This years’ 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards saw Hollywood’s finest raise their game when it came to red carpet dressing and last night saw a host of truly stunning gowns. Overall, there seemed to be a movement back towards traditional glamour with show-stopping, form-fitting frocks in flattering tones; no-one went too ‘out there’ with their fashion choices. Obviously, there were a few exceptions to that rule, but we’ll get to Sarah Michelle Gellar later.
The Goddess Gowns
At every awards show there are a few looks which take your breath away, and this year Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon were on hand to wow the crowds. Angelina stuck with her favourite pale colour palette, but this was no ordinary nude. A champagne silk column, this dress had been tailored to every undulation of her enviable figure, including a beautiful ‘40s style gathered pleat on her hip. A flash of scarlet on her petal-like neckline injected some high octane drama – sensational work from Ms Jolie. Reese Witherspoon picked up the red theme with her full-on Jessica Rabbit number: this strapless, sweetheart neckline, fishtail frock in fire engine red was a guaranteed winner.
Colour
Hollywood came over all patriotic last night, with a dominance of red, white and blue on the red carpet. Angelina and Reese were joined in the red corner by Dianna Agron, who opted for a bold, lasercut Giles dress complete with swan detail (Bjork take note, this is how it’s done). Kelly Osbourne, Freida Pinto and Michelle Williams all flew the flag for true blues – Michelle in particular looked lovely in a devore Jason Wu gown. Could burnt-out velvet be making a comeback? If anyone could start that trend, it’s Michelle Williams! Nudes were still a popular choice, with Charlize Theron in sweeping Dior, Jessica Chastain in pearl-encrusted Givenchy and Heidi Klum in a minimal skin-tone dress livened up with bold turquoise jewels. Pale silver offered an alternative to the basic nude – Nicole Kidman and Nicole Ritchie both opted for shimmering metallic shades.
Cut
Fishtail dresses dominated; although this style can sometimes be tricky to pull off, a plethora of actresses chose fishtails for instant wow-factor. Sofia Vergara should win some sort of award for being able to walk in her extreme gown – her dress featured a skin-tight bodice and pleated silk skirt which was tight to the knee before exploding into a rippling fishtail. Kelly Osbourne's fishtail was almost too much for her, while Reese showed how sexy they can look and Tilda Swinton deserves a special mention (as always) for her unusual take on this traditional style; teaming an ice blue, high-collared jacket with a slinky fishtail skirt. High necks, as seen on Jessica Chastain and Nicole Ritchie, seem to be making a comeback, while Kelly O, Jessica Biel and Michelle Williams all proved that sleeves add another level of elegance to a red carpet gown.
Detail
There was a lot of intricate bodice detailing on show: Lea Michelle opted for a Halle Berry-style appliqué illusion dress, Salma Hayek was a golden Gucci goddess and Dianna Agron’s dress featured bird detailing. Backs took centre stage in the case of Claire Danes and Zooey Deschanel: Claire’s J Mendel gown had silver mesh framing a backless cut-out, while Zooey’s unusual Prada dress was a vision of black, green and white crystals from the front, going into a lime green cut out section from the reverse.
Winners and losers
So who rocked and who flopped? Aside from the beauties we have already mentioned, Andrea Riseborough wins ‘most individual choice’ for her pale green Vivienne Westwood dress; the Marie Antoinette corset bodice and cutwork skirt really stood out - plus points for accesorising with Madonna. Zooey Deschanel also looked confident and chic, while Evan Rachel Wood floored us with a truly outstanding mermaid dress; she was a vision of black, green and gold sequins creating the illusion of scales, which then tumbled into a feathered fishtail. On the other end of the scale, Charlize Theron’s Dior dress just didn’t seem to work, although the top half was wonderful, the short on the front, long on the back skirt has divided opinion. As for Sarah Michelle Gellar, all we can say is Buffy, what were you thinking?! Her white and blue tie-dye, layered meringue of a dress is out of this world – but definitely not in a good way.
If this is just the start of awards season, we can’t wait to see what fashion extravaganzas the Oscars will have to offer!
See all the fashion looks from the Golden Globes 2012
