Frederick's of Hollywood Blog

Last night in Universal City, peplums (and terrible nail art) ruled the red carpet. A distinctly difficult trend to wear, it’s understandable that there were some serious misses. Surprisingly, there were some stars who managed to pull it off. Here’s a look at who wore it best:

Photo via Hollywoodlife.

Both Emma Stone and Charlize Theron went with strapless silhouettes. Emma paired her tuxedo-hued dress with coral lips, a simple black clutch and nude shoes with a twist. Her look ended up being the perfect balance between youth and elegance. If it was anybody else but Charlize, I’d say her red dress was simple and her hair too casual, however Ms. Theron pulls the whole thing off thanks to her effortless beauty and commanding presence. She managed to look fresh and classic at the same time–not easy to do when you’ve got a new baby in the house!

Photo via Hollywoodlife.

Usually impeccable, Emma Watson missed the mark this time around. It’s hard to tell from this picture, but the peplum flaps on her dress, when combined with the busy print, tend to look like something Jane Jetson might have worn (were she real of course). It doesn’t much matter though, because while Watcon didn’t pull it together last night, she still did not commit the sartorial sin of peplum flaps with visible midriff. Julianne Hough, I can’t even. She is such a beautiful woman, but that dress isn’t doing her any favors. Between this and the infamous towel dress, I can not fathom what her stylist is thinking.

Who do you think looked the most amazing last night? And who do you think didn’t even come close to looking good?

Sheer to sparkly, there was a little bit of everything at last night’s Billboard Music Awards. Few surprises rocked the carpet—there were the typical mix of over-the-top gowns and utter confusion (Usher, I’m looking at you. A white belt and turquoise suit? What is this 2001?), but the biggest look of the night had to belong to Taylor Swift.

Photos via fabsugar.com

Swift, who for the first time in living memory steered away from nude, gold or beige-toned anything and opted instead for a stunning scarlet Eli Saab dress with a lace-paneled bodice and flowing skirt. Needless to say, she rocked it. Carrie Underwood appeared to be channeling every Disney princess at once in Oscar de la Renta gown, pairing the pouf-y confection with a glittering clutch.

Photos via fabsugar.com

My least favorite looks of the night belonged to Julianne Hough and Zooey Deschanel. Julianne, who appeared to wearing a sequined bath towel and metallic pumps (and managed to look quite lovely in them), seemed more ready for a night of dancing than a red carpet. I’m pretty sure Zooey has worn this exact same outfit, mini dress, black tights and pumps several hundred times over.

Photos via fabsugar.com

Brandy took a different approach to the ubiquitous bandage dress with a neutral-hued Herve Leger dress featuring a plunging neckline and fringed (!) bottom. And Natasha Bedingfield went all out in a frothy blue number that had sheer elements and embellishments. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, it’s bold, gorgeous color and totally show stopping. On the other, well, it’s bold, bright and sheer. I’m conflicted. What was your favorite look of the night?

If you’re anything like us, you covet couture and swoon over celebrities on the red carpet. We realize the Grammy’s were awhile back, but we just can’t get over Gwyneth’s body-hugging Stella McCartney gown. With it’s unexpected cutouts, gold accent belt and polished silhouette, it’s been haunting us for months! Not ready to drop the dough that’s required for our very own McCartney dress, we figured out how to translate the elegant evening look with a wear-everywhere maxi. Keep reading to get the look for less!

Photo via Fabsugar.

Gwyneth was the epitome of unfussy and statuesque as she presented at the award show. She capped off her look with a sleek high ponytail, pale lips and bright pink polish for minimal glamour.

The Cutout Maxi Dress. Available at fredericks.com.

Our cutout maxi takes the sex appeal of the evening gown and makes it easily accessible for day and night. The neckline is scooped, leaving you room to style this stunner with a statement necklace. Major bonus points for an open back designed in way to let you wear a regular bra! For day we’ll style it with natural makeup, tousled hair and our favorite wedges and come nightfall, we’ll be cocktail-ready with a deep side part, red lips and our highest stilettos.

How would you style it? Casually glam or over-the-top sensational?

At last night’s Academy Awards, the stars pulled out all the stops for the most glamorous event of the year. Bold lips, retro-inspired hair and impeccable accessories were the look du jour. While most celebrities played it safe, sartorially speaking, two trends stood out to us. Here’s what we were loving:

Octavia Spencer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rooney Mara and Milla Jovovich. Photos via Getty Images.

Staying away from basic black, stars like Rooney Mara, Gwyneth Paltrow, Milla Jovovich and Octavia Spencer wowed us in white. From avant garde, with Gwyneth’s minimalist cape dress to Rooney’s severe style, these lovely ladies took a chance that paid off. Octavia Spencer did white right with the perfect shapewear underneath her dress, creating a dazzlingly sleek and sexy silhouette.

Stacy Kiebler, Meryl Streep and Ellie Kemper. Photos via Getty Images.

The other big trend of the evening was metallics. From golden glows to sparkling copper, the evening was full of shimmer and shine. Meryl Streep looked ravishing with a deep décolleté, while Stacy Keibler stunned with a classic column style gone bold with a flower accent at the hip. Perhaps my favorite look of the night was the copper sparkles worn by Ellie Kemper. They were a perfect match with her hair and made her skin simply glow.

What were your favorite looks of the night? And how did you feel about Angelina’s incredibly sexy gown?

Sporting a polished side braid and devastatingly sexy outfit, Eva Longoria hosted a pre-Oscar bash at her restaurant Beso, in Hollywood. Our Gal About Tinseltown, @FOH_PRGirl, scored an invite and gave us the scoop!

Eva Longoria wearing Zuhair Murad. Photo via lipstickalley.com

The night’s theme was flamenco, with a performance by the amazing flamenco dance group Gitano, featuring music by members of the Gypsy Kings. A passionate advocate of charity work, Eva also held a silent auction with proceeds benefiting Linda’s Voice, a nonprofit that works to educate and empower women to work together to end domestic abuse.

Eva Longoria, Mario Lopez and Courtney Mazza. Photo via Celebzter. 

Guests included stars such as Terence Howard, Jermaine Jackson, Mario Lopez  and Despearate Housewives’ Brenda Strong.

Living in Hollywood definitely has its perks, don’t you think?