So, the 63rd Primetime Emmys. They should really just change the name to "Modern Family Always Wins So You're Really Only Watching for the Clothes and Forced Humor".
However...
This post is about dresses. So, about dresses it will be.
Seeing Red
Nina Dobrev
Lea Michele
Kate Winslet
If you don't see the common trend, you may be color blind. If the subheading didn't give you a clue, you may be an idiot.
So, here we have three red dresses by Donna Karan, Marchesa, and Elie Saab respectively. Three different silhouettes worn by three different ladies of three different ages who have three different body shapes. But, again, they're all red. And not just any red, but that warm, slightly orange red that people may call "scarlet", "Mandarin", or "cadmium red". (From that picture, Lea's does veer more towards a cooler red like crimson, though.)
The good news is: these reds, slightly different from one another, work well for each of the ladies wearing them. I would like to see Lea with slightly more saturation, but meah -- the color's not bad and certainly not worth nitpicking over. However, I do have some things to say about hers as well as the others.
Nina Dobrev
Nina. I remember her as Degrassi the Next Generation's Mamma Mia. Back then, she alternated between annoying and endearing. I don't watch The Vampire Diaries. I don't care to either. But she's not so annoying or endearing anymore. Normally, she's not even on my radar at all. And she wasn't -- not until I saw her in that dress.
The warm red plays wonderfully with her tanned skin and dark chocolate tresses. But what's really amazing about this dress is the shape. I've always thought of Dobrev as being kinda of a tall, thin beanpole. I've never thought of her as having curves. But the shape of her Emmy gown not only sculpts her some killer curves, but it shows off the ones she secretly had all along. The result is a statuesque hourglass entirely worthy of being on a show about sexy vampires.
And, in terms of design, the handkerchief-like stuff all around the hem -- which, if you heard it described without seeing it, you'd think "ewww" -- is actually very eye-catching and interesting.
Lea Michele
I'm going to start by saying Lea Michele is a beautiful and talented young woman. But her dress doesn't reflect that.
I'm a big fan of the 30's silhouette. The broad shoulders, slim waist, smooth hips, long legs -- it's gorgeous. But not everyone can pull it off.
Once again, Lea Michele is absolutely beautiful. But let us not forget that on Glee, Rachel Berry has been referred to as "boy hips" more than once. Lea is an apple. A slim, petite apple, but an apple none the less. So, if your shoulders are the broadest part of you, the dumbest thing you could do would be to wear a dress that makes your shoulders look even broader. If she wasn't posing in that picture with her hip jutted out, she really wouldn't have hips.
Also, Lea is short. Apparently she's 5'2". The 30's silhouette is meant for a tall, lean figure with slightly rounder hips. Think Kiera Knightly (who pulled it off in Atonement, if you recall). The big shoulders, narrow hips silhouette makes her look even shorter than she already is. There's nothing wrong with being short, but if you're short, adding to your shortness can even make you look stout and dumpy. (Luckily, this didn't happen to Lea, but it could've.)
My final nitpick? The bust doesn't even look like it fits. She looks like she's playing dress-up in her mother's 80's clothes, shoulder pads included. And I expect so much better from her, because she's often flawless.
Kate Winslet
Kate has a slamming body. I mean, we've all seen Titanic right? And all these years later, she's still got it. She's absolutely amazing.
This dress is simple; it perfectly showcases her awesome curves. The keyhole neckline perfectly straddles the line between sexy and conservative without being boring. The color is a great red for blondes. Most blondes have a pink undertone to their skin -- like Kate -- and they need that hint of orange in the red for balance. (Otherwise, they might look like a seedless strawberry and nobody wants that.) In short, Kate knows what she's doing.
There's only one tiny con I'd like to point out: the sleeves. Those kind of capped sleeves came out in the 50's and have reared there little capped heads on occasion ever since. And they're tricky little buggers.
Kate's arms aren't at all fat, but they do have a pleasing, feminine roundness that's actually quite pretty. But look at the sleeves. Look at her right (it's on your left) sleeve. You see how the outer line curving over the top of the shoulder is round? Then the outside of her right upper arm rounds out under it. Now, look at her left sleeve. That arm is bent, pushing the sleeve into the arm. Both of those things give the illusion that her arms are bigger than they are.
But that's not to say she can't wear capped sleeves. Really, if they were just like two centimeters shorter, it'd make a world of difference and be far more flattering.
Why Red?
Why not? Red is sexy. Red is passion. It's sin. It's blood. It's all sorts of things that these women, as actresses, are inspired by and feed off of to channel into their performances. It's also powerful and statement making. And, honestly, I think red is a perfect color for fall. I get so sick of browns. And, hey -- red still matches the leaves. Red is just awesome. If you think it isn't, your favorite color is probably eggshell and the rest of us shun you. (Feel the shun?)
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