The Szish Dish: Golden Globes a Fashion Grand Slam
Jan. 16, 2007, LOS ANGELES — -- Justin Timberlake may be bringing sexy back, but the stars at the 64th annual Golden Globes are bringing glamour back. There were so many best-dressed celebs, "The Szish Dish" had to add new categories.
The Wow Factor
Rating stars on the red carpet best-dressed list goes way beyond the gown, the hair, the makeup, the shoes and, of course, the jewelry. All facets must work together to create a flawless, head-to-toe look so the world at large will say, "Aha! So that's what a real star looks like!"
Angelina Jolie -- Her charcoal-gray, strapless gown was only the beginning. Add the delicate diamond necklace, the sleek updo, the soft smoky eyes, pale lips and a one-of-a-kind accessory, Brad Pitt, and you've got yourself the ultimate Hollywood legend.
Hilary Swank -- Her navy blue, spaghetti strap dress fit her perfectly (style note: Fit is crucial!), and the bow detail at the waist added a feminine touch. Natural makeup, 1940s-style finger waves and the diamond flower hair clip made her look, well, super-swanky!
Penelope Cruz -- Her fitted, black Chanel Couture gown was anything but basic. The fluttery ruffle detailing on the straps brought attention to her face, as did her Brigitte Bardot-esque hair. Instead of noticing Penelope's dress or makeup or hair, you simply noticed Penelope.
Drew Barrymore -- Drew's Hollywood royalty roots were evident last night. When she breezed down the red carpet in her pale pink strapless John Galliano for Christian Dior gown, all eyes were suddenly on her, despite the fact that several other A-listers were in the immediate vicinity.
Cate Blanchett -- A modern style icon, Blanchett never fails to impress. Her black lace, off-the-shoulder Alexander McQueen gown with the asymmetrical hem looked even more sophisticated with her barely-there makeup and soft, tousled hair.
Best Personal Style
This purest form of fashion only happens when boundaries are pushed and risks are taken; and it only succeeds when the risk-takers don't look like they're trying too hard. Here, the success stories:
Cameron Diaz -- I still prefer her as a California blonde with natural makeup, but her dark hair and red lips did look particularly striking when paired with a one-shoulder white gown. The ruffle detail on the shoulder and the jeweled black bow belt were especially intriguing.
Sienna Miller -- Love it or hate it, only Sienna could pull off this look. I'm still not sure exactly where I stand on it, but her white and gold patterned gown had a gladiator-meets-goddess vibe that was substantially softened by her Heidi-like braided hairdo. Hair guru Oscar Blandi, who created Sienna's look, told me that she's one of the few stars who can get away with any hairstyle. "The Szish Dish" agrees.
Fashion Faux Pas
Last night the red carpet style stakes were raised, and these women didn't rise to the occasion.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus -- First, the mustard hue. Mustard? Next, the length. While hemlines may be on the rise, it seemed inappropriate for a best actress nominee to opt out of a full-length gown in favor of a knee-length cocktail dress. Plus, the dress didn't fit. Every time we saw Julia, her bustline seemed to be in a different place.
Patricia Arquette -- Her unnatural coif and stiff strapless dress made this former Globe winner look like a…well, you know.
Jennifer Love Hewitt -- Her copper lace George Chakra gown was garish at best, and her overdone hair made matters worse. No love for Jennifer from "The Szish Dish."
The Legends
The ingénues weren't the only gals setting high fashion standards. Some of Hollywood's most legendary leading ladies demonstrated that style is ageless.
Meryl Streep -- Streep would have made any fashion editor proud with her blush chiffon Carolina Herrera gown.
Helen Mirren -- Custom-created by Donna Karan, this double Globe winner's blue jersey gown with sequined tulle reigned.
Annette Bening -- According to Warren Beatty, "It's hard to be humble when you're married to Annette Bening." And it's easy to see why. She looked ravishing in a white gown with deco-style, rhinestone detailing.
The Power Couples
These high-profile duos reminded us that happily-ever-after does exist in Hollywood -- even off the screen.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie; Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner; Heidi Klum and Seal; Annette Bening and Warren Beatty; Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith; Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon; Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony; Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy; Courtney Cox and David Arquette.
White: The New Black
The red carpet was awash in shades of white and cream. Usually, three times makes a trend, but last night I counted at least fourteen instances. White is officially the new black.
Cases in point: Ali Larter in a plunging Reem Acra bias-cut dress (she told me it was one of the most comfortable gowns she's ever worn); Emily Blunt in vintage Herve Leger with a bead-encrusted neckline; Kate Walsh in a sparkling Elie Saab; Ellen Pompeo in Versace and Kate Winslet in a strapless Azzaro.
Midnight blue also made a strong showing, for both the women and the men. Winner Jennifer Hudson rocked a short-sleeved Vera Wang gown; Isla Fisher wowed in a vintage Herve Leger bandage dress with a tulle skirt; Hilary Swank's navy belted gown was one of the night's best.
Several of Hollywood's hottest stars made statements in a rainbow of bright, solid-colored dresses.
The Szish Dish honors the "Crayon Girls:"
Rachel Weisz -- Ravishing in red.
Reese Witherspoon -- Her sunshine-yellow strapless Nina Ricci number looked extra hot with those sexy red shoes.
Renee Zellweger -- Renee made us green with envy in her satin emerald strapless dress.
America Ferrera -- This Globe winner was anything but ugly in her purple Brian Reyes gown.
Sexy Necklines
Strapless -- Nearly every red carpet proffers a strapless gown or two, but based on the turnout at the Globes, this clean look is officially back in vogue. A few heavy hitters who showed up sans-straps: Reese Witherspoon, Renee Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, Drew Barrymore and Rachel Weisz.
Asymmetrical -- Nicole Kidman chose a gown with an asymmetrical neckline when she wed Keith Urban last year and the trend has legs, according to Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez and Kyra Sedgwick (in J. Mendel).
Encrusted -- Some celebs wore dresses with necklines and straps that could have doubled as jewelry. These face-flattering selections turned up on Felicity Huffman, Sharon Stone, Eva Longoria and Emily Blunt.
Where Have All the Stiff Updos Gone?
Many chose to let their hair down. Gone (for the most part -- Catherine Heigl, take note) were the stiff updos that appear to have been shellacked with entire cans of Aqua Net.
Whether long and straight (Courtney Cox, Beyonce and Reese Witherspoon) or loose and tousled (Rachel Weisz, Kate Winslet, Salma Hayek, Ali Larter, Jennifer Hudson, Sheryl Crow, Hilary Swank and Jennifer Garner), the top trend was clean, shiny and sexy hair.
Once again, I have to give a shout out to Oscar Blandi, who predicted that very trend more than 24 hours before the big event.
But, what would an awards show be without some hair disasters? The Szish Dish Bad Hair Day award has resulted in a tie between Vanessa Williams and Will Ferrell (did they stick their fingers in the same socket?)
The End of 'In Your Face' Bling
In-your-face bling is a thing of the past, and I am pleased to report that the goodbye officially renders the word "bling" irrelevant and soooo over (you may pause to do a celebratory dance now). That said, diamonds were out in full force and in all forms.
But, this time necklaces weren't chunky and heavy; they were delicate and pretty, in some cases barely noticeable (Angelina Jolie, Renee Zellweger, Kate Winslet and Kate Walsh).
Rectangular-cut diamond rings were popular, as were classic shaped diamonds in soft shades of pink and yellow. Some celebs chose to make a statement with larger, dangling earrings, but most wisely used them as stand-alone statement pieces.
The Last Word
Custom gowns, mega-karats, and perfect bodies aside, the most memorable moment of the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards came straight from the mouth of one of the night's big winners.
As she stood on stage in front of Hollywood's most beautiful people, accepting one of the industry's biggest awards, "Ugly Betty's" America Ferrara brought us all back to Earth when she reminded us, "Beauty lies deeper than what we see."
See you at the Oscars!!!