Golden Globes Fashion 2012

It's tradition on this little blog o'mine to praise and skewer celebrity fashions, so I'm super excited last night was the kickoff for awards season — the Golden Globes. I'm sure you'll agree and disagree with a lot of my choices, but I love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment!

Best of the Best

 Listen people, this Gucci Premiere might be the dress I want to be buried in. I think we can acknowledge I have a few weakness when it comes to fashion: feathers, sheer fabric, sequins and black, to name some. When Evan Rachel Wood appeared in this number, which looks like a lost Bob Mackie costume for Cher in the best way, I literally shouted, "I WANT THAT." It was a fun way to turn the feather trend on its head, and I also love that it's got so many colors.

Claire Danes has been killing it on red carpets since she was a teenager, and last night was no exception. I love black and white, and this J. Mendel was an interesting cut, with edgy details and far from boring. I also loved the red lip and open back!

 Charlize Theron is such a bad girl in "Young Adult" that it only makes sense she'd appear at the Globes looking like a perfect angel. Her Dior gown was billowy, yet structured and her jewels were Cartier museum pieces...can you imagine? She also works a nude-pink like no other.

So she wasn't nominated and really has little reason to be there, but I have a secret love of Nicole Richie. I thought her Julien McDonald chainmail-esque disco dress was so sleek, and she accessorized perfectly with a high pony and stack of bangles.

When I first saw Emma Stone's dress, I knew I'd need to get another look before I made up my mind. I'm happy to report her Lanvin photographs beautifully...the wispy fabric, color scheme and bejeweled eagle buckle could go so wrong, but it somehow works.

It was such a daring choice, but I thought Sarah Michelle Gellar's inky Monique Lhuillier watercolor dress just killed it for me. It was a beautiful shape, intriguing and I like that she kept her accessories very simple.

 Viola Davis gained 25 pounds to play Aibileen in The Help and the minute she stepped on the red carpet in this Emilio Pucci, I think the nation collectively said "daaaaaaayyyyyuummmnnnnn girl looks fine." That burgundy is gorgeous against her skin tone, and I like the bronze shoe.

I thought Rooney Mara was so elegant in this black Nina Ricci sheath with no accessories except her beautiful bone structure and long black lashes. BUT, I did have a problem with her "I just got back from a jog" hairsdo.

I'm sure lots of people hated this, but I have a soft spot for Michelle Williams, who is never boring. I thought her Jason Wu velvet burnout dress moved beautifully, fit her like a glove and I really liked the 60s-style headband.

Julie Bowen and Madonna both wore gowns with similar cap sleeves by Reem Acra. While both were gorgeous, Julie's looked like nearly every previous Reem Acra dress to grace a red carpet, but Madonna's looked both classic and futuristic. The intricate pleating and ruffles, the square pieces of fabric and the mermaid color scheme suited her personality perfectly. I wasn't even that bothered by the gloves! My one complaint would be that the bodice was way too tight in the chest.

Everyone on the red carpet was talking about how Sofia Vergara was doing two-a-days in the gym to fit into her Vera Wang gown. Well I don't blame her...it looks like she's riding a wave of organza, and that is an incredible hourglass she's showing off. I also loved the stormy blue color.

Honorable Mentions: Nicole Kidman, Jessica Alba, Shailene Woodley, Reese Witherspoon...all looked great, but didn't really surprise me. Is that a fair assessment? Probably not. But I didn't remember their dresses when I woke up this morning, so that tells me something.

I'm Not Totally Sold

 Both Natalie and Angelina wore these classic, sort of 50s-style folded bodice dresses and neither of them totally knocked the breath out of me. I like the folds of Natalie's Lanvin, but the pink and red was a little Valentine's Day for me.

 Angelina's Atelier Versace dress left no room for flaws, and was definitely interesting. It was very classic, too, in a lot of ways, but the neckline made it a little hard for me to get on board. But maybe it's her chilly demeanor that always turns me off.

Dianna Agron's Giles dress is so intricate, surprising and interesting. But while I completely LOVE the bodice and neckline, I was not feeling the lace ruffles down the dress...it started to have a pinata effect for me. I think with a satin skirt, it would have been a slam dunk.

 I think Morena Baccarin is gorgeous, and her George Chakra dress is beautiful, too. But I couldn't decide if I like the line in the middle. I think I do...but...do I? Help me decide!

 Mila Kulis recently became a Dior brand ambassador, which is a girls' dream come true, is it not? So why is she completely not selling this dress? It's pretty enough, but her sour face and lack of interesting accessories made it a snoozer for me.

I know a lot of people HATED Jessica Biel's Elie Saab dress. I didn't have quite such a strong reaction, but I wasn't in love, either. A lot of starlets have tried to make this buttoned up, long-sleeved lacy dress thing work and no one has really sold it. I can acknowledge some beautiful details...the scalloped lace, for one, but she looks a little like a sexed up prairie bride.

Worst

 Zooey Deschanel was really excitedly tweeting about her custom Prada gown, so I was psyched and then she showed up in this. I have a sort of deeply seeded hatred of lime green, but it was also the ridiculous 1960s hair sideburns that killed this outfit for me. She's a pretty girl, but never seems to bring it in these situations.

 TINA JEEZ. You're KILLING me. Tina is just drawn to stumpifying gowns that make her look short and unhappy. I thought this Oscar de la Renta looked like the result of a Project Runway loofah challenge. I want her to get a stylist (or a new one!) so badly, I might foot the bill myself.

 Maya Rudolph! Another funny lady cursed with stumpifying gowns! The fabric looks more suited to a trench coat than a gown and the cut is positively matronly. Her hair and bright lips look nice, but this was woefully boring.

 Amanda Peet's Marc Jacobs gown just confused me. At first I thought maybe I would like it if it were strapless, but let's be honest...it looks like granny curtains.

 Glenn Close's Armani Prive outfit reminded me of a deconstructed wizard robe, with a little spangly crumb catcher bib thing stuck in the front at the last minute. It just didn't do anything for her.

 This past year was The Year of Jessica Chastain, so she should have more amazing gowns coming her way than she knows what to do with. So why does she have a chronic problem with fitting? Her dresses always look a smidge tight, and this Givenchy frankly looks a smidge matronly. It looks like a selection from a couture line inspired by Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. Her hair even looks a little fusty.

Meryl's dress, hair, accessories just look plain lazy. It's like she had this cowboy shirt, and a skirt lying around and thought, "eh, I guess I'll go to this thing." My first thought was that it seemed to be from an eveningwear line designed by Temple Grandin.

And my favorite of the worst — Piper Perabo. This, to me, looked like the muslin version of a dress that would be made later...or a kraft paper ball gown....or a ball gown inspired by mummies. It was just bad, but I'm glad it made her so happy.