Golden Globes Fashion: Hits and Misses

This year's Golden Globes were exciting before Sunday night even got here. First, there was an actual show planned. (Last year, when the writers' strike was in full swing, the show was basically cancelled.) In addition, the star power of nominees was huge. With A-listers like Leonard DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Meryl Streep up for awards, the red carpet was star-studded.

When it comes to who wore what and who looked good, I think it's safe to say there were more hits than misses. Of course, the misses are fun to talk about, too. Here is a look at three big hits and three serious misses from this year's Golden Globes.

Hits

1. Eva Longoria Parker -- Eva stepped out in a red Reem Acra gown. She looked stunning in the mermaid-cut, strapless gown with a scalloped bust line. She wore her hair in a low bun and kept her make-up low key. She looked anything but desperate!

2. Susan Sarandon -- Red carpet veteran Susan Sarandon wore a Hugo Boss tuxedo that was ultra-feminine. She said in an interview that she wore Stuart Weitzman shoes that were actually "comfortable." Smart woman! Sarandon added a long strand of diamonds by Fred Leighton that accentuated her low-cut jacket. Sarandon pulled together a look that was classy, stood out from the crowd and was extremely flattering.

3. Lorraine Schwartz -- Jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz was well represented at Sunday's Golden Globes. She designed very unique and attention-grabbing pieces for celebrities such as Amy Adams, Jennifer Morrison, Beyonce, Elizabeth Banks and Christina Applegate. Many of the pieces were overtly large, such as the big medallion-like earrings Jennifer Morrison of House wore. Amy Adams wore a black Oscar de la Renta gown with very large, drop earrings by Schwartz that were a deep olive green. Schwartz may not have been present at the awards show, but she was very well represented.

Misses

1. Jennifer Lopez -- The first presenter of the night was Jennifre Lopez, who really put the "gold" in "Golden Globes." Her very bright gold dress was form-fitting. The top was very minimal:  the gold fabric wrapped around her neck and went straight down only covering her chest, so that her back and sides were exposed. She looked beautiful, because after all, she is J Lo, but the dress was not her greatest hit ever.

2. Maggie Gyllenhaal -- I think it is fair to say that the asymmetrical Lanvin gown Gyllenhaal chose to wear was wearing her; she was not wearing it. The bold printed gown was belted and the side that came across her shoulder was very exaggerated and seemed too close to her face. Her make-up seemed extreme as did her hair, which was a take on the French twist, which she seems much too young for. Overall, it was not her night.

3. Drew Barrymore -- Three years ago, Drew Barrymore made just about everyone's "worst dressed list" when she wore a dark green dress with no bra to the 2006 Golden Globes ceremony. This year, she wore a fabulous light gray chiffon John Galliano for Dior gown that was gorgeous, flattering and properly supported with undergarments. However, Barrymore had a hair style that looked a little like she stuck her finger in a socket. Unfortunately, her hair really distracted from her gown and made her look a "miss."

While the big celebrities may not have taken home many of the awards, they were all the buzz on the red carpet. We look forward to the next event of the Red Carpet Season -- the SAG Awards scheduled for Sunday, January 25th. We'll see who delivers fashion hits (and misses) then.


Erica Salmon is the creator of the online fashion game Fantasy Fashion League. She is a columnist for the Gloucester County Times, the Brandywine Valley’s The Hunt magazine and occasionally writes for Pregnancy magazine. Salmon lives in South Jersey with her husband and three kids.

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