Teen Choice Awards: Fashion winners and losers
When it comes to dressing up in Hollywood, the Teen Choice Awards ceremony, held Sunday night at Universal City, is a strange beast.
If you’re a star older than the show’s Clearasil demographic, you want to look young and hip. If you are a star close to that demo, like every teenager, you want to look 30. Or even 40.
Exhibit A: Miley Cyrus, just 20, who wore a black leather bra, sheer top and buckle-front miniskirt that I’m guessing was Saint Laurent. Yikes. It was shocking all right, which is no doubt what she wanted.
PHOTOS: The Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards fashion conundrum may also help explain the Mrs. Robinson, retro cougar hairdos on Cher Lloyd, 20, and Lily Collins, 24. I thought 16-year-old Chloe Grace Moretz’s Christopher Kane bandage dress aged her, as did 16-year-old Hailee Steinfeld’s heavy-handed makeup.
The biggest trends on the event’s red -- or rather, blue -- carpet? There was a crop-top pile-up with Collins, Lucy Hale, Chelsea Kane, Cher Lloyd and Ashley Benson all exposing their midriffs. If you’ve still got it, flaunt it I guess.
Jumpsuits, as well as matching pants and tops, were another popular choice. Nina Dobrev wore a plunge-front print top and matching pants by J. Mendel, Shay Mitchell was in a black-and-white Jenni Kayne jumpsuit and Erin Andrews in a black jumpsuit.
Combined with the cougar hair and giant heels, Collins’ crop top by Malibu native Katharine Polk of the label Houghton, and her high-low skirt in a palm-tree print by Fausto Puglisi was a little over the top. She could have toned down her beauty look and accessories and this would have been a fun choice.
Anna Camp’s peekaboo lace down-to-there Emilio Pucci confection looked a little trashy for the occasion.
Lea Michele, who dedicated her award to her late boyfriend and “Glee” costar Cory Monteith, struck the right note in lace, a pink lace tank top and short skirt by Oscar de la Renta.
But Kerry Washington’s Stella McCartney print shift dress was my pick for the perfect Teen Choice, its hearts-and-lips print a love letter to the crowd.
When it comes to style, Washington always has a sense of time and place.
ALSO:
Coming up roses on the red carpet
Complete list of Teen Choice winners
L.A. Native Jenni Kayne finds success with her brand of minimalist cool