Haute or Not? The 2011 Golden Globe Awards

We wait for this event, much like a first-time parent anticipates the birth of his or her child. We congregate with friends and throw parties in its honor, or we set our TiVos lest we be detained elsewhere. Monday morning water-cooler chat abounds following its air, as Americans are more cognizant of and interested in this event than other happenings such as health-care reform or economic recovery.

The red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards is somewhat of an edited fashion week, a runway show of couture hits and misses. What a star wears tends to garner more press then the event itself, and the slightest fashion indiscretion is enough to outshine any accolade the evening may present him or her. Stars are either thrown to the lion’s den or lionized.

And what luxury lifestyle blog would be complete without a few nods to this year’s triumphs and blunders? Considering everyone has an opinion, here is mine.

Best Dressed

Anne Hathaway: Dressed in Giorgio Armani Privé, Anne in my pick for the night’s best-dressed star. Although not a personal fan of sequins, paillettes or Swarovski crystals, this finale dress from Armani’s F/W collection is my one exception. The neutral amber color made the dress more demure and less like a piece of disco ball couture. The strong shoulder detail balanced out the plunging back, producing a look neither too serious nor too sexy. Perhaps she knew “Love and Other Drugs” would not nab Best Motion Picture so she showed up guns blazing on the fashion front.

Worst Dressed

Heidi Klum: Although Helena Bonham-Carter has (and with good reason) topped everyone’s worst-dressed lists, I feel as if one more bid in her favor would have just been too easy. My worst-dressed pick surprisingly and unfortunately goes to Heidi Klum. The supermodel and “Project Runway” host looked as if she draped herself in a Pucci scarf and cinched her waist with a brown paper bag. Her dress hardly resembled the Marc Jacobs Collection, her hair and makeup were messy and unfinished, and she was wearing about 30 bangles too many on her wrists. I have shopped with Heidi on a Sunday afternoon in SoHo where she has been more put together than she was for this evening. I suppose even Klum is allowed one get-out-of-jail-free card, and this was it.

With more fashion faux-pas than actual successes, I often wonder if stars get dressed in the dark, and if not, who their stylists are.

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