).

Aimee Teegarden:
America Ferrera:
Andrea Bowen:
Emmy Rossum:
Fergie:
Hilary Duff:
Jessica Alba:
Kelly Clarkson:
Megan Fox:
Miley Cyrus:
Olesya Rulin:
Vanessa Hudgens:
Zac Efron:

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