Oscar 2013: The jury is yet to decide on sweeping straplessness
The intention was obviously not to "go sleeveless on him" like the axilla-baring Anoushka Sharma in a recent fairness cream ad, but the profusion of strapless shoulders on the red carpet at the 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood on Sunday evening was too baring to miss. From winner Jennifer Lawrence in a spectacular white Dior Couture gown that tripped her up, to nominee Helen Hunt's crumpled off-the-rack midnight blue H&M, leading ladies appear to have (un)covered the gamut. So much so that there was nothing separating the best and worst strapless ensembles except the biases of the 'experts'.
Kerry Washington's embroidered red Miu Miu was pronounced 'fresh' while Jennifer Aniston's red Valentino was 'boring', Charlize Theron's stunning white peplum Dior Couture gown and Reese Witherspoon's blue Louis Vuitton got the thumbs up while Kristen Stewart's Reem Acra gown was deemed 'frothy'... Such was the surfeit of strapless that those who didn't off-shoulder the line caught the eye, such as waferthin Anne Hathaway in a demurely wicked pale pink Miuccia Prada and Halle Berry in an X-Men-esque Versace.
In fact, Berry, Naeem Khan-gowned US First Lady Michelle Obama (in a satellite link cameo from the White House,) Jennifer Hudson in Roberto Cavalli, Naomi Watts and Jessica Chastain in Armani created a metallic side-plot to the strapless main storyline. Of course, there are always comment-worthy shouldershows on red carpets.
Notably, the late Princess Diana wore a daring black number to the Royal Opera House in London in 1981 and reprised the look again in a shorter, sexier avatar in 1993 at an art gala. And Madonna memorably out-blinged her escort Michael Jackson in strapless white, diamonds and fur back in 1991 at the Oscars. But the strapless shoulders at the Oscars this time were too many to be a coincidence.
More so since the Oscars appeared to be merely the latest in an epidemic. Best Actress Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence had gone strapless earlier at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) while nominees Jessica Chastain, Naomi Watts and Helen Huntdid so at SAG. And Supporting Actress Oscar winner Anne Hathaway as well as nominee Amy Adams did the same at the Golden Globes. The jury's still out on who gets the Oscar for this sweeping straplessness: the stars or their stylists.
Source : RESHMI R DASGUPTA,ET BUREAU
Kerry Washington’s embroidered red Miu Miu was pronounced ‘fresh’ while Jennifer Aniston’s red Valentino was ‘boring’, Charlize Theron’s stunning white peplum Dior Couture gown and Reese Witherspoon’s blue Louis Vuitton got the thumbs up while Kristen Stewart’s Reem Acra gown was deemed ‘frothy’...
The intention was obviously not to "go sleeveless on him" like the axilla-baring Anoushka Sharma in a recent fairness cream ad, but the profusion of strapless shoulders on the red carpet at the 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood on Sunday evening was too baring to miss. From winner Jennifer Lawrence in a spectacular white Dior Couture gown that tripped her up, to nominee Helen Hunt's crumpled off-the-rack midnight blue H&M, leading ladies appear to have (un)covered the gamut. So much so that there was nothing separating the best and worst strapless ensembles except the biases of the 'experts'.
Kerry Washington's embroidered red Miu Miu was pronounced 'fresh' while Jennifer Aniston's red Valentino was 'boring', Charlize Theron's stunning white peplum Dior Couture gown and Reese Witherspoon's blue Louis Vuitton got the thumbs up while Kristen Stewart's Reem Acra gown was deemed 'frothy'... Such was the surfeit of strapless that those who didn't off-shoulder the line caught the eye, such as waferthin Anne Hathaway in a demurely wicked pale pink Miuccia Prada and Halle Berry in an X-Men-esque Versace.
In fact, Berry, Naeem Khan-gowned US First Lady Michelle Obama (in a satellite link cameo from the White House,) Jennifer Hudson in Roberto Cavalli, Naomi Watts and Jessica Chastain in Armani created a metallic side-plot to the strapless main storyline. Of course, there are always comment-worthy shouldershows on red carpets.
Notably, the late Princess Diana wore a daring black number to the Royal Opera House in London in 1981 and reprised the look again in a shorter, sexier avatar in 1993 at an art gala. And Madonna memorably out-blinged her escort Michael Jackson in strapless white, diamonds and fur back in 1991 at the Oscars. But the strapless shoulders at the Oscars this time were too many to be a coincidence.
More so since the Oscars appeared to be merely the latest in an epidemic. Best Actress Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence had gone strapless earlier at the Golden Globes, Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) while nominees Jessica Chastain, Naomi Watts and Helen Huntdid so at SAG. And Supporting Actress Oscar winner Anne Hathaway as well as nominee Amy Adams did the same at the Golden Globes. The jury's still out on who gets the Oscar for this sweeping straplessness: the stars or their stylists.
Source : RESHMI R DASGUPTA,ET BUREAU
