2013 Grammy Awards: LBDs Rocked the Red Carpet Again

At the 2013 Grammy Awards, the dress code put forth in the infamous memo was notoriously overlooked – thank goodness!  LBDs, meaning Long Black Dresses, dominated the red carpet but there were a few breaths of fresh air by women strutting to their own beat.  Queen Bey herself wore a pantsuit.  A pantsuit!  She strictly adhered to the guest code in a mod black and white ensemble by Osman Yousefzada and still looked so chic.  Adele also kept her bare curves hidden and thankfully ditched her regular black gowns in a fun tea-length vintage-inspired Valentino dress.

 

Katy Perry did not.  She bared her voluptuous curves in a mint green dress by Gucci that served as a distraction to all, including poor Ryan Seacrest.  Katy’s friend, Rihanna, also dared to bare in a sheer red Azzedine Alaïa gown.  Clearly going for bombshell status, this is the best I’ve seen Rihanna look in a while.  It was also the best I’ve heard her sing in an equally sexy black gown in one of the most flattering shapes.

 

As we go back to the black dresses, I’d like to point out the not so basics.  Kelly Rowland – Wow!  The strips of sheer panels in her black Georges Shakra gown left little to the imagination and she carried it with class.  Alicia Keys also rocked cutouts in the leather bodice of her eye-catching Azzedine Alaïa dress.  Karen Fairchild got a little wild in a strapless animal printed Dolce & Gabbana gown that I adored.

 

Among the other guests in strapless black dresses were Carrie Underwood and Carly Rae Jepsen, both in Roberto Cavalli, and Allison Williams in Kaufman Franco.  All three featured impressive handmanship – Carrie’s baroque embroidery, Carly Rae’s beading and Allison’s black diamonds.

 

There were more than a few who pushed the envelope with high slits and cutouts, but managed to kep it tame.  Taylor Swift looked like a contemporary Grecian goddess in J. Mendel with a deep V neck and high slit.  Natasha Bedingfield chose one of my favorite trending accessories: the metal belt.  It and her matching gold clutch add a little rock and roll to her red lace Emerson gown.  In a unique shade of pale yellow, Maria Menuonos shone wearing a Gomez-Gracia dress with a high slit and marigold belt.

 

Lastly, Jenna Jameson defied us all by covering her XXX curves in a full-length gold brocade gown by Michael Costello.  She looked gorgeous!

 

Congratulations to all of the winners!  Who was your best dressed? 

  

 

Photos courtesy of Getty, Huffington Post, Steve Granitz?WireImage

 

Full Metal Belt: Born to Shine

You’ve seen it. Its shine caught your eye. And if you’re like me, you can’t get it out of your mind. It’s the sleekest, chicest accessory to hit the red carpet.

It’s The Belt of the Season, made of solid, smooth metal.

Before the metal belt made such an impact at award shows and A-list parties, it appeared in early 2012 on the runway for the fall Calvin Klein Collection and in the lookbook for Stella McCartney’s fall evening line.  We saw McCartney’s gold version several times last year from her favorite “Saskia” gown. The “Most Worn Dress of 2012” was sported by Gwyneth Paltrow, Shalom Harlow, Brooklyn Decker and Kira Miro, to name a few.

Raf Simons also used it to nip waists and add modern edge to his debut for Christian Dior Haute Couture. His fall 2012 collection reimagined the groundbreaking premiere of Dior’s “New Look” from 1947.

Later that year it topped more looks from geometric print dresses at the Juanjo Oliva show to Prabal Gurung’s black and white ensembles.

A metal belt used to evoke childhood memories of my brother practicing to be a WWE professional wrestler in our living room.  Luckily I survived those matches intact and I can appreciate today’s metal belts, which seem equally futuristic and rock & roll.  The accessory’s allure is that it adds that little something extra to make almost any dress more edgy, yet polished. 

How to Rock It:

(Almost) Any Dress - Seriously. A metal belt will give some sass to a romantic dress with lace or ruffles and put a simple, sexy dress over the edge.  Consider adding a jacket or long cardigan over or under the belt.

A Skirt and Top Combo - See above.  Plus it will accentuate the waist even more.  I think a metal belt would look very bad ass with a leather pencil skirt and a simple top.  For a tamer outfit, pair it with a flowy midi skirt.

Skinny Jeans - Pair it with dark skinny jeans, a boxy cropped top and booties for a rocker look; a tunic sweater and flats for a casual day or a sexy tank top for a party look.

Additional Note: Keep jewelry minimal or even better, wear none at all.  If you must, try multistring mixed media pieces, a metal cuff bracelet or stud earrings.

 

Photos courtesy of Getty, InStyle/Dara Kushner/INFphoto.com and Joseph Kerlakian/Rex

 

 Wide Metal Waist Belt from Topshop - $36

Clean Metal Bar Belt from Topshop - $50

Nicholas Roxanne Silver Plate Belt at Shopbop - $120

UPDATE 2/10/13: Natasha Bedingfield continues the metal belt’s reign at the 2013 Grammy Awards!  That and her matching gold clutch add a little rock and roll to her red lace Emerson gown.

Photo courtesy of Getty and The Huffington Post