Another Blog Post About The Royal Wedding

You know you can’t get enough.

Grab your commemorative plates, gross traditional English wedding fruitcake, and feather-adorned hats, because it’s time to talk about WILL AND KATE!!

The day I’ve looked forward to for months was finally here on Friday. Prince William and Kate Middleton got married! They may officially be the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, but I’m still going to call her Princess Kate. With the exception of Grace Kelly and Princess Diana, has anyone been this perfect for the job?

In preparation for the big event, my best friend Maggie and I both took Friday off as a vacation day (she drove up all the way from NC). Thanks to a sweet Living Social deal, we pried ourselves out of bed at 4:30 and drove to Dupont Circle to celebrate in proper style at The Mansion on O Street (it’s pretty fab). As soon as I got there I regretted not planning a better outfit. I had put on the first pair of jeans and acceptable top I could find, while I was surrounded by girls in awesome hats and cute dresses. The ONLY time I will put comfort over fashion is 4:30 am.



Finally, at nearly 6:00, the world saw which dress Kate said yes to. I had my fingers crossed that it would be a tiny British designer that no one had ever heard of (whose career would then be launched in a Jason Wu/Michelle Obama way times a million). My second choice was Alexander McQueen, but I figured that was a long shot since McQueen tends to be pretty avant-garde and Kate’s style is more classic. Alas, Sarah Burton (for McQueen) came up with this AMAZING dress that will now cause me to go off on a tangent:

Women of America, THIS is how you should aspire to look on your wedding day. Not like a wedding-themed Bratz doll. If I see one more episode of Say Yes To The Dress about a Jersey girl with her heart set on a $15,000 Pnina Tornai with a bedazzled sheer corset and visible boning, I may scream. Your wedding dress shouldn’t look like the top half was purchased at Victoria’s Secret and the bottom was just fifty yards of tulle haphazardly attached. I hope we’ve all learned a valuable lesson from the Duchess. When the whole world is watching and the Queen of England is a few yards away, “classy” trumps “inappropriately racy” every time.

Here are a few examples, and further research on the subject:

Gross. But I digress.

I also breathed a sigh of relief when I saw her hair. Using the same stylist her family has gone to for nearly a decade, Kate opted for a simple half-up, half-down style. I know a lot of brides choose an updo, which is totally elegant, but Kate’s hair is so pretty! It would have been a shame not to show it off. Plus, her cheekbones could cut glass, so she would look great with any hairstyle.  

Of course, I realize that the wedding wasn’t all about fashion. William and Kate are adorable together. Unlike some royal couples of the past, they were friends first, dated for years, and both know what they’re getting themselves into. They are a relatively normal couple. Can you picture Diana and Charles shopping at Ikea together? Awkward. And while I picture Will and Kate as more of a Crate and Barrel kind of couple, it seems like they have fun together. If he would just cut his hair a bit shorter so his receeding hairline wasn’t SO obvious, they’d be perfect. (I know I wasn’t the only one thinking that during the ceremony. He’s still really good looking, but that hair is quite distracting.)

Kate and Will weren’t the only ones looking good on Friday. Prince Harry is officially England’s cutest ginger, and Pippa Middleton looked beyond classy wearing the same designer as her sister. That being said, what bride in her right mind would let Pippa wear a gorgeous white dress to her wedding? How was there no trace of sibling rivalry? Meanwhile, their brother James serves as proof that the Middletons have really good genes. In case you were wondering.

A few other highlights:

"We're just here to make everyone else look horrible in comparison."

The Queen wore yellow! She looked quite happy, which probably had a lot to do with her grandson getting married, but I have a theory that wearing bright yellow increases endorphins and makes you happy.

The cameras kept going back to Elton John throughout the service.  I couldn’t help but wonder how AWESOME it would be to sit right beside Elton during a wedding service. Listening to him singing along to the hymns would be great, but you’d also get to hear the snarky comments he makes about Chelsea Davies’ outfit.

Posh and Becks were there, too. Posh covered her preggo belly with a trapeze dress from her own line. As Joan Rivers pointed out, “She’s eating for one now.” She’s also wearing seven-inch Louboutins, so the next time I want to complain about walking around in four inch wedges, I’ll think of pregnant Victoria Beckham and hold my tongue.

Dresses!!!!!!! My humble opinion of who was Best-dressed at the Oscars

Gwyneth Paltrow

Oh, Gwyneth. You are a mystery wrapped in an enigma. You are also a liar, because no one who owns a deep fryer and a brick pizza oven (which you claim to use regularly) looks like this in shiny gold material. Perhaps this week’s GOOP will be about how to drop 2.5 pounds in a week by mixing cayenne pepper with three teaspoons of beet juice in lukewarm water. Nonetheless, this Calvin Klein Collection dress is perfection. 



Mandy Moore

 

First of all, Mandy could have mowed down the red carpet in the yellow Bug she fake-drove in the Candy video and I would have applauded her courage (it's difficult to see, but the license plate says HotChick1). I love Mandy Moore. I love how she transitioned from cheesy pop star to supercool actress/singer without going through the obligatory “get arrested, get prematurely married, get divorced, attempt to run over paparazzi in a drunken stupor” phase. Plus, if we ever hung out, I’m pretty sure we’d be best friends. My opinion on her general awesomeness aside, this Monique Lhuillier dress is SO pretty.

Hailey Stienfeld

As I watched her get it right again in this gorgeous Marchesa (which she helped design… can we say budding fashionista???), I couldn’t help asking myself: Is it just a matter of time before this adorbs teen goes Miley on us? Let’s hope not. Upon further reflection, I reassured myself that any 15 year old who can stand out in a Coen brother’s movie alongside Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, and Matt Damon is no Hannah Montana. Well played, Hailey. Keep showing 15-year-olds across America that one needn’t wear jeggings to be stylish.

Mila Kunis

Believe it or not, I was on the fence about this the first time I saw it. The Elie Saab dress itself is gorgeous, and it’s perfectly styled, but it’s just so…. lavender. Not that it isn’t a lovely color, but doesn’t pastel purple universally conjure up memories of prom? However, I was quickly won over by the amazing detail of the dress (which is actually more visible because of the light color). I’ve embraced the lavender. Mila has successfully navigated her first big awards season without a misstep. Yay for Mila!

Halle Berry



  

Halle gets the coveted “most improved” award. Ok, this was not the most adventurous choice for the Oscars. But after the sad trainwreck she wore at the Golden Globes, this explosion of tulle and sparkles is perfect. This dress practically screams Marchesa, and if I had the opportunity to steal it from her, I would wear it every day.

Reese Witherspoon

 

Cutest. Hair. Ever. I’m completely obsessed with this look, even though she does kind of look like a Barbie. The dress itself isn't that exciting, but Reese is more adorable now than she was ten years ago. Just ask Ken.

Hillary Swank

Feathers. Sparkles. More sparkles in the form of the fab brooch in her hair. When the employees of Dunder Mifflin where trying to decide if she was hot or not, they should have used this picture to judge. I’m pretty sure that Hillary Swank has made some kind of deal with the devil in which the blander she looks in a movie, the better she looks in real life.  She’s long been known for her amazing awards show looks, but this is probably my favorite dress she’s ever worn.  

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway always looks great, but for me the Lanvin tux was the evening’s standout. We all know Anne can pull off a red Valentino dress, and she looks awesome in sparkly goldish things. Menswear, however, is a tricky trend to pull off and usually looks forced and, well, stupid. Take note, Leighton Meester. This is how you do menswear.

Sidenote: I’m already bananas for the inevitable upcoming Rachel Zoe Project episode where Rachel and Brad run around town looking for dresses for “Annie”, complete with a zany montage of Rachel talking on her phone in the car while Rodger sits lifeless in the back seat. Meanwhile, back at the studio, Brad tries on her Lady Tux and almost breaks the heels off of her fab shoes.



I'd like to thank The Academy... I mean, the Screen Actor's Guild...

Ah, the SAG awards. The Golden Globes’ slightly less popular cousin, aired on TBS between bad movies. Ryan Seacrest didn't even show up for E!'s preshow. So why did I stay glued to my couch throughout the entire show with the vigilance that many Americans reserve for the Super bowl? Or at least the Oscars?

I have an embarrassing confession. I LOVE awards shows. The fashion, the interviews, the funny, unscripted moments… Yes, I am a huge nerd.

While I could go on forever about who was robbed (Mad Men) and what they got right (Colin Firth, one of the most brilliant and underrated actors in the industry), I’ll stick with sharing my opinion on the fashions of the night.

My Faves:

Mila Kunis- This red Alexander McQueen dress was STUNNING. Her laid-back hair, make up, and lack of jewelry pulled together one of the most dramatic and well-received looks of the evening.

Claire Danes- She’s always on point. This Louis Vuitton gown was a gorgeous choice. I want to hate her for being married to the gorgeous Hugh Dancy, but she’s just too darn likable.

Jennifer Lawrence- Lawrence’s hot pink Oscar de la Renta gown was one of the evenings more controversial choices, mainly because of the dramatic black belt cutting it in half. At first I was uncertain, but when I noticed the slit that showed off her gorgeous black shoes, I was convinced. It was a bright, fun, age-appropriate choice for the twenty-year-old Winter’s Bone actress.

Dianna Agron- The Glee star has consistently gotten it right so far- she always looks elegant and timeless. From the spectacular Carolina Herrera gown she rocked at the Emmys to this Chanel Haute Couture, she always seems to be channeling Grace Kelly. Or at least Claire Danes.

Amy Adams- How is it possible for a redhead with skin that fair to wear white??? Amy somehow pulled it off. Also, I love her “dressy ponytail.”

Nicole Kidman- I’m a huuuuuge fan of Nikki Kidman, especially now that her forehead is moving again. This dress is uber-classy, as is her jewelry, hair, and make up.

Also looking great: Hillary Swank, a very preggers Jane Krakowski, Sarah Hyland, and…. wait for it…. Tina Fey! Apparently The Great Liz Lemon has finally hired herself a stylist, and she looked better than ever in a bright red Oscar de la Renta with flawless hair.



Although you can only do so much with men's formalwear, a couple of actors did manage to stand out. One was John Krasinski in midnight blue Prada (While looking for pictures, I came across an article with the title,  "John Krasinski Wears a Suit So Well We Decided It's Newsworthy." I couldn't agree more.) Jon Hamm looked great in… well, I missed who he was wearing, but I think everyone agrees that he looks quite dapper.

Can't wait till the Oscars!