2021 Golden Globes Fashion

You'd think a pandemic is when I would really ramp up my former blogging hobby, but like everyone, my main hobby is wondering where time is going? But time does indeed march on, and here we are, back in awards season. It's still weird, and this year's Golden Globes were notably sloppy compared to even your afternoon team Zooms. It had everything: muted speeches, guest appearances by pets and kids, horrible audio and blank, bored faces. But luckily it also had some fashion for our starved eyeballs!

A few housekeeping rules: In general, I'm not going to get into outfits that got zero screen time or didn't appear on the "red carpet," as it were. It's just too easy for people to trot out a "look" on Instagram, and I have to draw the line somewhere. 

Perhaps appropriately, the fashion was a little underwhelming and maybe that's the right thing to do in a pandemic when you're Zooming from home. But we did see a few envelope-pushers, with varying degrees of sticking the landing. Shall we?

Best Dressed

It's true; I'm a hopeless sucker for bias-cut, aquamarine satin on a long-necked beauty with ballerina grace. This Gucci gown on Elle Fanning was Cinderella-meets-Atonement made ever more charming by her actual glee to share a Zoom breakout room with her fellow nominees. The real MVP here is the iridescent shimmer on her cheekbones perfectly matched to the shine of the gown.

Anya Taylor-Joy had two big projects this year that took her from "that girl from The Witch and Peaky Blinders" to an almost household name. So naturally, she had to seize the moment to dress strategically as the new It Girl and she really rose to the occasion in this classic, rich green lurex gown and cape by Dior, accented with an iconic Veronica Lake side part. The color is divine, and the stance has me begging to see her in a neo noir film. 

I love that men have embraced having fun with color and no one scored better on this front than Dan Levy in a Valentino suit with a sequined sweater in the perfect monochrome shade of quince. The pewter chunky shoes take it to the next level!

Leave it to Sarah Paulson to make a purple cast by Prada into the hottest accessory. Her off-the-shoulder tea-length gown, also by Prada, reminded me of Bette Davis' iconic evening gown in All About Eve, which feels fitting knowing Paulson was nominated for the similar-era "Ratched." The vibe is modernized by a crisp bob, a.k.a my favorite thing.

We're forever unworthy of our future EGOT Regina, taking us back to the future in Louis Vuitton. The sculpted bodice and geometric sleeves feel futuristic, but the classic mermaid silhouette is as Old Hollywood as it gets. 

It's a little predictable to wear a sparkly silver princess ballgown, but I really love the detail of the beadwork on this Oscar de la Renta on Kaley Cuoco. It looks like cascading chandeliers or starbursts, and it's a shame that detail wasn't shown on screen because it really is splendid. 

I like that Cynthia Erivo has committed to never, ever boring us on the red carpet. This Valentino is basically UFO cosplay, or a tennis ball costume, but the silhouette is pure Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face and the fabric is some kind of mesh magic neoprene that defies everything we know about gravity. It's eye-popping and yet classic, perfectly tailored and yet the absolute most impossible length to pull off. There was a time I would have hated this, but at this point, I have to applaud it. 

Gillian Anderson appeared in what I immediately deemed "Deatheater Couture," a Dior skull-emblazoned halter with a taupe skirt fit for a mummy. She is nursing a wounded heart following a breakup with Peter Morgan, creator of "The Crown" who was ALSO on the Zoom, and is there a more Leo move than to show up looking divine in a dress that's basically a threat? We have no choice but to stan.

The ingenue playbook requires an elegant silhouette, a perfect fit with some interesting detail and a knockout color, and Borat's Maria Bakalova scored an A+ in her shimmering tomato red Armani. This gown practically cc's every casting director in Hollywood: Don't sleep on me.

I'm among the many who still has not finished and may never finish Emily in Paris, a boring and mostly bad show. But I will give Lily Collins her due; she's been slaying the red carpet for many years and this 80's vixen here to steal your husband Saint Laurent gown is a whole vibe. Mega kudos to whomever got roped into producing this lookbook image for the Gram. 

Best/Worst

The best/worst category is reserved for renegades who simply must be saluted for their joi de vivre for fashion or lack thereof. These are the rebels who either come wildly dressed or wildly underdressed and yet we love them.

Cue "Send in the Clowns." Emma Corrin's mega collar by Miu Miu topped puffed sleeves that even Anne of Green Gables would think were a bit much. You'd be forgiven if you thought she'd rushed home straight from her mime school where she's studying Commedia dell'Arte. But it's...working? And honestly, I think collars are coming back in a Big Way. It only makes sense in our Zoom world where fashion is limited to whatever's visible above the clavicle. I look forward to seeing her fashion journey from here!

God help me, I'm pretty sure I'd join whatever cult Jared Leto is starting in this disco-ready Gucci tan suit, accented with a large orchid pin and the facial hair of  The Eagles' Glenn Frey at his hotness peak. Also his ombre hair was...too good. I'm concerned about myself after being INTO this.

I am also VERY INTO Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso and when he showed up basically in character in a tie-dye sweatshirt from his sister's dance studio, with his character's mustache on full display, I realized with regret that I'm also into Whatever This Is. Pandemic has made us all weird.

Good

Amanda Seyfried brought classic Hollywood glamour in her Oscar de la Renta gown. I genuinely loved this hair color on her; it felt perfectly complementary to the peachy-rose of her gown and the floral bodice. This feels safe to me and all-around good, but not a career best or breathtaking per se.

Julia Garner has the tiny precious features and skin tone of a porcelain doll, and her face is just begging to be cast in some period pieces. So it feels just and right for her to wear a twenties-inspired gown by Prada with a plunging neckline and drop waist that makes us all wonder how Amanda Seyfried was cast as Marion Davies in Mank instead of her. 

A ho-hum outfit on Nicole is still a slam dunk. This isn't the most exciting or daring thing she's ever worn (at this point, she's earned her fashion bonafides and could just start wearing sweats with her reputation intact), but the chain detail and simple cut of this halter Louis Vuitton is superb. And I love seeing curly red-haired Nicole again!

This Givenchy is not my favorite look on Gal Gadot; it's a little shapeless and I am not loving the noncommittal hem, which feels more like an accident than a design point of view. But I appreciate her willingness to share those legs with us, and it does give me 1970's Bianca Jagger vibes, especially with her perfect hair. 

This is just an ode to Jamie Lee Curtis, a walking model for probiotics, a sunshiny presence of realness on our TV screens and unabashed celebrator of cleavage in this Alex Perry. She proclaimed Jodie Foster was her "best friend" and I was immediately jealous it's not me. 

Jane Fonda debuted enviable silver locks paired with a vintage blush Richard Tyler suit, then took us to church with a moving speech that showed she is better versed on contemporary film and television than anyone at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. We're not worthy!

Put some Doc Martens with this tiny floral print Chanel dress and Margot Robbie would instantly transform into your 90's dream girl. This is The Craft chic and I do feel like it was ripped from Neve Campbell's 1996 closet.

After a few years of red carpet missteps, Salma Hayek is finding her way back into my heart. Red is her color, no doubt about it, and this classic silhouette by Alexander McQueen is both Old Hollywood and straight-from-the-disco. 

I love a chainmail look and this is one of the best gowns I've seen on Tiffany Haddish! I think her blonde buzz cut looks so good, her makeup was luminous and this Alberta Ferretti feels futuristic and classic in the best ways. It's a little bit Project Runway hardware store challenge, but I like it!

My knee-jerk reaction to any combo of dark brown and light brown and yellow and pink is disdain because it reminds me so much of the 1970's afghans that were draped across the back of every grandma's couch when I was a kid. BUT I strongly appreciate Awkwafina's sartorial chutzpah, and the sequined pattern paired with a delicate tulle trim on this Gucci suits her. It feels very Sonny and Cher, and I think she and Jared Leto could easily get a reboot greenlit from these outfits alone. 

Spike Lee's kids were the Golden Globes ambassadors this year (ironically in a year their dad was snubbed) and one has to assume they took the opportunity purely for the platform, but Satchel did deliver a great fashion moment with this moody black gown by Gucci. It feels a little medieval with its high neck and tiny beadwork, but clearly modern.

Meh

I think if I went far enough back in my archives, I'd find the "meh" category was invented for Amy Poehler and her fashion misadventures. I almost almost almost like this mod sequin mini by Moschino, but it really does give you Constable Cabaret vibes, if such a thing existed. It's mostly cute, I think. 

Full disclosure: I almost had Andra Day's Chanel dress in my "good" column! I know! I don't even know what I feel. But there's something distinctly Ariel-Makes-Couture-from-Netting-and-Sailcloth about it that makes me find it hard to love. Maybe it's the drop waist. Maybe it's the fact the intricate detailing is too fine to show up adequately on camera? Maybe it's the dishwater shade of gray? It's the rare situation where I like all the elements, but not the sum of its parts.

I think I'm probably supposed to love this Louis Vuitton look on Kate Hudson, but it doesn't really move me one way or the other. It's a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll, a lot of yawn. The belt is a lot of look; the sleeves are a bit Dallas; it's all fine. 

I really want to encourage our male stars to continue to push the envelope for men's fashion, and I appreciate Leslie Odom's effort here, but I just cannot unsee his turtleneck as a green screen bodysuit. It's like he fully needed to prepare to tear off his suit at any moment to jump into a green screen bit. I like the pairing of two different shades of terracotta tweed by Valentino, but I keep picturing this with a turtleneck in the same green shade Anya wore and now I just want that. 

Worst Dressed

Yeah, I didn't know who Jo Ellen Pellman was (she's in The Prom) but this craft project gown by Jonathan Cohen Studio didn't give me high hopes. It's a series of panels knotted together, so that the ties look like leaves, and it really reminds me of those teens who win prizes for making a prom dress out of Duct Tape. Maybe it was an apropos tribute to that? But really, if this was one of the worst of the night, it wasn't a terrible night. 

Kristin Wiig loves to have fun with fashion, which I appreciate, but I rarely feel like I'm having fun with her. This mint baby doll dress is maybe the closest I've come to liking something, but it does absolutely feel like a sexy version of a dress Shirley Temple would wear while holding up a giant lollipop and tap dancing. Sexy Shirley Temple is...not the vibe.

There's just a lot I can't love about this Temperley dress on Bryce Dallas Howard. Right off the bat, I almost wish her hair was down to soften the look a bit. I felt like the dress didn't move well on screen. I don't love this use of ombre particularly. That's got to be one of the most challenging hemlines, and then the line is disrupted with a heavy shoe. The overall effect distracts from her beauty, rather than amplifies it and I want her to get a great stylist who can achieve that!

Tina has long taken up space in my "meh" and "worst" categories simply for being the most boring, consistently, for two decades. This is a Versace tuxedo dress. We've seen them before. It's fine. It's a thing she wore. As the host of this show. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. 

Gift Wrap Scheme 2020: Blue & White

Gosh, y'all. I'm out here, surviving, trying to use up produce, doing my make-up frantically at my desk before Zoom meetings like the rest of you. The holiday season seemed to hit me in the face this year, and I've done more online shopping in the past two weeks than maybe my entire life. 

One of the bright spots of this was the revelation I could maybe, perhaps, finally realize my gift wrap dream: a blue-and-white scheme that was not comprised of Hanukkah or baby shower wrapping paper. I'm a sucker for the timeless combo and go weak in the knees for Wedgwood, Spode, Delft and Meissen. 

Usually I pick up my papers while I'm out and about Christmas shopping at Target, Paper Source and TJ Maxx. But this year, I'm staying close to home and decided to nab some paper online, hoping to support some small businesses at the same time.

Cue Carrie Bradshaw voice: "I couldn't help but wonder...could my white whale wrapping paper be lurking right there on the internet?"

And reader, the lovely designers on Etsy and Society 6 speak my love language, and I think this combo may have exceeded my wildest dreams. 

I scooped up the following rolls, supplemented with some sheets of scrapbook paper (that's my favorite hack for small gifts):

• Delft Blue Wrapping Paper
• Ginger Jar Wrapping Paper
• Staffordshire Dogs Wrapping Paper
• Blue Pagoda Chinoiserie Wrapping Paper
• and WILD CARD (not pictured here): Shibori Wrapping Paper

When I compiled my wedding registry 10 years ago and was trying to pick china, I really couldn't commit to a pattern and was not hurt one bit when no one bought any of it. They must have sensed it wasn't meant to be. A few years later I decided to embrace my noncommittal attitude and started buying mismatched blue-and-white and it was the best decision. I'm so delighted to recreate my collection in this cheeky paper mix!

This is, also, the very first time I've allowed red and green in my Christmas wrapping scheme! A momentous occasion. I picked up some moss green and red ribbon options, along with some fake greenery to zhush up some of the wrapping.

My friend Lauren and I had a nearly 24-hour text discourse the other day about how Staffordshire Dogs suddenly became pop icons (we've decided to give some credit to this Gucci collection). This is, by far, my favorite of the papers I ordered because it's just so damn funny. Granny chic forever!

I'm enjoying gazing at the pile for a couple more days before all these packages get boxed up and FedExed to their destinations. Our cat, Freya, is probably already counting down the hours until she gets the solitude of her Christmas nest back. 

Next year will mark 15 years of doing my Christmas wrapping scheme! Hard to believe. 

If you'd like to take a trip down Christmas wrapping memory lane with me, here you go:

• Rainbow, black & white in 2019
• Pink and Green in 2018
• Woodland in 2017
• Blue and Orange in 2016
• Plaid in 2015
• Icy purples and blues in 2014
• Celestial in 2013
• Green and Gold in 2012 
• Silver and Gold in 2011
• Blue and Gold in 2010
• The first four years: pink and black; pink and gold; red, white and turquoise; red and purple

Fashion Review: Emmys 2020

 It's a weird, wild world out there, one in which we end up on our couches watching a bunch of celebrities accept awards on their couches. This year's Emmys was one for the history books, filed under "maybe not necessary" but "something to do" and "their shows are basically getting us through life, so thanks?" 

On a fashion front, it was a decidedly mixed bag, with some nominees and presenters still taking the opportunity to serve up some glam and some donning pajamas. Some wore statement T-shirts, reminding us of the struggle for racial equity. Some kept tradition and wore one of the ugliest brown suits imaginable. Let's take an abbreviated look through the lewks, shall we? 

(Note: as a point of order, I am opting NOT to include outfits that did not appear on the program because, without a red carpet, that's just playing dress up with Instagram. Only outfits intended for the actual show are counting in Amberland!)

BEST DRESSED

Zendaya is right on the cusp of being a mega star, and some may argue she was already there, but I think it will take Dune to take her to even-our-parents-know-her status. Her performance in Euphoria was the first time I really understood the hype; she's been slaying the red carpet for so long, it was time to see if she had the chops to back it up and she does. I love both of these looks and they both convey different personalities. 

Her polka dotted custom Armani Prive gown has the mod, fun whimsy of an ingenue hanging around with Andy Warhol, with the winged eyeliner and messy beehive to match. Her earlier look by Christopher John Rogers has the proportions of a 1920's Poiret design straight out of an Erte illustration but in a color story from the 1980's runways. She has a chameleonlike ability to sell any fashion and it makes her a thrill to watch. 

This might actually be my favorite Kerry Washington ensemble ever. She looks like Diana Ross backstage at the Ed Sullivan Show; I die for a chic bob. Bury me in these emerald earrings. Let me haunt people in this spangled leopard Dolce & Gabbana. I'd buy whatever she's selling here. 

The ever-stylish Dan Levy served up Spring Awakening-meets-Angus Young chic in his beautifully tailored Thom Browne kilt and jacket. It's the single-striped sock that does it for me. David Rose would be proud.

Nancy Pelosi WISHES she had Billy Porter's Ashi Studio cape of justice suit. It's so elegant, and he looks like he's Zooming in straight from the set of a Nancy Meyers movie, a.k.a living the dream. The best accessory is his strategically placed "VOTE" handbag in the background.

PRETTY GOOD

Count on Tracee to treat an opportunity to get dressed like an opportunity to get DRESSED. You could see her from space in this flouncy, knife-pleated gold wonder by Alexander Vaulthier that seems perilously close to giving away the goods with that slit. It's definitely more is more and it's not my favorite look on her ever, but it was a mood lifter. I loved her necklace choice and most of all, I loved her hot pink lip. 

Regina wore a gorgeous blue sculptural dress for Instagram, but for the real show, she chose to make a statement, pairing a powerful Breonna Taylor "Say Her Name" tee with a Schiaparelli suit in the design house's signature pink. We can always count on Regina to never waste a second of her precious time at the podium, and I appreciate that she does it with her clothing just as much as with her words.

The incredibly handsome Yahya Abdul-Mateen II looked so stylish in his Louis Vuitton pinstripe suit that I think I said in my head, "DAYUMMMMM" when he popped on screen. Even better was his eloquent speech, taking special time to praise the black women in his life. 

Several stars opted for glam jams, but Laura Linney's VOTE-themed glam jams are my favorite, and there's truly no better accessory than a great blowout.

MEH

Jen did as Jen does, and that means pull a black Dior from the closet that fits like a glove, pop on some diamonds, get some beachy waves and call it a night. It's as reliable and comforting as mac and cheese, and you gotta love her for knowing what works. 

To be clear, I love this sexy Annie Hall-meets-Madonna Vogue Tour suit and sneakers combo on Annie Murphy. It just didn't feel quite as memorable as I would hope. Time may prove me wrong! Many points for that perfect red lip.

On one hand, I love that Cynthia Erivo isn't afraid of playing with fashion, and this tricky Mardi Gras color combo is working on her. BUT...for some reason I cannot unsee it as a figure skating costume straight out of "Blades of Glory." This would absolutely be someone's ill-suited costume for the millionth long program to "Moonlight Sonata." 

I appreciate Yara Shahidi's ability to take the somewhat bizarre and make it seem effortless and elegant. I'm not sure I'm fully on board for the furry top to her Prada gown -- it's vaguely giving me like, cavewoman vibes??? But her fresh face and simple styling always make the odd seem ok. 

BEST/WORST

Jeremy Strong has a longstanding predilection for ill-fitting, hideous brown suits you could only picture Tom Joad wearing while job-hunting in "The Grapes of Wrath" and I LOVE THIS ABOUT HIM. It's so mystifying, unexplained, truly iconoclastic and I admire his commitment to just looking like he's down on his luck even while winning an Emmy. This particular version answers the question we never asked: what is the color between brown and gray? It has a built-in kerchief. I'm going to repeat that: a built-in kerchief. Chef Boyardee WISHES!

Last but not least, I have no qualms with Julia Garner's flapper costume, but I was seriously distracted when her husband (we shall call him Foster the People, as that is his sole identity to me) plopped down after she had started her speech in a tiger-printed silk robe fit for Joe Exotic. GTFO of the frame, bub!!!

Honestly, kudos to all of these stars. I have no idea what I would have worn; depending on my mood it could have been a cardigan and leggings or it could have been a puff of tulle the size of my living room. I'm glad we got to see the gamut.

DIY Verdigris House Numbers

Hello from the homestead! As COVID has kept us mostly home, we've been tackling lots of home projects and I have to admit: this is maybe one of my favorite DIY's ever.

I'd never given much thought to our house numbers, which is surprising, because I'm very into house number design! I just hadn't thought much about replacing ours until I had a couple packages delivered to the wrong house in the same week. Suddenly it was obvious; our old brass numbers were aged enough they blended in with our wood mailbox post.

I had stumbled upon these beautiful verdigris house numbers on Terrain, but by the time I saw them, they were out of numbers we'd need. I couldn't get them out of my head, though, and one day while we were out on a walk, I wondered aloud if I could DIY a verdigris patina. It turns out the answer is YES.

Verdigris is a blue-green patina that occurs on copper due to oxidation -- it's the reason our Lady Liberty is that beautiful green! It's one of my favorite colors, and is a natural complement to our front door color (Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue).

I was happy to find out you can buy online kits to create the patina yourself. I ordered this Triangle Coatings Patina Green starter kit, which is plenty for just 8 house numbers. For about $25, I was able to revive my existing numbers to create something totally unique!

First, I painted a coat of copper paint on each number and let it get mostly dry before spritzing it with the patina liquid, which I put in a spray bottle. The box says the process takes "minutes," and that's technically true, but I found it took hours. In some cases, I had to reapply both materials to get closer to the color I wanted.

But I got there! I loved this project because it was one of the rare times I saw something, thought "I could do that" and then was able to execute it fairly simply. Very satisfying! And it gives our house a college pottery professor vibe and that's the vibe I'm always trying to project in my life.

New Happy Hour Spot: My Porch

It's wild to think that within about 10 days of my last post, the whole world seemed to change. The threat of a deadly and hyper-contagious virus forced us into our house, where I've been discovering all those lessons learned over the 10 years of becoming "domesticated" are finally coming in handy! I haven't whipped out the sewing machine just yet, but I have made lots of bread, homemade caesar dressing, roasted brussels sprouts with honey sriracha aioli, shepherd's pie, boeuf bourguignon, brioche bread pudding and many, many smoothies.

With few places to go, absolutely no one to see and essentially no ability to make plans, I've been more anxious than ever to make our home the best place to be. So I really fixated on a wish list item that has been slipping down the priority list for six years, but finally had its moment: my dream Lutyens-style bench from Plow & Hearth for the porch. I got the greenlight to make the porch my happy hour destination of choice, where I can sip wine and wave to strangers and admire the dogs of the hood, and it's already upped our curb appeal about 1000%. 

I rounded it out with a wicker side table and cabana bolster pillows from Target and a nice, big geranium that brings me so much joy with its bright pop of red.

Like, seriously, how did we ever NOT have the bench?

From the bench, I can admire this favorite spot of the landscaping we did a few years ago with my mother-in-law. That combo of golden thread cypress, juniper and loropatelum just makes my heart sing.

In the other direction, I can gaze upon this collection of succulents that look great today and will likely be scraggly messes come fall because that's what succulents do.

The porch improvement happened just in time for my first socially distanced visitor! Melissa brought by some paper gold (a.k.a paper towels) and plopped her chair down for a quick visit. It was a delight!

And maybe because she felt bad and knew I needed something to smile about, Mother Nature allowed this one iris to bloom for the first time in a few years. I imagine that's just the schedule it's on, but I like to think it was for me. 

Next up, I'm planning a major sheet mulching overhaul of a hated corner of the backyard, and I can't wait to share more about that someday.