The Good, the Bad, and the Just Plain Weird: 2017 Met Gala Red Carpet Review

The Annual Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, more commonly referred to as simply "the Met Gala", is always an...um...interesting red carpet event. It is definitely a place where designers and celebrities alike attempt to out-avant garde each other. In other words, the outfits can get extremely weird. And the 2017 Met Gala was no exception. There were some lovely looks. There were some less-than-successful looks. And there were some truly bizarre trainwrecks. Let's look at a few of them, shall we?

Cara Delevingne's silver and black pantsuit was one of the more successful weird looks. The flower pattern of the fabric was beautiful, and the tailoring of the slim but not skin-tight pants and the high-waisted, square-shouldered, silver-belted jacket/top was impeccable, crisp, and flattering. Even the silver, slicked down hair and severe, monochromatic makeup worked for me. This is the type of weirdness that I like to see at this kind of event.

Celine Dion, on the other hand, showed us the less successful side of weird. The concept wasn't bad, with a full, poufed and draped black skirt and beautifully pleated and swirled bodice accented with metallic gold strips - but then it appears to be worn over a gray terrycloth t-shirt with unhemmed sleeves. Wait, what? It's like she had this fabulous dress but then decided it was too revealing so she grabbed some random thing from her closet to wear underneath it. And the look was not helped by the Sharpie eyeliner and spiky sculpted hairdo (or maybe fascinator). Nope.

Chrissy Teigen took a glamorous look and edged it over to funkiness. The silhouette of the gown was very traditional, but it paired a sheer black sheath with silver lace and fluffy white feather shoulder and wrist accents, which were both repeated at the hem of the gown. The high neck was a fun contrast to the peekaboo effect and miles of visible legs. And having John Legend on her arm was a pretty nice accessory, too.

Hailee Steinfeld often takes risks on the red carpet, and usually they pay off, but not this time. This strangely-proportioned dress made it look like she was wearing a man's military jacket backwards and falling off her shoulders. The empire peplum was too high, the sleeves were too long, the train was stiff and oddly shaped, and the clunky platform boots were just plain ugly.

Halle Berry, on the other hand, channeled a beautiful black-and-gold peacock in this simple silhouette gown. The back and train were decorated with increasingly large curved pieces that created a feather-like effect that was also a bit reminiscent of vinyl records. I loved her hairstyle, pulled back into a low chignon held in place by a subtle gold band. Elegant and eye-catching.

Trainwreck time! I'm not exactly sure what Helen Lasichanh  was wearing, but it wasn't clothes. It reminded me of those inflatable sumo wrestler costumes. Maybe she's always cold and wanted to be able to put her hands in her pockets inside her outfit? Maybe she's always had a thing for Gumby and Poky so she decided to combine their looks? Maybe she lost 200 pounds since her outfit was designed? Whatever the reason, it wasn't a good enough one to justify appearing in public wearing this crazy getup.

Janelle Monae went back to her trademark black and white look for the Met Gala, and surprisingly, her look was rather restrained (for her, anyway). I really liked her fluffy tiered white skirt and the black detailing on the bodice. The black feather collar was just weird enough to give it a funky look without completely going off the rails, so I'm calling this one a win.

Jennifer Lopez wore a surprisingly demure - and somewhat bland - ice blue cascading chiffon gown. Pretty but forgettable.

I loved Jourdan Dunn's funky geometric deconstructed men's suit. The shirt was a wild riff on a man's white dress shirt, with oversized loose cuffs, and a collar creating an angular line at the top of the bodice, and the skirt was made of diagonal panels that appeared to be strips of a pin-striped suit. The tangled train even had pieces of fabric tied like neckties. It was clever, it was unique, it was flattering. A+ from this reviewer.

Julia Carey's glittery gold gown featured some lovely red and blue embroidery on the bodice, but was generally quite tame by Met Gala standards. Extra points for the cute red clutch, though.

It's not easy to tell, but that's Katy Perry underneath that voluminous, Eastern-inspired gown. It felt to me like it included elements of traditional Mongolian, Indian, and Middle Eastern clothing. The intricate beading was exquisite, and the double train of the gown and the headpiece made a gorgeous line. This look falls in the "weird but very beautiful" category for me, which is exactly what I like to see at this kind of event.

Kerry Washington's dress had a bit of a "country quilt" look to it at first glance, but details like the small cutouts, thigh-high slit, varied fabric textures, severe bowl cut hairdo, and diamond choker brought the overall look up a level. It took a bit of time to grow on me, but grow on me it did.

Lena Dunham makes many fashion missteps in my opinion, but this event is just perfect for her off-kilter style and non-model figure. Her tiered red-and-black-checked ballgown skirt was topped with a one-shouldered black bodice crossed with a huge ruffled sash from shoulder to waist, somewhat evocative of a Scottish tartan. It would have overwhelmed a more petite person, but Dunham carried it off beautifully. And I love that she reversed her more usual "foofy dress with minimal hair and makeup" to be a somewhat less frothy gown paired with lovely, feminine makeup and a really pretty updo. She really kills it with this look.

Lily Collins brought to mind a combination of Leslie Caron and Isabella Rossellini with her stark black pageboy with babydoll bangs, dark makeup, and frothy pink tulle ballgown skirt over a simple black bodice with a sweetheart neckline. The silhouette is striking, the color combination is terrific, and she pulls off this daring look amazingly well.

Madonna, on the other hand, fell flat in her satin camouflage sheath with olive drab boa and elbow-length black leather gloves. And I don't know what's going on with the hodge podge of necklaces around her neck and hanging from her belt, not to mention the weird grille she's been sporting lately. Oh, Madge. I never thought I'd be looking back fondly on the funnel-bra look.

Mandy Moore was strikingly out of character in this sleek black single-sleeved gown that flared slightly at the knee. She paired it with slicked-back hair, pink-toned makeup, and a single long glove. She looked as elegant and killer as Morticia Addams (and that is absolutely meant as a compliment).

Mary J. Blige opted for a semi-sheer black corset top that cascaded into a slim skirt that revealed plenty of leg. I loved the lace trim along the slit of the skirt and along the waist, and her zigzag diamond cuff was fabulous, as were her long diamond earrings. It wasn't weird or crazy or daring (at least not by the standards of this crowd), but it was beautiful and unusual and well-tailored and accessorized.

Nicki Minaj loves to dress a bit crazy, so this look wasn't entirely out of character for her. I loved the lines of her black and red...I'm not even sure what to call it. It wasn't not so much a gown as it was a short jumper with a double cape. But I loved the way the fabric came over her shoulders and tucked into the bodice, I loved the frothiness of the black underlining of the cape and the detailing along the edges of the red cape. I even loved the three-strapped platform sandals. This was a fun, weird, wonderful look.

Priyanka Chopra could look gorgeous wearing a paper bag, so it was no surprise that she looked gorgeous wearing a beige trenchcoat with an oversized collar and a large train. But although the woman was gorgeous, the outfit was just kind of meh. Pretty silhouette, but not much else going for it in terms of color, texture, or styling.

Rihanna's outfit made me laugh out loud. It seemed to be constructed of circles of fabric cut from 1980s bridesmaid dresses (possibly some were from 1960s wallpaper) and glue-gunned together by someone's mom as part of a school art project. it even looked like part of one of the bridesmaid dress the fabric came from was attached to her left hip. The red strappy sandals that laced all the way up her legs were stunning, and I even kind of liked the brightly pink makeup and super-high topknot. But that dress was a trainwreck.

Rita Ora knocked it out of the "weird but wonderful" park in this red satin concoction that appeared to be made of wide strips of fabric tied at the shoulder and then wrapped around ora's body, criss-crossing to form a skirt, with the strips cascading down from the knee over a tan tulle underlayer and train. The silhouette was gorgeous and the construction was fascinating.

Selena Gomez wore a simple white gown with a deep vee in front and a high center slit. The gown flared into an all-around train and was embroidered with delicate flowers along the neckline and scattered over the rest of the dress. Not exactly weird, but wonderful.

The color alone of Serena Williams' voluminous gown was enough to catch anyone's eye, but the sari-like swirl of embroidery from bodice to hem created a graceful line that delicately drew attention to her burgeoning baby bump - as if her glowing smile didn't already do that.

I'm pretty sure Solange was wearing what I would have come up with had my 7-year-old asked me to make him a costume for his school play in which he was playing a sleeping bag. Seriously, she was wearing a sleeping bag, with a second sleeping bag attached to the back as a train. And bandages on both her hands. And really weird shoes. Not good weird, just weird.

And to be sure we end on a "good weird" note, Zendaya's orange and yellow ballgown was printed with poppies and parrots and had a beautifully soft long train. The off-the shoulder bodice had a real Cinderella look to it, which was a fun contrast with the wild print and her long full hair. A nice youthful twist on weird and wonderful.

2015 Grammy Awards Red Carpet: Brief Impressions

Much like the Country Music Awards, the Grammy Awards tend to bring out the wildest and wackiest of couture. Musicians and actors have a distinctively different flair on the red carpet, and last night’s Grammy Awards showed off “musician flair” quite dramatically. Rather than attempt to categorize the various looks, or directly compare them, I’m just going to go through a number of attendees and give a brief description of the impression I got from each look.

Anna Kendrick’s skinny, cleavage-baring tux paired with long, wavy locks and pointed stilletos was elegant and flattering, but it’s been done before (if not necessarily done better).

Annie Lennox is the Helen Mirren of the music world: her gown was flattering, glamorous, and age-appropriate, and her hairstyle was just dramatic enough to set her apart from the crowd. She looked like a million bucks.

Ariane Grande managed to look both cute and sexy in this Grecian-inspired white gown. The silver panel looked a bit sloppy, but the lines of the dress were lovely and I loved her high half-pony and minimal makeup.

Ashanti’s gown also had beautiful lines, but the broad open front revealed just a hair too much drooping side-boob. One more bead-edged panel halfway up would still have allowed for plenty of skin while carrying out the geometric lines, but would have been much more flattering. A fuller hairstyle would also have balanced out the proportions better. 

Beyonce’s red carpet look was a bit blah for my taste. The silhouette was pretty, but her chest looked flattened and uncomfortable and the peekaboo fabric covered with blobs that looked like crushed tissue paper just didn’t work for me. 

Charli XCX had a halfway decent concept, but the execution didn’t work. The baggy tux pants with narrow hem looked a bit like sweatpants, the jacket was too tight over the ribs, and the droopy fur wrap was not the right proportion for the rest of the outfit. The coordinating pink bow tie and satin shoes were a nice touch, though. 

Chrissy Teigen barely pulled off this stunning gown, with the long wavy lines of her hair echoing the long wavy open panels in the dress. Unfortunately, the panels hit in just the right place to reveal some unflattering underboob. But with John Legend on her arm, especially in a slick shawl-collared gray tux, she pulled it off. 

Ciara was slightly overwhelmed by this bulky gown. I liked the volume in the train, and it would have worked with a slimmer body (the gown’s, not hers – check out those calves!!), but the bulk around her neck looked like a spare tire. Points for her sleek shiny hair and natural makeup, though.

Gwen Stefani rocked the red carpet in this fabulous jumpsuit with its swirly mesh bodice and baggy tapered capris. I should have hated everything about this outfit, and yet it was one of my favorite looks of the night. The structured top and loose bottom worked together, and something about the lines of the top reminded me of a Van Gogh painting. This kind of cutting-edge look is what the Grammys are all about.

Iggy Azalea stunned in this cobalt blue column with wide cleavage and just a few well-placed peekaboo slits. It fit her like a glove and was never out of place when she moved. Her thick coronet-style braid was a bit fuzzy but its geometric line worked perfectly with her gorgeously chiseled features to create another of my favorite looks of the evening.

Jennifer Hudson’s short white gown teetered on the edge of being too simple, but her chic short ‘do, fabulous orchid lips, and tiny but elegant necklace pulled it up nicely. 

Jenny Lewis’ charming rainbow-fade suit paired with giant bottle green sunglasses was a flower child look for the 2010s. It could have been improved by better shoes (perhaps rainbow-striped strappy sandals or bright orange or turquoise pointy pumps), but it was a fun look.

  

Jessie J and Meghan Trainor both went for old-school glamour in similar lacy black columns with sheer overlays. Jessie brought just a hair of an edge with slicked-back hair and dark, stark makeup, where Trainor opted for softer hair and makeup that played up the traditional glamour of the look.

Kat Graham’s gown was basically a giant white chrysanthemum applique over a see-through black sheath. It was absolutely gorgeous and perfectly flattering on her. Her tight bun and nude lips let the dress take center stage, as it should have. A great look.

I felt like I should have loved Katy Perry’s dress, but somehow it didn’t quite work for me. It was too see-through, the fringe was too shaggy-looking, and the cut was somewhat matronly. It couldn’t decide whether to be sexy or covered-up. I loved her hair color, if not the mussed style, and the silver of the dress worked well with it, but this overall look just didn’t do it for me.

Kim Kardashian opted for something that looked like a heavily beaded metallic gold bathrobe with too-long sleeves weighed down further by bulky cuffs and giant epaulets. She announced that she had been styled by Kanye, which may explain a lot of things about this disastrous look.

Kristin Anderson-Lopez looked absolutely adorable in this vintage-inspired flared dress. I loved the textures of the fabric, especially the vertical strips around the rib cage. And with her equally adorable husband Robert on her arm, in a retro velvet tux jacket paired with ruffled shirt and sneakers, they look like they’re headed to the most fun prom ever. 

Lady Gaga’s look was toned-down to the point of being almost subtle (for her, anyway) in this sleek silver column with high slit and wide cleavage. Her smooth platinum hair and stunning emerald pendant added a nice finishing polish.

Madonna wore a matador hat with birdcage veil and epaulets mixed with a sequin-encrusted corset and tutu and matching long gloves and thigh-high gladiator boots. It wasn’t a horrible look, but she always looks like she’s trying too hard these days. 

I probably would have liked this look better on someone other than Miley Cyrus, but I will grudgingly admit that it wasn’t a bad look. The plunging neckline was sexy without being too revealing, and the cut-outs were tastefully done, although the ones over the hipbones were perhaps not at the most flattering location. But the slim line with just a hint of a mermaid flare and a tiny train was lovely. 

I barely recognized Nicki Minaj in this va-va-voom black fringed gown paired with simple straight hair and nude makeup. She looked absolutely stunning with a tiny waistband emphasizing her tiny waist, gravity-defying cleavage, hip-hugging skirt ending in a carwash fringe that moved beautifully, and matching diamond cuff bracelets. Well done, Nicki!

Rihanna’s giant pink gown reminded me of the doll-shaped birthday cake I made for my daughter’s second birthday. The color was great on her, and the bodice was pretty, but it was just ridiculously voluminous. Lose three or four of the petticoats that had to be under there and it might just have worked. 

Sia’s look consisted mainly of a giant white wig and a mini-me by her side. I think she had on skinny black pants and a plain black cape as well, but who noticed underneath the bizarre wig? I’m not sure what else I can even say about this look, other than that her lipstick was a pretty color. 

Taylor Swift stunned in this spectacular aqua gown. The geometric straps and flat bodice were flattering on her tall, slim figure, and the straight miniskirt with yards of leg ending in gorgeous orchid-colored shoes peeking out from the ballgown-styled skirt (which perfectly skimmed the ground) brought it to a whole new level. My eye was drawn to her in every single crowd shot. Hands down, my favorite look of the night.

Bottom line for the red carpet? There were a few missteps, but on the whole, there were some great and unusual looks out there.