At last, Hollywood’s A-list had an excuse to go glam! With the loss of the Golden Globes and the fate of the Oscars in question, the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild provided a welcome return to the red carpet runway, even as the months-long writers strike must have had many famous fashionistas very glad designers were clothing their backs for free.
With what may be their only major opportunity to shine and sparkle during the annual awards derby, the stars showed off–and set–a slew of major fashion trends, from strapless styles to bold colors to classy cocktail dresses to cleavage, cleavage and more cleavage. Hollywood.com names our picks for those who made a smash, and those who crashed.
Hollywood.com’s Most Smashing Star: Angelina Jolie
Let’s face it: Angie could’ve shown up wearing a burlap sack and she still would’ve outshone most of the rest of the red carpet by dint of her always fashionable accessory, Brad Pitt. But she scored gi-normous extra credit points by choosing a vintage ombré chocolate strapless goddess gown by Hermes (matched with Amrapali of Jaipur earrings and Christian Louboutin heels) that was not only elegant in its fluid flow, its body-covering aspects also helped fuel the growing rumors that Hollywood’s most famous family may be receiving yet another addition in a few months and moved the dress beyond the muumuu. Stye + Speculation = Score! Adding to the matriarchal mode: a cuff Brad had made from a sketch by their son Maddox.[PAGEBREAK]
Hollywood.com’s Most Crashing Couture: Sandra Oh
Oh. Oh my. Oh no. A present best left unwrapped in L.A. designer Kim MeeHee’s traditional black Korean dress motif adorned with a Pepto-Bismol pink bow, Sandra should’ve stuck with shades of Grey for her Anatomy. [PAGEBREAK]
Hollywood.com’s Racy Red Runner Up: Carla Gugino
Carla may not be the magazine cover fodder of some of her contemporaries, but we’ve always admired her unerring fashion sense–and killer curves, which all came together in this red-hot creation with sequined straps by one of her favorite designers, Roberto Cavalli, which she snagged in Italy and combined with Neil Lane jewelry and perfectly matched crimson lips. She loved it for its back-to-Old-Hollywood yet modern feel.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria insists she put an additional 10 lbs. on in her badonkadonk, but she–and we–wasn’t complaining when she saw how it looked in this glistening, back-baring Naeem Khan white gown and Verdura jewels. Her “frizzy” ‘do was inspired by the rainy day, assuming whatever the downpour, it would have nowhere to go.[PAGEBREAK]
Crash!: Tilda Swinton
Gosh, what a shock–Tilda went the androgynous route AGAIN in this silver-plum, um, thingie crafted especially for her by her pal Haider Ackermann. But whether worn by a woman or a man, there’s no confusing this gender bender as a bomb.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: Cate Blanchett
Oh, the controversy–for the second night in a row, Cate ditched her traditional Armani in favor of an appropriately regal Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière, donning the draped bustier dress with multi-colored silver embroidery, Fred Leighton jewels, and Roger Vivier sandals in a brilliant effort to both complement and disguise her burgeoning baby bump.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: Christina Applegate
There’s no questioning the Samantha Who? star’s sense of style, in a gorgeous silver gown by Elie Saab and Neil Lane diamond stud earrings. But even Christina was worried about a return to the red carpet after a lengthy hiatus–she said her most recent fashion must has been her pajamas.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: America Ferrera
Yes, we officially get it, America: Your sense of style is exactly the opposite of Betty Suarez. Her choice of a lavender-gray lace gown with a jeweled shoulder (not uncomfortable at all, she reports) by Monique Luhllier and Jimmy Choo heels was a study in understated elegance, a comfy “second skin” she wasn’t anxious at all to shed.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: Becki Newton
While her Ugly Betty character teeters on the edge of fashion victimhood, Becki‘s a style champ in a tiered white sequined Elsie Katz gown and Mary Norton minaudière, which she described as both comfortable and “rain-resistant.” We’ll take the plunge with her any day.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash! Vanessa Williams
The cloudy skies over the Shrine Auditorium inspired Vanessa to “bring a little sunshine” to the red carpet, and her black-sashed marigold Escada gown, vintage Fred Leighton diamonds and Daniel Swarovski clutch did the trick. By the time she stepped onto the red carpet, everything was golden.[PAGEBREAK]
Crash!: Debra Messing
When unflattering dresses happen to fashionable people: Debra says her Oscar de la Renta sheath, which she matched with a Neil Lane diamond bubble ring and rough cut diamond earrings–was one of the first things on the rack when she started looking. She might have looked harder. And note: beads and bedhead, not so stylish.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash! Rebecca Romjin
Maybe because they see the word “Ugly” next to their names so often, the Betty girls pull out all the stops when it comes to flesh–and flesh, in the case of Rebecca‘s skimpy Cavalli creation, which she called the “sickest” cocktail dress she could find–“in a good way.”[PAGEBREAK]
Smash! January Jones
We’d love to see a year of Januarys if they look as brilliant as Miss Jones did in this eye-popping pink Giorgio Armani Privé silk organza gown and Neil Lane diamonds. No wonder she drives all the Men on her show Mad.[PAGEBREAK]
Crash!: Lisa Rinna
“I don’t think you can ever go wrong with leopard,” said Lisa of her panther-y Jenny Pakham creation. Think again, sister. And besides, it’s cougars that are trendy in Hollywood these days.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: Kate Beckinsale
Now this is the Becks from Britain everyone should be atwitter over in L,A.! Kate passed muster–not mustard–in her bright yellow Luisa Beccaria gown and piles upon piles of Van Cleef & Arpels vintage jewels–for a moment, we even stopped fondly longing for that Underworld catsuit.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: Sophia Bush
Sophia’s selection of Ports 1961’s chocolate cocktail dress with a glittery sheen and diamond drop earrings really knocked us out of our tree. We’ll go cocktailing with her anytime.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: Marcia Cross
Marcia calls dress designer Monique Lhuillier, jeweler Lorraine Schwartz and her personal stylist Jessica Paster “artisans” in their own right, and who are we to argue when the finished work of art is such a masterpiece? In terrific torquise and coral, diamond and rose gold jewelry, Marcia’s museum quality.[PAGEBREAK]
Crash!: Jane Krakowski
By drowning her limon Catherine Malandrino gown in pile after pile of green and yellow bubble beads, Jane didn’t take home any fashion honors, but may soon be offered a new part: playing a can of 7-Up.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: Michelle Pfieffer
When you list all the ingredients–a taupe strapless Versace dress, matching Christian Louboutin pumps, Neil Lane’s darkened diamond and platinum earrings and white diamond and platinum bangles and a Lambertson Truex crocodile clutch–leaves you a little winded. Put it all on Michelle, however, and it’s suddenly, simply breathtaking.[PAGEBREAK]
Crash!: Chandra WilsonGiven her diminutive stature it’s a good thing Chandra didn’t wear her metallic gold Genevieve gown to the Emmys, or she might have been mistaken for one of the trophies and taken home to someone’s mantle.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: Teri Hatcher
Take an oyster-colored Badgley Mischka gown with antique crystal embroidery and Neil Lane’s diamond flower pendant earrings, add Teri Hatcher’s supreme shoulders, and all Desperation abides.[PAGEBREAK]
Smash!: Kyra Sedgwick
The Closer had us at the opener when Kyra first stepped onto the red carpet in her L’Wren Scott cobalt silk crepe and Chantilly lace dress and Fred Leighton diamond earrings, bracelet and ring. She stood head and shoulders–and shoulders and shoulders–above the competition. [PAGEBREAK]
Crash!: Viggo Mortensen
Another reason for women to appreciate the impressive nude form Viggo displays in Eastern Promises–he can’t dress himself, as this Doc Holliday-meets-Wall Street-pinstripes-meets-Grizzly Adams combo proves. Note to Viggo: next time the invite says “black tie,” go with it.
