the fashion report: 2011 MET ball

well, this has been quite the weekend!

first, we have the wedding of all weddings – prince william & princess kate tied the knot this past friday. now we’ve got this year’s MET ball hosted at the metropolitan museum of art’s annual gala. the costume institute gala benefit celebrates the opening of the “alexander mcqueen: savage beauty” exhibition, featuring the late designer’s iconic work.

this red carpet is unlike any other… this is where the best & the brightest come out to celebrate fashion. and celebrate they did! let’s start off with my best picks of the night.

when it’s right, it’s right, and these ladies did it perfectly. first up, my absolute favorite of the night, diane kruger in jason wu. this chic gown accents her old hollywood appeal, right down to the slitted skirt. absolute perfection! next up is young’un evan rachel wood in a maroon gucci premiere ensemble. we don’t see too much of this color anymore, and she’s workin’ it. love the detailing around the bust.

the fashion-forward isabel lucas chose this stunning louis vuitton number – i just can’t get over the color! while i’m not a huge fan of the headpiece, it’s still an inspired look. and then there’s ginnfer goodwin in topshop. are you kidding me? the jewelry, the makeup, the shoes! oh, the shoes! i’m loving everything about this look.

blake lively got it right in chanel this time around. her recently-dyed flowing locks fall gracefully on top of a beautiful detailed bodice. well done, karl lagerfeld! and rounding out the top 6 is model brooklyn decker in michael kors. so simple, yet absolutely out of this world.

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a big theme at this year’s MET ball? it was all about beige, starting with benefit organizer salma hayek in alexander mcqueen. expectant mommy kate hudson seemed to have blossomed overnight! stella mccartney really knows how to dress the preggos, lookin’ good kate.

in comes victoria’s secret model lily aldridge in ralph lauren collection – yea, she’s gorgeous. not many people can pull off the draped silk. that’s impressive! and then there’s another preggo on the red carpet… jessica alba in ralph lauren collection. i would KILL for her upper body – and skin tone, for that matter!

9 times out of 10 renee zellweger is on my “worst” list. but i think she got it right in carolina herrera. featuring quite the plunging backline, renee certainly knows how to draw attention to her rockin’ bod! last up, wearing valentio, is ms. dakota fanning! very age-appropriate and dainty! love it.

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and then there was the worst. there’s always some atrocious picks, and this year was no different. first up to the plate? the usually spot-on christina hendricks in carolina herrera. i mean, did she even look in the mirror? this does NOTHING for her figure and the colors? just plain ugly. i just have to say, what in the world, christina ricci?! we already picture you as your addams family character, why act it out in real life? yuck.

i’ll be the first to admit the olsen’s are quite the fashion-forward pair. but, why must they always wear things 40 times too big? i hate ill-fitting clothes, and mary kate‘s givenchy haute couture choice is no different. argh! modern family actress sofia vergara‘s carolina herrera gown, i’m sorry to say, looks like something i could’ve bought at jc penney on the clearance prom rack. whoops.

a total miss by alicia keys in her givenchy gown. it’s not that bad – take the jacket off and we’ll talk! and one of  these days, kristen stewart may just get it right, but this not one of those times. her proenza schouler number is repetitive, ill-fitting and just plain blah. sorry k-stew!

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this selection is all about… interesting black gowns. creative, i know. first up is model chrissy teigen in chris march. sometimes, chrissy, daring is not always a good idea. this is one of those moments. we see more cut-out fun in leighton meester‘s dress by louis vuitton. i’m like 80/20 on this one… 80% good, 20% not good.

then there’s brunette beauty penelope cruz. choosing the always-glamorous oscar de la renta, penelope looks exquisite. although i would’ve loved it even more if it were strapless! rhianna steps out in a less-than-stellar stella mccartney gown. i’m just not feelin’ the asymmetrical shoulder cut and corresponding hemline.

here comes lucy liu in vionnet. do i even have to say anything? waist-up, i could’ve dealt with. but come on, the see through slit and ostrich-y skirt? yikes! and last on the list we have ashley olsen in christian dior haute couture. ya know, i actually really like this. a form-fitting gown with puffy cream sleeves is a perfect pairing!

 

 

christina hendricks is amazing

hallelujah! and hallelujah one more time for good measure! mad men‘s christina hendricks has been named the america’s most beautiful woman by esquire magazine. so, so deserving.

she just exudes “sexy!” the actress, who received a whopping 30 per cent of the votes, appears on the cover of the the mag’s may issue.

following closely behind the mad men bombshell was previous winner megan fox with 14 % of the votes and victoria’s secret model adriana lima, who earned 17 %. as gorgeous as she is, her interview was even better. check out some highlights below on her “letter to men”:

We love your body. If we’re in love with you, we love your body. Your potbelly, everything. Even if you’re insecure about something, we love your body. You feel like you’re not this or that? We love your body. We embrace everything. Because it’s you.

We remember forever what you say about the bodies of other women. When you mention in passing that a certain woman is attractive — could be someone in the office, a woman on the street, a celebrity, any woman in the world, really — your comment goes into a steel box and it stays there forever. We will file the comment under “Women He Finds Attractive.”

We also remember everything you say about our bodies, be it good or bad. Doesn’t matter if it’s a compliment. Could be just a comment. Those things you say are stored away in the steel box, and we remember these things verbatim. We remember what you were wearing and the street corner you were standing on when you said it.

Remember what we like… I mentioned this three or four weeks ago and talked about it briefly, but he was really listening to me. And he actually went out and researched and found this thing for me. It was amazing.

Stand up, open a door, offer a jacket. We talk about it with our friends after you do it. We say, “Can you believe he stood up when I approached the table?” It makes us feel important. And it makes you important because we talk about it.

No shorts that go below the knee. The ones almost like capri pants, the ones that hover somewhere between the kneecap and the calf? Enough with those shorts. They are the most embarrassing pants in the world. They should never be worn. No woman likes those.

There are better words than beautiful. Radiant, for instance. It’s an underused word. It’s a very special word. “You are radiant.” Also, enchanting, smoldering, intoxicating, charming, fetching.

Marriage changes very little. Intelligence and humor (and your smell) are what get you laid. That’s what got you laid when you were single. That’s what gets you laid when you’re married. Everything still works in marriage: especially intelligence and humor. Because the sexiest thing is to know you.