Red Carpet 2013: The SAG Awards

Jan 28, 2013

Like most Americans, I don’t watch the SAG awards.  That’s why they’re on TNT, the channel dedicated to reruns of Angel and Las Vegas, and not a network.  But halfway through the show, people started tweeting at me about how great the dresses were, so I decided to take a look.

Tis true that the ratio of good gowns to hideous monstrosities was much better.  This begs the question, are they learning from their mishaps or is this a cruel joke to make me hope for a glamorous Oscar carpet?  There’s no way to know.  So let’s treat the SAG awards to their very own red carpet rundown using reviews of three sentences or less.

Jennifer Lawrence in Dior

The dress fits nicely, but isn’t terribly exciting.  The hair is wilted and depressing.  More proof that burgundy lips aren’t for everyone. Just found out JLaw had pneumonia, so I have nothing but respect for her making the effort. I’ve had pneumonia, it’s horrific.

Kerry Washington in Rodarte

Perhaps the only Rodarte gown I’ve ever truly loved.  The bodice is sublime.  Would have appreciated a bit more fullness in the hairdo.

Anne Hathaway in Giambatista Valli

Oh goodie, a dress that doesn’t touch the floor (I don’t understand this trend towards tea length.).  In my opinion, it’s just another frock by Sybil that can’t decide if it’s short or long.  Her hair and makeup look really fresh and lovely.

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

A much better dress than the Globes, and the neckline is pretty and interesting.  However, the necklace looks like it came from the prom jewelry section at Claire’s.  And any person born before 1992 will be unable to look past the obvious Jessica Rabbit homage.

Naomi Watts in Marchesa

The finger waves, the pale grey, lace column gown and the just-right pink lip are a vision.  And the cabochon stone in that ring is extraordinary.

Want to read more of my quick thoughts on the SAG Awards and see my picks for best and worst dressed?  They’re after the jump.

Elizabeth Moss in Dolce & Gabbana

If you’re going to wear a short dress, this is how you do it, with Dolce and flair.

Mayim Bialik

It cannot be easy to find red carpet attire when you’re an “aspiring modern Orthodox” Jew.  But this dress keeps her covered, looks fab and even gives the appearance of a waist on a very straight torso.  The makeup looks nice too.

Kiernan Shipka in OdlR

It’s a terrible tragedy when someone who isn’t even old enough to have a driver’s liense knows more about style and dressing appropriately than the professionals paid to dress Jessica Chastain, Kaley Cuoco and Halle Berry.

Katrina Bowden in Badgley Mischka

I have no idea who you are, but I love this dress.  The are deco applique and soft color are divine.  I hope you become more famous so you can sway the balance of ugly dresses to pretty dresses in the right direction on future red carpets.

Julianna Marguiles 

I want to like this look, I do–but the bow tied at the waist of a thoroughly modern gown is distracting me.  Plus, I’m over slits and slit-posing. Love the shoes and hair though.

Jayma Mays in Georges Hobeika Atelier

The texture on this gown, with the cascading floral applique is really beautiful.  The neckline is just right for her, and keeping everything else (jewelry, hair) simple, really works for her.

Lea Michelle in Valentino

My thoughts are in order of occurrence: Is Glee still on the air?  Dip-dyed hair is so 2011, gross.  When you’re the size of a Hobbit, you shouldn’t wear a ruffled peasant skirt.  And, Glee is still on the air, are you sure?

Ellie Kemper in Reem Acra

Mint is really her color.  With the alabaster skin and red hair, the look is ethereal and gorgeous.

Julie Bowen in Johanna Johnson

Cate Blanchett would look edgy in a leather gown.  Julie Bowen looks a bit like she’s playing dress up.  And while the eye makeup is perfectly done, the messy gym ponytail makes me want to cry.

So who was my worst dressed of the night? It was a tie between…

Claire “early-90s Goth, burgundy lip of death” Danes in Givenchy.

And…

Rose “Laura Ashley presents Little House on the Prairie” Byrne in Valentino and the flattest, stiffest finger waves I have ever seen.

As for my best dressed, that was also a tie between…

Nina Dobrev in Elie Saab

This dress is the definition of relaxed elegance. I love the punchy color and drop earrings, and she is wearing exactly the right cheek color for her slightly tan skin.

Amanda Seyfried in Zac Posen

At this moment, I want to be her.  The dress, the necklace, the hair, the eye makeup…it’s all positively divine.  This ensemble is on my top five best red carpet looks of all time.

All of the photos were from HuffPost and Getty.  They have dozens more on their site, you should check them out.

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  1. Anna Louisa says:

    Katrina Bowden is on 30 Rock :). What did you think of Marion Cottilard?

  2. Maria says:

    Thanks so much for updating your comments about JLaw. There's no way I could ever look that good with walking pneumonia – kudos to her!

    P.S. Katrina Bowden is an actress on 30 Rock – and I agree, she looks sublime here!

  3. Mary says:

    Amanda Seyfried was one of my faves. She looked amazing. So did Helen Hunt. And I loved Marion Cottilard's dress and hair. I thought Jennifer Lawrence looked fantastic, but the picture you posted was not as good as what I had seen earlier. I personally liked Jessica Chastain's, even if it was a little (a lot) Jessica Rabbit.

  4. Kimberly says:

    My same reaction to JLaw! “Wow, she usually looks better than that…wait, she has pneumonia? And she's actually out in a dress, with makeup on, and her hair done?? Holy crap!” I've had it twice. I don't think I wore anything but sweats the entire time.

    Not only that, but apparently some bozo planted their chair leg on her dress and it tore when she stood up to accept her award. She had the presence of mind to tuck it back together on the way up to the stage. Impressive.

  5. Shannon says:

    Speaking of Glee (which, yes, is still on the air because of ITunes sales and people like me who hatewatch it)…I thought Naya Rivera looked smokin' hot.

  6. ss says:

    two thoughts:
    1) I saw Amanda Seyfried ask her stylist (or someone) who made the necklace she was wearing a few mintues before she went to talk to E! on the red carpet. When she was interviewed, she proudly proclaimed it was 'Lorraine Schwartz'. I actually didn't love the necklace with the dress though.

    2) The SAG awards were on TBS, not TNT.

  7. Shelley says:

    Jennifer Lawrence looked as if she stood there and someone rolled fabric around her. I guess that's what I'd do if I had pneumonia though.

  8. A Once Devoted Reader says:

    The way you pick apart people make you seem like all you are going for is a one liner, and it reads as really petty, not at all like a fashion review. I used to love reading your blog, and now its just increasingly negative and it disappoints me. I get that it could be fun to laugh about really bizarro fashion at times, but that's not whats going on here. What is your point in being so cutting and harsh?

    It feels the same when you rip apart the “Hill's 50 Most Beautiful”…

  9. CynthiaW says:

    Sorry – it cracks me up. But maybe I'm mean and petty, too.

    Besides, these people have stylists, their pick of designer gowns, and tons of money – and they're on the red carpet. I have no problem with the good, the bad, and the ugly of what they're wearing being discussed. Some of it is even helpful in a “what not to wear” kind of way.

    I'll never understand why celebs go on the red carpet without proper tailoring either – seriously, this stuff is being MADE for them.

  10. Jill says:

    I knew a redhead who was wearing a red dress to a formal event and wondered sincerely if her dress clashed with her hair. Jessica Chastain might have had that challenge (though I think she'd be gorgeous in just about anything).

  11. Kat says:

    Your negative commentary on others' choices for dresses that they liked and chose to wear is tedious. Why the need to jump on the bandwagon of pettiness, even if you did balance your negative comments with accolades for what you did like? There will always a surplus of individuals who will jump at the chance to throw stones at any number of targets; please don't become one of them. Your blog is too credible and mature.

  12. Devin says:

    I have the opposite opinion. PLEASE don't become one of those boring bloggers who only talks about how pretty and “gorg” every celebrity looks. These women have every advantage and some of them look awful in dresses that cost more than I make in three months. Why not say something? Why is Belle expected to be nice to them and not dislike what they wore? Because she's a woman?

    I come here for the fashion advice, and I like that Belle has a personality. I don't always agree with her, but it's a lot better than reading Cupcakes and Cashmere and learning how to restyle my coffee table. Yawn.

  13. CatG says:

    I actually really, really like Danes' dress. A lot. (and her hair). However, while I usually HATE “mermaid style” dresses, if one must do it, allow Amanda Seyfried to show you the way. That dress was knock-out gorgeous.

  14. Amelia says:

    I come here specifically for the snark! I love it.

  15. Amelia says:

    And to the people who admonished Belle for only posting negative — did you read the post? she complemented a number of actresses' choices. This was an unbiased commentary — which is sadly missing from most bloggers' “reviews” these days.

  16. Kristiina says:

    I love Belle being Belle!! I'm an almost 40 former DC professional turned stay at home mom who has to get her Belle fix multiple times a day :). Keep it up. (and Jennifer Lawrence needs a new hairstylist–it NEVER looks right. Remember those bangs when she was promoting Hunger Games?!)

  17. Brittany says:

    I just posted my loves last night. I'm so glad to see yours.

    The photo I had showed Rose Byrne looking much better, I'll have to rethink adding her to my list!

    Poor Jessica Lawrence has apparently had a rough time with her health. She does look good for having pneumonia. That's rough.

    My two faves were Ellie Kemper and Amanda Seyfried. Their dresses looked molded to their bodies, but in a really good way.

    Speaking of that, did you notice the terrible fits across mostly stomachs but some busts? Jennifer Garner's dress, although beautiful, looked too tight across her stomach, and Jessica Chastain's dress looks really poorly fitted. All of the seams are puckering like someone dind't know what they were doing while sewing.

    Also, a little snark is OK!

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