The Best, Worst, & Sheerest Fashion Moments of 2013

Jessica Chastain in Givenchy Jessica Chastain is a tremendous actress who hits about .500 when it comes to the red carpet. That’s great for a bas... Jessica Chastain in Givenchy Jessica Chastain is a tremendous actress who hits about .500 when it comes to the red carpet. That’s great for a baseball player, but not so hot for a leading lady — in fact, her Golden Globes dress nearly made our worst list. That’s only partly why this regal, resplendent purple gown from Cannes was such a delight; it’s clearly smashing on its own merits. Dear Kim Kardashian: THIS is how Givenchy is done. Take a note, and then tape it to Kanye’s face every night. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior We fall in love with Marion Cotillard’s head every single time we see her, but here we swooned for the rest of... Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior We fall in love with Marion Cotillard’s head every single time we see her, but here we swooned for the rest of her as well. The high-low hemline is perfectly understated, that color is amazing, and she makes wearing this look as easy as if it were jeans and a T-shirt. Maybe, if you’re Marion Cotillard, it is. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Naomi Watts in Armani Privé You know it’s a good dress when you barely even notice Liev Schrieber. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Zoe Saldana in Valentino This Valentino is so dreamy that we’ve moved past the fact that we aren’t wild about her hair styling. The dusty-blue co... Zoe Saldana in Valentino This Valentino is so dreamy that we’ve moved past the fact that we aren’t wild about her hair styling. The dusty-blue color is unusual and glorious, and Saldana Zoe makes the cut seem sexier and more alluring than any of the see-through travesties that kept rearing their naked heads this year. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Lucy Liu in Carolina Herrera We don’t see nearly enough pattern on the red carpet — people are probably scared of being compared to upholst... Lucy Liu in Carolina Herrera We don’t see nearly enough pattern on the red carpet — people are probably scared of being compared to upholstery (sorry) — so props to Lucy Liu for going out on a limb with this very princess-y Carolina Herrera, which managed to be both classically lovely and a delightful surprise at the same time. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Nina Dobrev in Naeem Khan When you’re on a CW show, you have to claim your moments whenever they arise, and Nina (The Vampire Diaries) is the mas... Nina Dobrev in Naeem Khan When you’re on a CW show, you have to claim your moments whenever they arise, and Nina (The Vampire Diaries) is the master. We had a tough time picking our favorite of her many statement outfits, but we kept coming back to this impeccably fit Naeem Khan. The rich pattern evokes old-school royalty, but the cut and her flawless hair and makeup are pure modern glamour. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior We’d be lying if we said we loved this unreservedly, but what it lacks in color, it makes up for with sheer s... Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior We’d be lying if we said we loved this unreservedly, but what it lacks in color, it makes up for with sheer size — which is why, beyond being one of the few truly unforgettable fashion moments of the year, it’s a dress that will live in infamy for tripping up America’s Bestie when she went to accept her Oscar. That may have been a bad omen for the rest of Lawrence’s association with Dior, because this turned out to be one of the best of the bunch — even if it did go rogue on her. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Amy Adams in Oscar de la Renta On the red carpet, Amy tends to be either totally ho-hum, or very girly. So this shimmering, slinky Oscar de la Re... Amy Adams in Oscar de la Renta On the red carpet, Amy tends to be either totally ho-hum, or very girly. So this shimmering, slinky Oscar de la Renta — impeccably tailored, and sexy as hell — made us sit up and take notice. And apparently she’ll end the year much as she began it, because with every American Hustle clip she looks foxier and foxier, in a way that suggests her bod will spend a lot of time on everyone’s Pinterest inspiration boards. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Hailee Steinfeld in Donna Karan Atelier The Met Gala’s “Punk: Chaos to Couture” theme this year seemed to confound even women who lived through t... Hailee Steinfeld in Donna Karan Atelier The Met Gala’s “Punk: Chaos to Couture” theme this year seemed to confound even women who lived through the genre’s heyday. So, extra credit to a kid who was born in 1996 for walking the punk/pretty line in this Donna Karan Atelier frock, which gets its edge from the surprising, spiffy sprinkling of tiny safety pins. Out of the wardrobes of babes ... Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Nicole Kidman in Christian Dior This was a tough call. Kidman nailed her entire stint in Cannes as a juror, and this red-and-blue L’Wren Scott, i... Nicole Kidman in Christian Dior This was a tough call. Kidman nailed her entire stint in Cannes as a juror, and this red-and-blue L’Wren Scott, in particular, is also exquisite. But we had to give the win to the Dior dress she wore to open the festival. It’s delicate and regal and yet full of whimsy — the kind of elegance we pray will make Jennifer Lopez feel so threatened, now that she’s on Idol with Kidman’s husband Keith Urban, that the two of them spend 2014 in a divinely bonkers “I Can Top That” fashion feud. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Lupita Nyong'o in Prada Nyong'o stars in 12 Years aSlave, so she’ll be hitting the awards circuit hard in a month’s time. We couldn’t be happier ... Lupita Nyong'o in Prada Nyong'o stars in 12 Years aSlave, so she’ll be hitting the awards circuit hard in a month’s time. We couldn’t be happier about that, even from a purely aesthetic standpoint: In just the last quarter of the year, Nyong'o easily became our breakout fashion star of 2013. This graceful gold-kissed Prada gown, sported in Toronto, was her first major red-carpet moment and it’s still her best. Talk about starting off with a bang. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Sandra Bullock in Alex Perry Sandra is almost always streamlined, understated, and monochromatic. So this Alex Perry tri-color day dress she wore... Sandra Bullock in Alex Perry Sandra is almost always streamlined, understated, and monochromatic. So this Alex Perry tri-color day dress she wore when she arrived in Venice to promote Gravity was a blast to our senses — and a blast, period. Try not sitting up and taking notice of something that refreshing, crisp, and fruity. (Now also try to resist the urge to go buy a pack of Starbursts.) Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Diane Kruger in Prabal Gurung Unlike Sandy, Diane is a sucker for a big gown, and we love her for it. Everything about this stunning Prabal Gurun... Diane Kruger in Prabal Gurung Unlike Sandy, Diane is a sucker for a big gown, and we love her for it. Everything about this stunning Prabal Gurung makes us wish we were wearing it — because if we were, then surely we’d be transported to a warmly lit bridge on a balmy Paris summer night, with a flute of Champagne in one hand, surrounded by an army of Goslings intoxicated by our aura. And if that didn’t happen ... eh, who cares? We’d still be wearing this dress, and that would be more than enough. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Angelina Jolie in Ralph & Russo The World War Z press junket was Jolie’s first public outing after her New York Times op-ed piece about her p... Angelina Jolie in Ralph & Russo The World War Z press junket was Jolie’s first public outing after her New York Times op-ed piece about her preventative mastectomy. She was guaranteed scrutiny. And she met it, looked it in the eye, and flipped it off with a smile. This custom Ralph & Russo dress is spectacular on her — the best use of a peplum in a long time, and frankly, the best use of her innate Angelina Jolie-ness in even longer. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Miley Cyrus in Marc Jacobs Cyrus got a lot of flack this year for all her tongue-waggling, high-cut-brief-sporting, leotarded crimes against our ... Miley Cyrus in Marc Jacobs Cyrus got a lot of flack this year for all her tongue-waggling, high-cut-brief-sporting, leotarded crimes against our eyeballs. But credit where it’s due: She cleans up well when she wants to, and never better in 2013 than in this slinky green Marc Jacobs. She clearly knows when it’s time to turn down the volume and remind us that she’s a person and not a cartoon. Photo: 2013 Getty Images

Miley Cyrus However: One gorgeous green gown does not absolve Cyrus of the rest of the year, these two hideous looks being merely the tip of a hi... Miley Cyrus However: One gorgeous green gown does not absolve Cyrus of the rest of the year, these two hideous looks being merely the tip of a hideous iceberg. Worse, she appears to believe they’re cerebral choices and that she’s operating on a higher plane than the rest of us, which is only true if that plane is called “Camp Crackfest.” Biggie and Tupac might concur with her “PLEASE STOP” message, because surely they’re rolling in their respective graves over being resurrected on her ass, and somewhere in 1996, Gwen Stefani is real pissed someone stole her signature look. Photo: Getty Images

Cate Blanchett in Christian Dior Couture Does wearing this mean she won a Satanic quilting bee, or lost it? Either way, at least she’ll be warm t... Cate Blanchett in Christian Dior Couture Does wearing this mean she won a Satanic quilting bee, or lost it? Either way, at least she’ll be warm this winter. Photo: Francois Durand/Getty Images

Kerry Washington in Prada The very best way to distract the public from your burgeoning (and at the time as yet unconfirmed) baby bump is by wrap... Kerry Washington in Prada The very best way to distract the public from your burgeoning (and at the time as yet unconfirmed) baby bump is by wrapping it Laura Ingalls Wilder’s finest and hoping everyone will be too busy talking about Ma’s hard cider recipe to wonder if you’ve got a bun in the oven. Photo: Johns PKI / Splash News

Lena Dunham in Prada We love when Dunham takes a big chance, and we wanted to like this Emmy’s effort, but unfortunately it looks like the most h... Lena Dunham in Prada We love when Dunham takes a big chance, and we wanted to like this Emmy’s effort, but unfortunately it looks like the most half-assed float at the Rose Parade. If only this were Project Runway, and the designer could be sent back into the workroom with that fabric to try again. That’s its only shot at earning an encore. Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Emma Watson in Balenciaga This is, quite simply, a world of no. There is no conceivable scenario wherein a woman should go out of her house weari... Emma Watson in Balenciaga This is, quite simply, a world of no. There is no conceivable scenario wherein a woman should go out of her house wearing a top that makes her look like she’s been deeply inspired by the scene in Shakespeare In Love where Joseph Fiennes unwraps Gwyneth’s breast bindings. Photo: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images

Claire Danes in Armani Privé Beginning with Julianne Moore at the SAGs, 2013 found itself slowly inundated with sternum-highlighting get-u... Claire Danes in Armani Privé Beginning with Julianne Moore at the SAGs, 2013 found itself slowly inundated with sternum-highlighting get-ups. We didn’t think it could get sadder than the bodice of Moore’s otherwise lovely Chanel, but then Danes’s Armani Privé hit the Emmy red carpet, and it did, thanks to a truly dysfunctional marriage of atrocious fit and an unfriendly design. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Jaimie Alexander in Azzaro Super subtle, right? On the other hand, nobody knew her name before she showed up looking like chemical spill burned o... Jaimie Alexander in Azzaro Super subtle, right? On the other hand, nobody knew her name before she showed up looking like chemical spill burned off half her dress, so by that rubric, Jaimie Alexander won the day. Photo: Getty Images

Zosia Mamet in Honor This Honor gown could’ve been so fetching if it were just the strapless patterned portion. Unfortunately, someone decided wh... Zosia Mamet in Honor This Honor gown could’ve been so fetching if it were just the strapless patterned portion. Unfortunately, someone decided what it was really missing was a dickie anchored by an old George Foreman Grill drip tray. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Erin Wasson in Alexandre Vauthier Couture There are no words. Which is fitting, as there is no fabric, either. Photo: Getty Images

Anna Camp in Emilio Pucci This is absolutely one of the worst looks of the entire year. It’s like lingerie for figure skaters — except that no se... Anna Camp in Emilio Pucci This is absolutely one of the worst looks of the entire year. It’s like lingerie for figure skaters — except that no self-respecting figure skater would be seen in so much netting, satin, bronzer, and tassels. And yes, that’s really saying something. Photo: Getty Images

Gwyneth Paltrow in Antonio Berardi From the front, it’s a been-there shape complete with an overwrought, underthought poncho. From the side, it’s... Gwyneth Paltrow in Antonio Berardi From the front, it’s a been-there shape complete with an overwrought, underthought poncho. From the side, it’s nothing more than a window treatment at Buttock House. We know you work out, Gwyneth. We didn’t need so much proof. Photo: Getty Images

Jennifer Lawrence It says a lot about how bad Lawrence’s Year Of Dior was that we couldn’t pick one worst, and that this didn’t even make the cut... Jennifer Lawrence It says a lot about how bad Lawrence’s Year Of Dior was that we couldn’t pick one worst, and that this didn’t even make the cut, because at least that overlay might be pretty if, say, an actual dress were involved somehow. As for the rest, we wonder if Dior hates Jennifer Lawrence (can anyone hate her?), or if the girl simply doesn’t have the taste level we crave from someone who’s otherwise so awesome. Certainly, we’d prefer to believe she’s being strong-armed, because there is no other sane reason for voluntarily wearing pants with a skirt-leg, a sloppy confetti and satin mess, and that cat-scratch peekaboob, especially not when other people shone in the label. Here’s hoping 2014 is the year she shows Dior the door. Photo: Getty Images

Laetitia Casta in Christian Dior Couture We’re frightened. Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Kim Kardashian in Givenchy Rumor has it that Kardashian’s stylist forced her to add the glove-sleeves so she wouldn’t show her pregnancy arms (si... Kim Kardashian in Givenchy Rumor has it that Kardashian’s stylist forced her to add the glove-sleeves so she wouldn’t show her pregnancy arms (sigh); an even more ridiculous rumor had it that Riccardo Tisci gave Kardashian an ugly Givenchy as jealous sabotage because he’s in love with Kanye. While we love the idea of Revenge Upholstery — it’s so Dynasty! — this is also the first and possibly last time we ever felt sorry for Kim Kardashian, which means, as (probably fictional) revenge goes, it kinda backfired. Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Megan Hilty in Badgley Mischka It was another Year of the Sheer in 2013, and this type of window-in-the-middle style emerged on the red carpet fa... Megan Hilty in Badgley Mischka It was another Year of the Sheer in 2013, and this type of window-in-the-middle style emerged on the red carpet far more often than any of us wanted. Of all the many iterations, this one may have left the sourest taste in our mouths: The color and tinted netting are rotten on her, in a way that suggests this perhaps was rotting. Right off her body. Megan Hilty’s talent and charms deserve something fresher. Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

Halle Berry in Atelier Versace The common refrain is that Halle Berry could make a potato sack look good, and in this instance, we wish she had t... Halle Berry in Atelier Versace The common refrain is that Halle Berry could make a potato sack look good, and in this instance, we wish she had tried that instead. Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Kristen Stewart in Stella McCartney Yes, it’s the Met Ball, and yes, there was a theme. But beyond the fact that the overall idea is an eyesore, ... Kristen Stewart in Stella McCartney Yes, it’s the Met Ball, and yes, there was a theme. But beyond the fact that the overall idea is an eyesore, there is nothing punk about looking like you have elephantitis of the labia. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Paula Patton in Rhea Costa You see it from the back, and think, “OK, Patton, this seems halfway reasonable,” and then you see it from the front a... Paula Patton in Rhea Costa You see it from the back, and think, “OK, Patton, this seems halfway reasonable,” and then you see it from the front and think, “Oh, Patton, that seems only halfway finished.” Photo: Getty Images

Anne Hathaway in Prada This Prada might not be the worst dress of the year, but it’s definitely one of the most scandalous, given that Hathaway (... Anne Hathaway in Prada This Prada might not be the worst dress of the year, but it’s definitely one of the most scandalous, given that Hathaway (allegedly) pitched a fit that Amanda Seyfried’s Oscar look was (allegedly) too similar to hers, and made poor Rachel Zoe figure out something else for her to wear at (allegedly) the eleventh hour. This left her with an aggressively bland dress that had red-carpet watchers playing the game “Chest Darts or Nipples?” It’s the former, but the fact that everyone talked more about that than her Oscar win is probably not the dream she dreamed. Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez in Anthony Vaccarello The Grammys released an incredibly detailed dress code in 2013, specifying all the ways people needed to kee... Jennifer Lopez in Anthony Vaccarello The Grammys released an incredibly detailed dress code in 2013, specifying all the ways people needed to keep it classy. Leave it to J.Lo to find a leotard-gown-shaped loophole and charge through it. Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Amanda Peet These, from a Globes party and the Emmys, bookended Amanda Peet’s fashion year. Given that one evokes a formal event at a mortuary an... Amanda Peet These, from a Globes party and the Emmys, bookended Amanda Peet’s fashion year. Given that one evokes a formal event at a mortuary and the other seems straight out of a sanitarium, we can’t help but wonder which iconically troubling locations can she tap for her 2014 inspirations. Fingers crossed for Fancy DMV. Photo: Getty Images

The Best, Worst, & Sheerest Fashion Moments of 2013

Tags:

What is your email?

What is your email?

Tags:

What is your email?

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create Your Free Account

You’re in!

What is your email?

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create Your Free Account

You’re in!