Fashion at the 2015 Hollywood Film Awards
By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor
November 1 marked the start of awards season with the 19th Annual Hollywood Film Awards (HFA). Now, I could talk about the amazing people who were honoured, but that just wouldn’t be my style. The night started with a bang as celebrity after celebrity walked the red carpet in their formal finest, giving every fashion lover out there a tasty preview of awards show regalia still to come. So in honour of that, as well to better inform you, dear reader, how you can apply trophy worthy looks to your own closet—let’s take a look at some of the best dressed of the night.
Making the top of pretty much everyone’s best dressed list was Shailene Woodley (star of Insurgent). Her beige and gold Valentino gown was the perfect combination of comfort and glamour. I like this look a lot, most of all because Woodley doesn’t have the perfect Hollywood body. Her broad shoulders and relatively equal waist to hip ratio can come off as looking quite masculine, but Woodley avoids this by wearing a gown that belts at the natural waist, accentuating what curves she does have. The plunging neckline fools the eye, making her shoulders appear narrower and drawing attention to her face. If you have a more masculine body type, with limited curves and a small bust, this look will totally be your cup of tea. If you are broad-shouldered but have a larger bust, you can still go for something like this—just avoid the plunging neckline, as it could come off looking a little risqué.
My personal favorite look of the night came from Amber Heard, Hollywood scream queen and wife of Johnny Depp. The actress opted out of wearing a traditional gown and instead donned a gold sequined jumpsuit from relatively unknown design label Temperley London. I love this as a more casual alternative that was still appropriate for the occasion. The beautiful draping and loose belt harken back to more classical ’40s glamour, while the pockets and cropped leg make the overall look very modern. If you’re looking for comfort and style, this kind of jumpsuit looks amazing on pretty much any body type, and would be perfect for holiday events should you be planning your Christmas outfit a little early.
Now for all you men out there who are asking about tux fashion. In my opinion, it’s pretty difficult for any man to look bad in formal wear, but if you want to know how to stand out in a good way, look no further than 2015 HFA host James Corden. Though head-to-toe maroon might not be everyone’s first choice, it is a very flattering colour on almost everyone. The dark but warm colour ensures you won’t look washed-out no matter your skin tone—and it’s not too far a departure from black to be inappropriate in a formal setting. Personally, I would have preferred if Corden’s tux had been a little more tailored. Had his jacket been shortened to the proper length he would have appeared a lot taller, which is always a good thing. If your hands are at your sides, a suit jacket should end at the top of your palm, where your fingers begin. If it extends past that, it is too long.
Hopefully this helped inspire you for any upcoming formal events you might encounter, and whetted your appetite for all the awards show red carpets to come. Keep in mind, fashion is fun—if you’re not having fun, you’re just plain doing it wrong.
