Out With the Best and In With the New

A few years ago, a friend of mine and I came up with a good remedy to cheer us up when Christmas was finished and provide inspiration for facing those long days of January. We thought it might be fun to make a list of our favourite celebrity dresses of the previous year... It was so much fun that every year I bring out the old list again, updated to reflect the dresses of each year. Most times I just do it in my head, but this year I am so happy to have someone to share it with again. : )

Let your heart be filled with that warmth that only comes when you notice dressing done well. Here are my top-ten favourite celebrity dresses of 2011. : )

10. Reese Witherspoon, Armani Prive

If you know me, you are probably not surprised this dress is one of my favourites, but a little surprised that it's near the bottom of the list. It is black and white (my favourite colours), Armani (one of my favourite designers next to Mr. Lauren), and very simple and elegant. So, what is the trouble? Well, the trouble is with her accessories, which aren't my favourite paired with the dress, and the way she wore her hair, which I find a little too playful for the dress. This leaves the sum to be less than the individual parts, but because I think the dress alone is so lovely, it made the cut. : )

9.  Zoe Saldana, Calvin Klein

While I tend to be drawn more to neutral colours, I'd like to think I am still able to appreciate good use of colour. : ) And when I say good use of colour, I mean a bolder colour paired with a very simple design as well as choosing an attractive and flattering colour. I think she did well on both accounts. This colour looks sweet on her, the colour and design combination is tasteful, and I think she was probably a much-appreciated lemon drop in a big bowl of black liquorice at the 2011 Met. Gala. : )

8. Claire Danes, Calvin Klein

I have always thought Claire Danes was kind of lovely. : ) She seems so humble, and I like that. : ) I have also almost always enjoyed her dress choices. While some of her selections have made my list before, even the ones that haven't have still resulted in me saying "Oh, Claire Danes looks nice" more often than not. But on to this dress:  Although it looks nice on her, the colour is not my favourite. However, this list is all about the appreciation of good use of colour, and this is another example. : ) Secondly, in contrast to Reese Witherspoon in #10, the overall look of her dress with her hair, makeup, and accessories makes me like the dress more, not less. A tricky, but wonderful skill, I think. : )

7. Lea Michele, Oscar de la Renta

As much as I am ashamed to admit it, I feel the opposite way about Lea Michele as I do about Claire Danes. I seldom watch Glee, and perhaps for this reason I'm not accurate, but whenever I see the show I find her character so off-putting that when I see Lea Michele off the show, I can't help feeling the same way. I also rarely agree with her choices of dresses, often finding them to be too much or too over-the-top. However, we must give credit where credit is due, and this is a beautiful dress (I guess the credit should really go to Oscar de la Renta, but good for Lea Michele for choosing it!). It also looks nice on her. But, once again I am feeling a bit conflicted over the way she chose to wear her hair, explaining why such a pretty dress is only my 7th favourite.  I understand what she was going for, trying to bring down the fanciness of her dress with a more casual hairstyle in the way Jennifer Aniston has done in the past. Unfortunately, where I always found this worked for Jennifer Aniston, I don't for Lea Michele... Perhaps, straighter or less-beachy hair may have worked a bit better, or a soft bun a la Lily Donaldson on the runway (below)...

Oscar de la Renta, Spring 2011

Luckily, her dress sparkles enough to distract me whenever I become too critical, and thus Miss Lea Michele and her dress are sitting nicely at #7. : )

6. Michelle Williams, Chanel Haute Couture

In the same way I am trying to give credit for a nice choice of colour, I am also trying to give credit for choosing (and pulling off) a riskier design. Snaps for Michelle Williams. : ) Despite being very soft and pretty, on someone else this dress could have not worked. Michelle Williams has the perfect combination of sweetness with her delicate frame and gamine haircut, while still having a bit of an edge, which makes the dress demure yet contemporary, and a very good choice. : )

5. Katie Holmes, Calvin Klein

Some may say this is basic, but I say it is simple and there has never been anything wrong with that in my books. : ) If it was a black dress without the belt in the same silhouette, it could have run the risk of being a little bit boring, but belted in royal blue? I think that's cute and fun. : )

4. Karlie Kloss, Jason Wu

Choosing a supermodel as one of my favourite dress choices is a little bit unfair, as they have the ability to make even the most awful dress look beautiful , but her statuesque-ness aside, hehe, she chose a beautiful dress for the 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards. : ) I like red dresses, however I think by the nature of the colour they are bold. Therefore, I like red dresses best when they are very simple, such as this one. I also like the belt with the dress. It provides a subtle nod to a more retro style without being dated.

3.  Faith Hill, Chado Ralph Ricci

Okay, okay, you could argue that I'm a bit biased. ; ) I have been a fan of Faith Hill ever since I was a little girl. I have always loved her music, and have always thought she is one of the most beautiful people.  But a nice dress is a nice dress, right? : ) If the person wearing it is one of your favourite celebrities, isn't that just even better? : ) Similar to Michelle Williams, Faith Hill gets extra points for choosing a riskier design. A dress that could have looked old-fashioned or too conservative instead looks sophisticated and modern on lovely Faith. : )

2. a) Jennifer Lawrence, Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein, stop taking over my list! : )

I think there may be some themes emerging, with the most obvious probably being bolder colours, minimal designs… : ) I can’t think of a more minimal design than this tank dress, and you know how I feel about red dresses! : ) I think this dress and the way it looks on Jennifer Lawrence speaks for itself.

2. b) (Whoops! I cheated… ; ) Lily Aldridge, Ralph Lauren

I am surprised Ralph Lauren has only made one appearance on this list, as he is my very favourite for both formal and casual clothing. But, if you are only going to be on a list once, coming in at # 2 isn’t bad. : ) His and Lily Aldridge’s ranking is well-deserved.  From the front, Lily Aldridge looks like she is wearing liquid gold, but from the back the dress is even prettier with a low back, sheerer material, and jeweled detailing. The gold compliments without blending in with her skin and hair, and at the risk of sounding hypocritical after discussing Lea Michele’s hair, I think Lily Aldridge’s slightly messy/beachy hair works. What can I say, the heart wants what it wants. : )

1. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Burberry

I first saw this dress while flipping through Instyle a few months ago. Even then, before I had seen all of the other dresses, I knew this dress would find a place on my mental list of 2011’s Best Dresses.  The colour of this dress is so rich, that in a review of dresses I read before preparing this list, the author described the colour not as simply blue, but sapphire. While Rosie Huntington-Whiteley shares the same advantage as Karlie Kloss and Lily Aldridge before her as a supermodel, she also shares the same extensive list of dress options to choose from, and therefore like Karlie and Lily gets full recognition for choosing a dress as stunning as she is. : )

Thank you for letting me play Fashion Editor for a few minutes, and for taking the time to read this! It is a long one, I know. : ) I know I have no fashion credentials and that many professionals would probably say my choices were boring or safe, but it really is fun to do, and I recommend trying it. : ) Personally, I would like to see Owl’s list, what do you guys think? ; )

Best wishes for a warm (and fashionable ; ) 2012,

xoxo