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Admiring from the Backseat: 10 Best Red Carpet Looks from 2011

by The Backseat Stylers | December 29th, 2011

January Jones in Carolina Herrara Pre-Fall 2011 at the 17th Screen Actors Guild Awards

The end of a year always brings about an overabundance of ‘best of’ lists, so of course we had to contribute one of our own. Putting together a list of the top ten red carpet looks of 2011 was a surprisingly easy task. These 9 women – 8 actresses and 1 real life princess – and their 10 ensembles (Emma Stone is listed twice!) were clear standouts in our eyes. So much so that we’re not even going to bother to explain our choices – these stunning looks speak for themselves. Plus, we’re still recovering from our holiday turkey feast.

From Anne Hathaway‘s sequin Armani Privé to Cate Blanchett‘s lavender Givenchy, these are the types of clothes that make us wish that we too were Hollywood actresses or fairy tale princesses whose job descriptions included gracing red carpets in couture. But, alas, we are not…yet. So until such day that fact changes, we’ll settle for daydreaming about strutting our stuff in January Jones‘ gold lace gown by Carolina Herrera and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge‘s blush sequin dress by Jenny Packham instead.

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Haute Couture Spring 2011 at the 83rd Academy Awards

Emma Stone in Giambattista Valli Fall 2011 at the ‘Friends With Benefits’ New York premiere

Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab Fall 2011 at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards

Ginnifer Goodwin in Topshop at Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in Jenny Packham Spring 2011 at the Annual Absolute Return for Kids (ARK) Gala Dinner in London

Emma Stone in Tom Ford Fall 2011 at the ‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ World Premiere

Anne Hathaway in Armani Privé Fall 2010 at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Spring 2011 Couture at the 83rd Academy Awards

Sandra Bullock in Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 at the ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’ New York premiere

xx, T & S

Images via Celeb Whereabouts, Vogue UK, Just Jared, Just Jared, Zimbio, Celebitchy, Just Jared, tlfan, Celebrity-Paradise, Celebitchy

Red Carpet

Admiring from the Backseat: Sandra Bullock in Alexander McQueen

by The Backseat Stylers | December 16th, 2011

I don’t usually find Sandra Bullock’s style all that noteworthy, but her look at the premiere of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close in New York last night was a pleasant surprise. A departure from the rather uninspired ensembles she usually serves up, the actress walked the red carpet in a chic black satin suit from the Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 collection. She accessorized her look perfectly too with a gorgeous black stingray belt at the waist, metallic clutch and cocktail ring.

I’m a big fan of suits and tuxedos on red carpets. When done right, they’re a refreshing choice among the usual onslaught of over-the-top Marchesa gowns. Though McQueen (and Marchesa, for that matter) is out of my reach, I’ll be on the lookout for a sleek suit of my own for the upcoming New Year’s Eve festivities, in place of the typical cocktail dress.

Would you rock a suit, satin or otherwise, to a holiday party?

xx, S

Images via celebitchy.com

Red Carpet

Admiring from the Backseat: Oscars 2010 Edition

by The Backseat Stylers | March 8th, 2010

The Academy Awards are like Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals to me; I stay glued to the TV from start to finish with nary a pee break, while stuffing my face with way too much food and drink as I anxiously await the results. The main difference, however, is that helmets and hockey sticks aren’t nearly as interesting as the haute couture gowns that walk the Oscars red carpet.

Last night, while I did find the sartorial choices of the Hollywood elite to be a tad on the safe and boring side, there were still a handful of red carpet standouts that showed up looking like true movie stars.

Best dressed, in my humble opinion, goes to Diane Kruger. Her ensembles had been falling flat throughout this year’s awards season, but she apparently saved the best for last. Diane and Chanel are a match made in couture heaven. Of all the Oscars gowns I’ve seen since I started watching so many years ago, this is the one I’ll be daydreaming about for many years to come.

Zoe Saldana, however, had been consistently fabulous at every awards ceremony, and she did not disappoint last night. In fact, Zoe took things to a whole other level. Not only did she show up in an exquisite purple Givenchy gown, but she managed to change the minds of naysayers who weren’t fans of the gown when it was presented on the Spring 2010 haute couture runway. Zoe took a risk with her daring choice, but it definitely paid off.

Sandra Bullock had the night of her life with a Best Actress nod, and she did it in style in a stunning metallic Marchesa gown. She’d worn some questionable dresses this awards season, but she pulled it out when it mattered the most. Sandra looked the most beautiful I’ve ever seen her.

Maggie Gyllenhaal is a red carpet regular who will never be accused of donning something boring. Her printed sapphire Dries Van Noten was a breath of fresh air in a sea of largely bland gowns. I hadn’t truly appreciated Maggie’s seemingly effortless sense of style until this awards season, but now I finally get what all the hype is about.

Meryl Streep, who’s probably walked more red carpets than the other 4 ladies combined, was the epitome of class and elegance in a white Chris March gown that suited her absolutely perfectly. From her chic ‘do all the way down to her Jimmy Choos, Meryl let it be known that 60-year olds can kill the red carpet too. I can only hope to look half as good as Meryl when I’m that age.

And with that, this year’s awards season draws to a close. Till next year!

xx, S

Photo Credits: Celebutopia via TFS