Taylor Swift was the belle of the ball, winning eight awards to total 20, which is the most EVER (beating out Garth Brooks, whom I'm sure is one of her idols)! She is amazingly talented, and looks stunning! Not many women could pull off a jumpsuit like that. However, I do wish I could see her shoes!
This 1920's flapper look is very pretty on Natalie La Rose. It's a little short, and the aqua eye shadow is a bit much, but the details on this dress are beautiful!
I realize Britney Spears has a hot new song out, but this dress does not show any excitement. The nude color is boring, and she is so covered up! She might as well wear a muumuu.
I am not digging this dress. For one, it's a little dull. But I'm mainly turned off by the cut-outs: why would any woman want to emphasize her tummy pooch and thighs?!
The members of the Kardashian/Jenner clan are certainly considered some of today's top fashion icons, but Kylie Jenner's look here misses the mark. It's a weird combination of Cleopatra meets Amazon Woman meets Martian. And the skirt bunches up, making her look wrinkly! Not her best outfit.
Everyone was very excited to see Molly Ringwald that night, but this look is so frumpy! In those gaucho pants, you can't tell where her torso stops and her legs begin! And I think we all miss her red locks :(
It's not that Jennifer Lopez looks bad, but I'm confused by the navel and side-boob combination. I think you should choose one body part to show off, not your entire belly-boob region.
I've saved the craziest for last. I've never heard of Dencia, but I'm sure this outfit put her on the map (but maybe not in the best way). She's like a carnival, all-in-one! From the wild sunglasses/visor to the face on her ensemble to the mis-matched shoes...It's just too much.
Since everyone else on the internet is having their say in what they thought of the fashion at this year's Met Gala, I thought I might as well jump in, too. I think the theme ("China: Through the Looking Glass") is very interesting, and we've got the looks to see how celebs interpreted this idea!
I absolutely LOVE this cape that Rihanna wore. It is stunning! So dramatic! It's perfect for this type of high-profile event. Of course there is the impractical factor of how big it is, but I guess that's why you hire men to carry your fashion statement for you. I will say I was disappointed to learn that all she wore underneath that glorious piece was a pink corset and matching panties. Why not an equally beautiful yellow gown underneath instead?
It was the battle of the see-through, embellished gowns at this year's Met Gala, and between two of the hottest celebs. Beyoncé's dress has more of an ethereal, Fairy Barbie look to it, while Kim Kardashian's look screams royal opulence. Either way, both of these gowns are magnificent.
This look is fabulous. Keri Russell looks so exotic, like she's part-bird, part-reptile. This is one sexy stunner of a dress. No offense to Keri, but this dress is so amazing that almost any beautiful woman in showbiz could pull it off and look glamorous.
Zendaya's dress is so fun! This youthful look completely matches the Chinese theme of the event. This dress is really a piece of art, and was unlike anything else at the event!
I didn't know who Bee Shaffer is (now I know she's the daughter of Vogue's Anna Wintour), but this gown is amazing! I feel like this is the kind of dress I would wear if I were going to a big, fancy event. It's tasteful and elegant, with beautiful details. This dress is perfection!
Like Shaffer, Emily Blunt's dress is very classy and lovely to look at. The cape is regal and goes wonderfully with the dress (perhaps it's all one piece?). Love this!
Karolina Kurkova (and her legs!) look incredible in this mini dress. She certainly took the theme into account, and she is rocking this look! I'd like to see the "supermodels" of today (Lily Aldridge, Behati Prinsloo, etc.) measure up to this!
Honorable mentions are Jennifer Lopez (she looked beautiful, but her dress did not measure up to those of Beyoncé or Kim Kardashian), Amal Clooney (this dress is beautiful, but isn't as unique or different as some of the others), Janelle Monáe (I liked that she looked more feminine than her usual androgynous fashion sense, but the outfit was a little too simple for me), and Kate Hudson (she looks wonderful, but this is just way too reminiscent of her mom, Goldie Hawn, in Overboard).
We can always count on Lady Gaga to wear something strange or different. And while she stayed true to her outrageous platform shoes, this outfit just doesn't do it for me. This cage-like, over-sized coat is a sad version of Rihanna's show-stopping cape, and while many celebs embraced color at the Met Gala, this black and white ensemble leaves much to be desired.
Now, I will admit I had to look up who Allison Williams is, since I don't watch Girls.
But I figured I should still include her in this blog post since I
really disliked this dress. What's going on there? She looks like a
little girl playing dress-up. I also don't think the outfit flatters her
at all! She looks much better in many of the Google images I saw of
her, and this dress just doesn't do her justice.
Now, I don't think any of us expect Miley Cyrus to be the belle of the ball. Ever. But this dress doesn't get her any closer to that achievement. Her pelvic bones look great...but nothing else does. We're used to Cyrus being kinda crazy, and this somewhat-demure look (for her, anyway) ages her, and is just plain confusing.
I usually like Olivia Wilde and think she is very beautiful. But this dress baffles me. The jewels all over her dress just make her look like a pink ladybug with spots all over. And are the gloves leather? And besides being bejeweled, how do the gloves and clutch match the gown? And we can't see her shoes, which I think many women would agree is the most important piece of any outfit. This was a big miss for me.
Now I already don't care for Cara Delevingne (those eyebrows!), and this outfit doesn't change my mind about her. It's hard to tell from the photo whether the flowers are actually part of the clothes or are fake tattoos, but either way, they look trashy. Go cover yourself up and tweeze those brows!
Note: Most people put Kris Jenner on the worst dressed list. But honestly, I thought she dressed appropriately for someone her age (would you want to see her in Beyoncé's ensemble?!). Jenner didn't make my list because I thought it was middle-of-the-road. I think it was somewhat safe, but safe doesn't necessarily mean bad.
It's not that the dress is bad; Sarah Jessica Parker even helped design it. But that headpiece is so distracting. I'm not sure whether it's high-fashion or a fancy Halloween costume.
I'm not really sure what's going on with Katy Perry's dress (or those awful matching gloves). It's more horrifying that there's a matching men's outfit to match.
Why is Anne Hathaway wearing a hood? Was it raining? Was it windy? Was she wandering through the forest trying not to get eaten by a wolf like her poor grandmother? Rita Ora also seemed to be playing Little Red Riding Hood, too.
Solange is known for being quite fashionable. But I am torn on this one. On the one hand, I think it's very cool and unique, and certainly makes a statement! But the shape of the dress doesn't seem very practical. What if she dropped something and tried to pick it up? Could she even see the floor? Could she give any hugs that night?
I wasn't really sure which category I should put the Olsen twins in. It's not that their dresses are bad, but they also aren't particularly memorable. I'm more amazed by the fact that these two can look young and old at the same time, AND that they've looked this way ever since they were no longer "children." Some people seemed surprised that the twins didn't wear anything more exciting, but quite frankly, this is how they ALWAYS look; I'm not surprised at all!
And last but not least...I don't know who this girl is, but this look is frightening. The hair is a total mess (I'm not sure where her head ends and the head of the woman behind her begins), and that "purse" looks like the hybrid of a make-up case and old-school lunch box.
Do you agree with me? Disagree? Have any other thoughts? Please leave a comment!
Last weekend my boyfriend and I went to visit the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. For as many times as I've driven past it, I don't think I had actually ever visited! We specifically went to see the azaleas, and we were not disappointed!
Luckily we had a beautiful spring day, and the flowers were out in all their glory. Here are some photos:
The Arboretum consists of more than 400 acres, and we only saw this one part! So both of us are looking forward to another visit to check out more of the gardens. Definitely worth seeing if you're visiting DC anytime soon (Mother's Day, maybe?).
I ADORE Blake Lively (biggest girl crush ever), so of course I had to see her new movie The Age of Adaline on opening weekend (i.e. last weekend. Sorry this post is coming late!).
The theme of time and aging has always been fascinating to people, since we're really the only species aware of time and our own mortality. So the idea of a woman being young forever, at her peak age for decades on end, is very intriguing; this is especially true since I am a young woman myself. Imagine being at your sexiest for the rest of your life, but with all the knowledge and experience of an older person. How amazing would that be?
Now of course the movie goes to show that this blessing is not as good as it seems. Adaline must see all of her friends and loved ones pass away, including all of the little spaniels she's owned over the years. She also cannot fall in love with anyone, because she can't tell them of her secret without them thinking she's crazy (or making her a "specimen"), and because she knows she can never grow old with someone. You watch her live as if she were in the witness protection program, changing her name and location every ten years so no one will catch on. You see her hurt men who are in love with her because of this curse. Harrison Ford plays one of her past lovers, and he's put into a tailspin when he meets her again, this time as his son's girlfriend (incestuous, no?). I was more sympathetic with his character than his son, probably because Michiel Huisman simply doesn't do it for me as a leading man (Lively is WAY too hot for him!). But anyhoo, let's just say the movie does have a happy ending.
Really, the main reason I wanted to see this movie is because Lively is SO GORGEOUS. BEAUTIFUL. STUNNING. So let's just recap with a photo montage of the lovely lady.
Who else could pull off this over-sized coat? Image found here: http://goo.gl/0mjZrS
Only Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, and Blake Lively could pull this look off. Image found here: http://goo.gl/SnUceB
I could do this post more justice if I had a pirated copy and could just give you a million screen shots of every time Lively looks PERFECT. After watching two hours of this, I felt so ugly. AAH Why can't I look like that?!
The other night I went to BJ's Brewhouse for the first time. I'm not a beer drinker, so it's not really a place I'd normally go, but my boyfriend was interested, so we went. But...I'm not sure I'd go again. Here's why:
1. When we sat at the bar (since it was going to be a forty minute wait to seat two people), we immediately saw food bits on the bar because it hadn't been cleaned up. Gross!
2. I don't like beer, but I do enjoy the occassional cider, so I tried their berry-flavored cider. Let's just say it tastes like a children's medicine: it's sweet, but not sweet enough to cover the icky flavor. Ew.
3. I may not like beer, but I do drink white wine regularly, and since I really like sweet wines, I consider myself a connoisseur in that department. The moscato on their menu tasted like sugar water.
4. The service was very slow! Don't get me wrong, it was a Saturday night and there were lots of people there. But when we're sitting at the bar and have already been given our drinks, you would think the next step would be for our server to ask us what we would like to eat. But she made us wait at least ten minutes before she finally came back to check on us (meanwhile, she had been busy counting and dividing the tips from the tip jar...couldn't that wait?).
5. By the way, not once were we asked if we would like water along with our drinks and meal. Just because we're not sitting at a table doesn't mean we shouldn't get the full dining experience!
I guess the only thing I can't complain about was the food. We enjoyed one of their pizzas, which is the perfect size to share, and the five-cheese combo was very nice. Maybe I could just get BJ's take-out?
Okay, can I just say that this movie is the equivalent of The Grapes of Wrath in terms of depression? It just keeps getting worse and worse as you go along! I mean, it starts with a young girl witnessing her own mother's murder at a subway stop. That's just awful! So, this movie goes along following these two main characters (played by Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin) who are so dysfunctional because of these horrific tragedies that have occurred in their lives. She's got the murdered mom (and a father who hits her); he found his brother dead who had committed suicide by hanging himself. [And can I go on a tangent here and say these two start dating in the movie because of a bet, which is so cliché. She's All That and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days already went there, and those films are much more enjoyable.] Then there's the guy's father (played by Pierce Brosnan) who can't cope with his eldest son's death, and so he ignores his two other children to protect himself from hurt; he is an absent father who thinks that paying the way for his children through life is enough of a parental gesture. The other child is a cute little girl (played by Ruby Jerins) who is sort of socially awkward and is badly bullied by the "mean girls" at school. The audience has to watch her getting picked on, and sees this personal conflict reach its climax when the other girls cut her hair while she's sleeping at a sleepover. AND then Pattinson's character dies in the September 11th attacks. Woah.
Quite frankly, the only way this movie could have been sadder would have been if the little girl had been diagnosed with cancer at the end. This film has absolutely no redeeming qualities, and I'm not sure why anyone would want to watch it. I'm actually amazed I even sat through and finished the whole thing.
This past weekend I took a friend to the Kennedy Center to see the ballet. She had never been to the ballet before, so I thought I would give her the chance to get some culture. We saw The New York City Ballet perform several different dances from 21st century choreographers. While I do prefer classic ballets like The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, I was willing to try something new. There were four different pieces during this performance (with two intermissions, leading to a three hour show!), so I'll review them in order. 1. Symphonic Dances
This was the most similar to a classical ballet out of all the pieces. I enjoyed the Rachmaninoff music, and the costumes were just what you'd expect at the ballet (well, other than tutus). Teresa Reichlen and Zachary Catazaro played the lead roles, and they were phenomenal. Of course the other dancers were very good, but as soon as these two were on stage (especially her), their talent was obviously far above the rest. They danced beautifully together, and when he carried her offstage in as she was standing on his chest (don't ask me how they do that!) it took my breath away!
This piece opened up with a background of colorful circles like those of Wassily Kandinsky. This was the newest piece (it premiered last October), and was the most modern. It was modern ballet as opposed to modern dance (I think there's a difference...?), so I did enjoy it more than I did, say, Pilobolus. There were bits of modern dance that I didn't care for, like stomping, rolling on the floor, and flailing their arms (modern dances seems inherently not graceful), but in general I liked the piece, especially the choreography that went with the music that was soothing and pleasant (as opposed to when the pianist was slamming on the bass keys making noise as opposed to music). I didn't really care for the costumes, I will say. Ballet dancers have incredible bodies, and they should have the chance to show them off! But the female dancers wore mostly nude-colored shift dresses with absolutely no shape (with matching grannie-panties underneath), and the men's outfits weren't much better. Ballet is a visual art form, so I need to like what I see! Throw on some bejeweled tutus!
But I do think it is an interesting idea to pair dance with art in this way. I think this could have even been better if, for each movement, there had been a different artist's work in the background, like Monet, Andy Warhol, etc. Maybe that sort of thing already exists and I just haven't seen it yet!
This was the shortest piece, which is unfortunate because it was so beautiful! There were only the two dancers on stage, which made this dance very sensual. The music was incredibly sad (click the video below to hear the song), but the choreography matched perfectly with the song, and I didn't want the dance to end! Tiler Peck and Craig Hall were amazing!
This piece had so much going on! There was so much to look at! There was a cool geometric pattern in the background that would change for each musical movement, and that in itself was mesmerizing! There were some homoerotic parts in the first movement for sure, when only male dancers were on stage, but then the ballerinas joined in soon afterward. The costumes made me think of the military (the ballerinas certainly looked like sailors!), and the snare drum added to the effect. I was wondering why some of the female dancers wore scoop neck shirts (like in the photos above), while others wore V-neck, racerback tanks; I couldn't determine if there was a real reason for this. I thought they all did a fantastic job, but since there were so many details and so many musical movements, I would love to see this dance again and really take it all in (and maybe not at 10 o'clock at night...).
I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this performance. I thought all of the dances portrayed feats of strength: the male dancers did so much with their partners, like throwing, catching, carrying, etc.! I was very impressed by that. And I liked that all the dances put an emphasis on dancers of both sexes; the classic ballets I mentioned before really do put more attention on the prima ballerina, and the male dancer is mainly there to show her off. That was not the case here! Bravo!
My one complaint would be the number of curtain calls during this performance (and not just because there were four pieces). After every single piece, we could 1. clap when the stage went dark and the curtain went down 2. clap as the curtain rose 3. clap as the curtain went down and rose again 4. clap when the dancers slipped through the curtain to take a bow in front of it and 5. clap when the dancers came out AGAIN in front of the curtain for the last time. So multiply that routine four times; I don't know how many total minutes of clapping that is, but it was A LOT. We get it: you're talented people. But I can't think of any dancers or performances that deserve THAT much applause. Eat some [low-calorie] humble pie, and just dance!
