The 2015 CMAs: Red Carpet Review

One of the many things that nearly all annual red carpet events have in common is that you tend to see many of the same faces, year after year. So let’s see how some of them have changed their red carpet style since last year! I’ll pull a few comments from the red carpet review I wrote for last year’s CMAs and compare them to this year, and then I’ll wrap it up with a few new folks who made the cut this year.

Carrie Underwood

In 2014, Underwood was several months pregnant, but managed that awkward stage very nicely in this flared gold lace frock with asymmetrical hem.

I’m not sure if she felt the pressure to show she’d gotten her figure back, but this year’s stunning peach gown with flared skirt, pleated peplum, and wide décolleté certainly proved that she has. The color works surprisingly well with her coloring, and the silhouette emphasizes her curves without looking like it’s working too hard. Elegant but sexy, this stunning gown puts Underwood solidly back on the best-dressed list where she belongs.

Kacey Musgraves

I was too busy being horrified at Musgraves’ horrific beehive ‘do last year to even notice her dress.

Wow, she more than made up for the hair AND the dress with her va-va-voom 2015 look. Channeling old Hollywood glam with her clingy bias-cut dark teal satin halter gown with cleavage to spare, softly waved hair, and pink lips against porcelain skin, Musgraves is all grown up this year. You go, girl! Er, woman.

Rachel Holder 

In 2014 Rachel Holder wore a lovely gown that unfortunately did not fit or flatter her as well as it could have.

She does not seem to have learned from her mistakes, because once again in 2015 she wore a beautiful gown that could have been much more flattering with a few minor alterations in fit. Tight instead of fitted, it wrinkles across the front and outlines the boning and the lining instead of skimming over her beautifully curvy figure. But the color is absolutely gorgeous on her, the more natural makeup and skin tone is much more flattering than 2014’s bronzer, and her necklace and earrings are sheer perfection. Not a completely perfect look, but she’s definitely moving in the right direction.

Kellie Pickler

I loved Kellie Pickler’s 2014 gown, with its studded detailing, rich fabric, and elegant lines. It was conservative yet unusual.

Pickler went in a very different direction this year, but her gown was still an eye-catching twist on a classic look. Deep royal purple satin with a fitted bodice flaring into a soft but structured skirt, a broad plunging V neck, only a wide silver cuff bracelet as an accessory, and simple hair and makeup resulted in a gorgeous clean and elegant look. Nicely done.

Last year there were several couples who worked well together on the red carpet.

Sadly, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton have divorced since the 2014 CMAs, when they appeared like this.

Shelton wore the classic “CMA tux” of dress shirt, suit jacket, and blue jeans, and Lambert wore a lovely and feminine Greek-inspired pale pink column.

If the best revenge is living well – and looking good – Lambert is definitely getting her revenge in her 2015 striking black column. Utterly simple, adorned only by a wide matte satin belt, long vertical stripe, and angled neck detail, it calls attention to her fun pink-tipped hair and sassy posture. I don’t love the hair drooping over her eye, but I can picture her flipping it rebelliously, so I’m giving her a pass.

Sorry, Blake, I missed you on the red carpet and your look on stage was boring. Step it up, dude.

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood

In 2014, Yearwood and Brooks went classic but dull, she in a long, high-necked black gown, and he in his usual all-black suit and oversized hat.

In 2015, Brooks kicked it up a notch in an impeccable standard tux with satin shawl collar, and Yearwood brightened her look in an ecru textured column with simple silver necklace and clutch. I don’t love her slicked-back hair and overdone eye makeup, but she looks more alive and happy than last year, so I’m still putting them in the “improved” column.

In 2014, there were a few bands who caught my eye for their nicely unified look, their expression of individuality that was somehow tied together, or an effort to “clean up good” without losing their uniqueness. There were also a few who couldn’t quite figure how to present a unified front. Let’s see how each group has changed over the past year.

Lady Antebellum

In 2014, Lady Antebellum went with low-key, slim suits for the men and a tastefully clingy black gown for the lady, all in dark, subdued colors.

In 2015, they showed a bit more personality in the men’s choices of striped tie and fabulous open-necked black-and-white polka dot shirt and the lady’s print sundress with perfectly coordinated lipstick. Still elegant and classic, but showing a bit more personality and uniqueness. It’s a good change.

Little Big Town 

In 2014, Little Big Town was all over the map with different kinds of suits, different lengths of dresses, and very few coordinating touches.

In 2015, there’s still not a lot of color coordination, but the level of formality is a lot more uniform, and I feel like the band members (particularly the women) look a lot more at ease with their styles than the prior year. They look more like they’re wearing clothes and less like they’re wearing costumes. Plus, I kind of love the crazy black-lined flaps on the red dress. They work with the wild curly ‘do and the coordinated red smirk. And the guy on the right seems to be morphing into David Beckham, which is never a bad thing.

Fall Out Boy 

In 2014, Eli Young Band succeeded with the formula of black jacket and pants plus bright pops of color in personalized accessories.

In 2015, Fall Out Boy took that formula in a slightly more classic direction. Black dress pants and various styles of black tux jackets paired with personal choice of black or white shirt, tie or no tie, buttoned or not buttoned, and hat or no hat, resulted in a classy and unified but not uniform look. Not quite as much personality as Eli Young, but clean and classic.

And, finally, the men. In 2014, the men hit it out of the park. There were plenty of elegant classic looks and plenty of distinctive but not wacky looks. Did they do as well this year? Let’s see.

Dustin Lynch 

Once I was able to tear my eyes away from Lynch’s dazzling smile in 2014, I was impressed by his deep blue tux and crisp grey shirt.

In 2015, Lynch’s smile is just as dazzling, as is his grey-on-grey brocade, black-trimmed slim tuxedo, paired with a deep blue shirt, tie, and pocket square, and pristine black boots and ten-gallon hat. This cowboy still knows how to git along, little dogie.

Darius Rucker 

I was impressed by Rucker’s deep plum velvet tux jacket in 2014, which he paired with jeans and a white shirt and dark tie. 

I was even more impressed in 2015 by his cobalt blue silk suit with coordinating tie and pocket square and charcoal grey shirt. The jacket seemed the slightest bit tight across the chest, but the pants were perfectly tailored with just the right break, and I loved the bit of grey cuff peeking out from the jacket sleeves. Hoot hoot!

There were some notable looks worn by celebrities who didn’t make my list last year, so here are a few looks we may be revisiting next year.

Danielle Bradbery

I’m not always a fan of the trend of short skirts with long see-through overlays, but something about the angles of this one, along with the pretty lace edging and the dotted Swiss panels, appeals to me. Perhaps it’s the simplicity of the rest of the dress, with a plain round neck and princess seaming, but I like this look a lot.

Erika Christensen

I loved this dress a bit less when I saw Christensen moving in it, but for posed photos, the long draped ruffle added a graceful line to this off-one-shoulder flared gown in a bold electric blue. A lovely, feminine but not frothy silhouette.

Jewel

The CMAs are a great place to break out a casual short dress in lieu of a gown, and Jewel picks a perfect short frock: glittery silver fabric and coordinating strappy shoes and clutch, plunging neckline and sleeve cutouts with perfectly-camouflaged modesty panels, and picking a single facial feature to highlight with makeup (in this case, her eyes). Nicely balanced, not overdone, but subtly eye-catching.

Kimberly Perry

If I had calves like Kimberly Perry, I’d live in dresses (and 9-inch stilettos) just like this: A stark black clinging column with a round neck and a single long sleeve, with one side cut short and filled in with a panel full of polka-dot cutouts. Striking and sexy, Perry pairs it perfectly with straight sleek hair, minimal makeup, and impeccable posture. Wow.

And of course, what is a list of hits without a list of misses to counterbalance it? Here are a few folks who might need to step it up next year.

Jennifer Nettles

 
I really wanted to love this look. I felt like I should love this look. The woman is gorgeous. The dress is gorgeous. And yet somehow, they just don’t work together. I think that maybe the dress is more suited for a voluptuous figure than a slender one. Perhaps if the skirt rested lower on the hips instead of above the navel, or if the neck of the modesty panel were less obvious, it would have worked for me. Perhaps if I hadn’t seen it from the side, a view which made it look gappy and poorly-fitted. But I’d love to see Nettles put her amazing figure into something that suits her better next year.

Justin Timberlake

For the most part, Timberlake had good elements, they just didn’t work together. The short-waisted tux jacket didn’t work with the untucked white shirt, the untucked shirt was too casual for the buttoned-up collar, the cool suede boots were too fancy for the distressed jeans, and the not-a-hair-out-of-place coif was at the wrong awards show. Next year, I’d like to see Justin trade the white shirt for a softer colored open-necked shirt, downgrade the tux jacket to a textured suit jacket, and cover the hair with a cowboy hat the same shade as the suede boots. That would be a little bit country.

Lindsey Sterlin

 

I don’t usually like dresses with different-colored tops and bottoms, but I think I’d have made an exception in order to fix this look. I love the skirt of Sterlin’s gown: it’s just the right amount of clingy, with a tiny puddle of hem and a small train, and sparkly vertical trim lengthening the lines of her legs. But the horizontal lines of the bodice, combined with the skin-toned shades near Sterlin’s face, do not flatter the way they should. I’d love to see a bright emerald, cobalt, or burgundy fitted corset bringing color and curves to the existing skirt.

Megan Linsey

Much like Rachel Holder’s gown this year, Megan Linsey’s gown had a great concept and an even greater color scheme, but the look fell apart because it was badly fitted. Linsey’s boobs are being squashed up and out, she looks like she can hardly walk or breathe, and her miserable expression says she is painfully aware of it. I love the color and spangle of the bodice and the coordinating hint of green in the velvet skirt; I love the hint of mermaid in both the colors and the silhouette; I love the asymmetrical platinum bob, the smoky eyes, and the pink lips. One size larger all around and Linsey would have looked like the beautiful bombshell that she is.

See you again at next year’s CMAs!!

The 2014 Country Music Awards: Red Carpet Review

I must admit that I look forward to the CMAs every year with a bit of guilt, because what I love most about them is that there is inevitably at least one person wearing a ridiculously over-the-top, look-at-me-I’m-a-cowboy outfit. I’m rather disappointed not to have seen any of that this year, although I was fortunate enough to tune in early enough to catch a number that featured all the singers and an inexplicable 20-member snare drum band wearing costumes trimmed in color-changing LED rope, so I did fill my “weird and outrageous” quota for the evening. But on to the fashion critiques!

The biggest fashion trend this year can be summed up in three words: Black is back. Seriously, of all the dresses I saw in the red carpet photos, about six of them were not black, and of those six, only two were not a shade of white or champagne. So I’ll begin with kudos to Connie Britton for bucking the trend!

Her bottle green lace dress over a black underlay was striking, and the length was just perfect for showing off those gorgeous legs. Her face seemed a bit colorless, but her simple strappy sandals and dark pedicure were a great choice.

Surprisingly for such a casual event (in red carpet terms, at least), Britton was among very few attendees wearing short dresses. 

Another attendee rocking a shorter dress was Martina McBride, in a flared black-and-gold frock.

The skirt would have been more flattering had it been just a few inches shorter or a bit less full, but it was helped by being slightly see-through toward the hem. I’d have gone with flashier gold (or at least black-and-gold) shoes instead of boring pointy pumps, but her gorgeous chestnut locks and hint of coppery lips drew attention up toward her lovely face.

Carrie Underwood, one of my personal fashion favorites, split the short skirt-long-skirt difference by wearing an asymmetrically-hemmed, glittery champagne-colored gown with matching pumps (and matching hair, come to think of it). 

Something about where the waistline falls is not terribly flattering on her (at several months pregnant, what is?), but the cascading ripples of bedazzled fabric tempered by a plain underskirt is so feminine and pretty that I can’t complain too much. (I did watch enough of the awards themselves to see that she changed her outfit at least ten times, and I will refrain from commenting on her other dresses except to say that it might have been easier on all concerned if she’d just worn the dress she wore to the Grammys in 2013 and let them project a different pattern on it every time she came on stage.)

But here’s something that I CAN complain about: Oh, Kacey Musgraves. My children adore your song “Heartache Song,” and your voice is as cute as a bug’s ear. But WHAT IS UP WITH YOUR HAIR????

Did you lose a bet? Are you smuggling contraband up there? Did your hairdresser have an unfortunate break with reality? Because, honey, no. Just….NO.

The next “Just…NO” outfit is credited to Lily Aldridge. Yes, dear, you’re a Victoria’s Secret model. However, you should probably still wear more than your underwear when you’re not at a VS shoot.

Also, what does this dress look like when you’re standing like a normal human being instead of crossing your feet and sticking you right hip out six inches? Just…NO.

A slightly unconventional dress that I did love, however, was sported by Clare Bowen.

The bodice is just vaguely reminiscent of an old western saloon girl, topping a huge froth of white speckled with black. This gown manages to be effortlessly sexy, cute, and fun all at once, and Ms. Bowen is obviously having a wonderful time in it.

Rachel Holder and Kelli Pickler wore similar spangled black columns with varied degrees of success.

Holder’s gown features a plunging neckline with metallic discs covering the bodice and unfortunately emphasizing (or possibly even creating) a bit of a pot belly. The tiny flared train, loose waved ‘do, and feminine makeup were nice details; the studded biker-chick clutch not so much. Pickler’s gown was a bit more unconventional yet conservative, with narrow modesty panels separating fabric with different patterns of rhinestones. The perfect tailoring of the gown, slicked-back platinum locks, silver clutch, and subtle train all added to one of the loveliest looks of the evening.

One of the fun parts of the CMAs is the number of married couples who are both in the business. 

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw went for old-school glamour; her in a slim, studded retro gown that reminded me of Barbra Streisand’s famous Bob Mackie pantsuit from the 1969 Oscars, and him in an impeccable and classic shawl-collar tuxedo with hand-tied bow tie and a black Stetson. 

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert went a bit more casual but equally stunning; she in a champagne-pink Grecian-style gown with ruched bodice, and he in a black jacket and vest over a deep charcoal dress shirt and tie, and tastefully faded dark-wash jeans. 

And Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks also looked smashing in unrelieved black; her in a high-necked, long-sleeved gown with a generous train that was just tailored enough to avoid looking frumpy, and he in a black suitcoat over a black collarless shirt, black jeans, black cowboy boots, and of course, his trademark black hat.

I’d also like to call attention to a few groups who caught my eye. 

The Eli Young Band gave the impression of some grunge guys who worked really hard to clean themselves up for the evening. Shined shoes, crisp coats of various textures, and just enough color and variation in their shirts to give them personality, and washed and neatly combed hair. Nicely done, gentlemen.

Lady Antebellum looked cutting edge with the men in fashionably slim-fitting suits and skinny ties, and the lady in a gown that showed off her voluptuous figure without looking trashy (never an easy feat). 

Little Big Town was all over the map, with one gentleman in a modern, slim-fitting eggplant suit and another in a black-and-white tuxedo; while the ladies also split the look with one in a simple (perhaps slightly too simple) pale copper dress and matching shoes and the other in a spangled white gown covered by a wrap that appears to be made of muppet fur. Any one of the looks alone might have worked, but put them all together and it’s just a discombobulated mish-mash.

Parmalee was another all-male group that looked like they had made a concerted effort to clean up for the CMAs. Their look was a bit more casual and country than some others, but they looked much more natural and at ease than many other groups. The dark wash jeans and overall dark colors worked to tie their looks together, but still allowed for the individuality of a bright cobalt shirt and plum velvet jacket here, an oversized belt buckle there, and some gold chains on another. Good job unifying what appears to be very different personalities and styles.

But now let’s move on to a category that hit it out of the park at the 2014 CMAs: the men. Their styles ranged from tuxedos to jeans, from 10-gallon hats to baseball caps, from classic black and white to vivid colors and textures. 

Once I was able to pull my focus away from Dustin Lynch’s 10,000-gigawatt smile and adorable dimples, I noticed the beautiful detailing of his deep blue tuxedo, from the satin collar to the crisp, open-collared dove-gray shirt, to the perfectly fluffed pocket square, to the satin hatband that perfectly matching the satin piping on the jacket pockets. This is a man who knows how to dress for the occasion.

Jon Pardi went with an informal look, but I had to mention him for the charm of this unusual single-button wide-wale corduroy jacket featuring feathery appliques perfectly coordinated with his pocket square. It worked nicely with the crisp white open-collared shirt, fashion-forward jeans, and just a glimpse of a giant belt buckle. Very western and very fun!

Darius Rucker has come a long way since his Hootie days, and his fashion has come a long way as well. He looks like the professor all the girls have a crush on in this deep blue velvet jacket, long tie, blue jeans, trendy glasses, and just a hint of grey in his neatly-trimmed beard. 

And last, but certainly not least, kudos to Josh Turner for this beautifully-tailored subtle plaid 3-piece suit with bias pockets worn over an open-collared dark plum dress shirt. Classic and dressy without being formal, it’s a perfect look for the CMAs.