Looks from the 2018 Oscars I won't soon forget - for better or worse
This year's Academy Awards were eventful to say the least. And trust me I have a lot to say about the awards themselves. But before we get into the hard-hitting content, let's go over most people's favorite part of the evening: The red carpet looks. For decades, the Oscars red carpet has been the country's hallowed runway experience, showcasing what are allegedly the most stylish and elaborate garments money can buy at the time. Here's my list of looks I won't soon forget...whether or not that's a good thing.
Gal Gadot
For Better
While we all know I wasn't a fan of Wonder Woman, I can't pretend like I didn't love this stunning gown. Its movement, its shades of silver, its beautiful framing of her body and its all around glamorous qualities made it one of - if not the best dress of the night. I swear that whole stint where she and Jimmy Kimmel visited the theater next door was just so they could show off this stunning garment.
Saoirse Ronan
For Worse
With Saoirse Ronan being nominated for Best Actress for her well-received role in Lady Bird, I was excited to see what they'd dress her in for Hollywood's biggest night. I was unfortunately deeply disappointed by this ill-fitting, wrinkled and downright droopy dress. Considering Ronan has a dynamic figure for fashion and classy features, this Calvin Klein By Appointment dress looked thrown together. It didn't hug her or billow around her properly, the bow was so large and heavy that it weighed the look down, the train looked like a duvet being dragged along and the bust was so poorly fitted that it made her visible nipples seem like more of an oversight than a confident fashion statement if that was what they were going for. She looked pretty, but this dress let her down.
Abbie Cornish
For Better
I won't lie. Before this particular evening, I had no idea who Abbie Cornish was, but I felt this was a gorgeous and under-appreciated gown. As a curvy girl, I rarely look at these red carpet dresses thinking "Ooh I'd love to wear that," as they're usually designed for size 00 women. But seeing this garment on a fellow curvy beauty made me dream of wearing it, and I'm sure had the same effect on thousands of others. Just get rid of the necklace or earrings and it'd be perfection.
Zendaya
For Worse
I had to stare at this garment for quite a while before realizing what I didn't like about it. It's hard to pinpoint, as Zendaya is stunning, her accessories look great and the color is lovely on her. But after a while, I realized why I disliked it so much when I saw her present a performance of "This is Me" from her movie The Greatest Showman: The sleeve and bust looked great on her and the skirt looked great on her, but they look awful together. If she wore a top that was the bust and sleeve of this gown and some skinny jeans, it would be incredible. And if she had shown up to the Oscars in this gown minus the giant sleeve, it would be attractive too. But the loose-fitting dress mixed with the giant sleeve is typically a dress worn by someone Liza Minelli's age, not Zendaya's. While she looked youthful that night, the dress aged her. But I really would like to see a drag queen cut the skirt off that dress and turn a daytime look in it. Maybe repurposing Oscars dresses should be the next Drag Race sewing challenge.
Mary J. Blige
For Better
This is an Oscars look Mary J. Blige can always be proud of. From the shade of white, to the mix of textiles, to the length, fit and silhouette this gown, everything was stunning. There was so much detail to look at with little asymmetrical details here and there that kept it interesting. And her hair, makeup and earrings added to the elegance. I'd just personally get rid of the bedazzled clutch, as the pearl closure takes away from the look.
St. Vincent
For Worse
Normally I love St. Vincent's style. And while I did think she looked gorgeous while performing Mystery of Love with Sufjan Stevens, I felt that this garment was inappropriate for the Oscars red carpet. With its uber short length, over the top sleeve, bizarre crotch detail and headpiece that I think belongs in a 2005 Panic! at the Disco music video, this would have been a more appropriate stunt to pull at the Grammy's or VMA's where strange garments are welcomed. It was a bit tongue-in-cheek for the Oscars, especially because she was a performer. Frankly, I found that it wasn't over the top enough to be considered avant-garde, but not glamorous or classy enough to be considered appropriate or respectful of the event at hand.
James Ivory
For Better
As you all know, I loved Call Me By Your Name, so it's no surprise that I gushed when James Ivory became the oldest ever Oscar winner at the age of 89, accepting the award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on this beautiful film. It really goes to show that you can follow your dreams at any stage in life and that creativity and passion truly know no bounds; A message I think we can all benefit from. And the fact that he accepted his award while wearing a hand-painted shirt of Timothée Chalamet from the end scene of the film just gave me joy. It was very clever, artful and hip of him.
Whoopi Goldberg
For worse...then for better
When I first saw this dress, I was taken aback. I am not a fan of the pattern, fabric or the style of the literal belt it has at the waist. In my opinion it was a bit casual for the Oscars as well. And also not edgy enough for Whoopi. With the styling of her hair, her signature sunglasses and the showing off of her tattoos, I felt that the pattern should have incorporated some neutral colors or a more graphic or modern pattern. But as much as I am confused by this Christian Siriano piece, I was more than happy to find out why the skirt was the size and length it was: Because Whoopi herself requested a gown she could wear boots with! Being someone who rarely graces us with an appearance in dresses, it was refreshing to see a different side of her, as well as how excited she was to show off her boots. It was a cute red carpet moment. I just don't think this was the right dress to showcase it.
Adam Rippon
For better...and then for worse
Let's be honest, when it comes to menswear on the red carpet, people don't always get quite as excited. But when I see a suit or ensemble that stands out to me in a good way, I always have to give props. And figure-skater Adam Rippon's Moschino harness tuxedo definitely made an impression. We've seen him be extra all over the internet, so I wasn't at all surprised that he wore a harness to the most formal event of the year. But unfortunately, the more you stare at the garment, the worse it gets. The tails on the tux are bizarrely long, the pants fit too loosely for the look he's going for and the shoes may as well be house moccasins. But overall, I appreciate his efforts and think this was a nice nod to his style and sense of humor.
Haley Bennett
For worse
Good thing Kylie Jenner wasn't at there that night to see this gown. She might have asked "Is that a chicken?" There's so much wrong with this entire ensemble, but the biggest issue I have with it is that there is so much missed potential here. Her hair and makeup is beautiful, the sheer detail at the top is stunning and I actually adore the color and texture of the dress' feathery textile. But the skirt of this dress is one of the most disastrous things I've seen in a long time. Its length of the green textile is awkward, which is I'm sure why someone decided to stick a full tule skirt underneath it all. But it doesn't stop there. Even the tule skirt is not long enough to hit the ground, making the dress look like she's anticipating a flood, exposing her shoes...which I'm also not a fan of. I like this from the waist up. I just wish someone had reigned it in to make it look as good from the waist down.
Margot Robbie
For better
I love Margot Robbie and like that her approach to her red carpet glamour is similar to that of Charlize Theron. Which is funny, because I find many similarities to them as actresses as well. The color of this dress, the train length, the makeup and the hair all make this clean and fresh looking. The one thing I'd change is I'd remove the tinsel on the front of her bust. The detail of it draped over her arms is romantic and sexy. But two layers of it over her bust and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Besides that, I adore this look.
Andra Day
For worse
I'm not sure where to start. This Rococo inspired dress has got a lot happening and most of it isn't good. The print is dowdy while the slit is too sexy, the pucker over the crotch look is not at all enticing, there are too many competing accessories and I don't like the burgundy pump. Not to mention you can see gray fabric jetting out underneath the dress and over her leg as if it's a piece of extremely low-hanging lining, making the garment like a comforter on your bedroom floor on laundry day. However, this Zac Posen gown did give us another perspective that other gowns this evening didn't. At one point, she lied down on her side on the carpet, and you got to see the full effect of the editorial qualities of this gown. That's when it all began to make sense: This belongs in a photoshoot, rather than a runway or red carpet. But still, while that was clever enough, red carpet looks are all about how they look vertically. So I'll have to boot it.
Leslie Bibb
For Better
Steven and I took one look at this dress and laughed because it's exactly the dress I'd wear to a formal event if I had my dream wardrobe. I'm being a bit bias, but the sheer detailing, the chevron pattern, the neckline and the glamour of it all made it a fabulous and completely underrated gown.
Maya Rudolph
For Worse...then for Better
Believe me when I first saw this dress on her when she presented an award, I wasn't digging it. It looked wide and formless for the most part. But after checking out what it looked like on the red carpet, it grew on me. If you study the photo below, you realize just how perfectly fitted it is to her. It actually is a more intriguing silhouette than you think. The length is perfect, the sleeves are flattering, the turtleneck collar is chic, and the simple hair and large dangling earrings frame her face nicely without taking away from the dress. It's not something I would wear, but it's a nice change from what we're used to at these events, and executed impeccably.
Lindsey Vonn
For Worse
I think she's used to the bedazzlement and fringe of ice skating costumes and the idea that people will always be seeing her from afar, because this professional skater did not rise to the occasion of wearing an appropriate Oscar gown. This was tasteless, revealing in a tactless way, overly detailed and down right gaudy with that awful necklace and frilly train. Plus we've seen this sort of fashion faux pas a million and one times. You'd think people would learn after a while.
Armie Hammer
For Better
I swear I'm not being bias when I say that I loved Armie Hammer's look. This luscious burgundy suit was paired well with a crisp white shirt, black bow-tie and black shoes. He looked sharp as hell, but most importantly, different from the other men in the line-up. A look like this would seem dated on a rack, but the impeccable cut of it and fit on him makes it not only tasteful, but youthful.
Salma Hayek
For Worse
For a woman who's married to a fashion tsar, she sure ran out of options for the Oscars. While her figure and face look gorgeous, I can't say the same about much else. Her hair looks too messy to be sleek and not messy enough to be going for that swept-away-on-a-beach look, the jewels draped along her bosom and arms are gaudy and clash with the color of the dress, the clutch looks like it was snatched from a clear plastic bin by the cash register at Forever 21, and the dress - while it accentuates her bust - is a bit straight-up-and-down in the skirt, creating an imbalanced silhouette. But like all Salma Hayek looks, I can't say I won't remember it.
Nicole Kidman
For Better
Don't think I didn't notice her hiding her hands behind the giant bow on this gown. After distorted footage of her clapping surfaced that made her hands look about a foot long, I think she learned her lesson. I absolutely love this gown. My jaw dropped when I saw this incredible silhouette on-stage as she presented one of the awards. It was a beautiful shade of blue against her porcelain skin, it brought out the blue in her eyes and the red in her lips, it was impeccably fitted and flattering, hit the ground at the perfect length and looked like a 3D model of a dress with its stiff texture and eye-catching sheen to it. This was truly a show stopper.
Blanca Blanco
For the Worst
This may not have been the ugliest garment the night, but it was one of the ones that frustrated me the most. I think it's because regardless of who I have roasted throughout this list, they were all having fun with their garments and trying something new, whether it was on a personal level or in the world of fashion. St. Vincent was her kooky self, Whoopi was stepping out of her comfort zone while being true to herself, Andra Day pulled a stunt some would find charming, etc. But looks like this garment worn by Blanca Blanco are just the same old thing we see every year. Something that looks thrown together, overly sexy for the night, unoriginal and somehow unflattering on a clearly very attractive woman.
This is an example of a look people will often overlook when they think back to this Oscar's red carpet, and something that will fade into the memories of 2018 pop culture. And not just because she's not an A-lister, but because we've seen a thousand versions of this dress before, and will continue to see another thousand. And that's where we need to be grateful for even the biggest and most absurd fashion faux pas. They at least stick with us and cause us to think about what we find attractive and inspiring and what we don't. Whether or not you feel pressure from the magazines or your peers to like or dislike a look, you know in your heart what makes a positive and negative impact on you. And that time to reflect is always a time to better get to know your tastes and perspectives, which is always a good thing.
Rita Moreno
For The Best
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why the classics stay classic, and why the legends stay legendary. Rita Moreno showed up to the 90th Academy Awards in the same gown she accepted her 1962 Oscar in, for Best Supporting Actress as Anita from West Side Story. Let's just say that that tidbit will inspire me to go to the gym more than once this week. She looked ridiculously beautiful in it on screen and on the red carpet, just as she did back in the day. This is an example of an avant-garde silhouette I can't get enough of. In a recent interview, she recalled flying in to the Academy Awards from the Philippines, where the dress was originally made, and expecting the award to go to Judy Garland for her role in Judgment at Nuremberg. But it was in fact her own big night, which would get her one step closer to being an EGOT recipient (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony.)
And this gown was a major hit at this year's Academy Awards. Not just for the nostalgia factor, but for how memorably graphic and beautiful it is. It just goes to show that if you show people a garment that is well-crafted, forward thinking and worn with love, it can touch the hearts of many, and stand the test of time.
All in all, this year's Oscars showcased gowns and suits that were a major step up from last year's. Were there any garments you thought were particularly memorable that I didn't mention? Give me a like on Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter to keep up on more entertainment coverage. Until next time!
