Hollywood's Top Ladies Dress Up For One Another

By Jenny Zhang | October 18, 2011 | 5:40pm

Beauty Style

The women of Hollywood came out for Elle‘s 18th Annual Women in Hollywood Tribute. Nearly everyone looked gorgeous, which only further proves that women don’t dress for men, we dress for ourselves, and sometimes each other.

Starting out with the big guns. Reese is very proper and tailored in her suit, but the little peek of of bra and dainty black lace is shyly seductive. Naomi Watts is STUNNING in that peach dress. I love the art deco touches on the bodice, the midi length, the long, delicate necklace she’s wearing, and the pumps that almost look like ballet shoes. It gives the whole look a sweet 20’s feel to it, but her hair and makeup make it seem so much more casual and modern. Jennifer Aniston is unusually sloppy in that dress, but I kind of like that disco silver color on her. I have to say, there’s something about her eternal tan-ness that gives every outfit a generic Hollywood starlet look.

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I think Camila Alves is another one of those celebrities who always shows up to events looking impeccable. I love the 50’s pin up feel to this dress, and I love that it’s been reworked to look more modern with the cut of the sleeves and the tighter fit throughout. Hair and makeup? Gorgeous. I’m biased because Chloe Moretz can do no wrong in my eyes. She looks like a bad-ass space invader. I’m going to use the most overused word in fashion to describe this outfit: EDGY. There, I said it. She looks so EDGY. And that clutch? EDGY. Her shoes? EDGY. Everything: EDGY.

Oh no, I’m already running out of ways to say THIS IS STUNNING. Freida Pinto, you’ve captured my sartorial heart. Her white sheath dress is super simple and super flattering. I don’t know how to describe the thing around her neck, and I don’t know if it’s a necklace or a part of her dress, but I like it, either way. Fabulous shoes, too. As for Amber Heard, stunning, part deux. You know, she’s definitely going for a LOOK. The super blond hair and glamourpuss makeup reminds me of Madonna circa Evita (remember Evita?) Put more simply, You look hot, girl. On a side note, I’m really digging all of these midi-length dresses. I know they can contribute to stumpy leg, but with the right shoes (aka painfully high-heeled,) midi dresses can be really glamorous.

A simple sheath dress can be totes approps and also just really pretty to wear. Viola Davis’ dress is making me renounce my hatred of gray. Her monochromatic accessorizing was a smart choice. Busy Phillips dress honestly looks like something you can get at J.Crew, which is not a bad thing, but I wonder if it’s actually some fancy designer dress. Her hair is a little severe, and that necklace makes her look like a suburban housewife dressed up for the city, but I’m crazy about her purple loafer pumps. They’re an unexpected and welcome choice for this otherwise underwhelming outfit.

I’m an avowed fan of the high-waist, but Chelsea Handler’s skirt could probably stand to be tugged down a little. Maybe the addition of a belt would make the whole outfit look a little less disheveled. I love it when Rachel Zoe puts her hair up. Split sleeves are kind of my thing, and by my thing, I mean I freaking love how they look. Normally, I’m no fan of Zoe’s fashion choices, but here she’s really pulling off that laid-back 70’s vibe she so often goes for. It’s interesting that for an event that’s all about the progress and advancement of women, so many of the invitees decided to take sartorial inspiration from the past. Erika Christensen is wearing a gown that regrettably takes its cues from all the worst bits of 80’s fashion. The lace looks cheap and the slit is awkward.

I have a feeling that y’all are gonna disagree with me on this one, but I think Gillian Jacobs is the best dressed lady of this event. Yes, her hair is hella backcombed, yes that is one busy print, and yes, she’s wearing chartreuse satin peeptoes, and carrying a sparkly blue box as a clutch. But what if I said all of those things are what makes this outfit so fun? I don’t know—that dress reminds me of 90s Miu Miu. Another retro dress, this time on Alice Eve. Doesn’t this look like something Betty from Mad Men would wear to a daytime benefit for her new politician husband?

So here’s black done three ways. It’s cute and flirty on Ellie Kemper (who I’m going to venture to say is the best thing about The Office these days…) On Donna Karan, black is done about ten different ways. In the form of a big ass necklace, big ass bracelets, wrapped around one knee and one thigh, falling off of one shoulder but not the other. How come the queen of minimalism is dressed like the prince of excess? Oh right, and Stacy Snider’s black dress is just plain boring.

Jayma Mays is looking very pretty, but that shade of blue is so beauty pageant, and actually, come to think of it, the whole dress looks like something a pageant queen would wear. Is Nicole Ritchie wearing a bump-it? Her dress is dumpy and I hate a sloppy floral print more that I hate other kinds of sloppy prints. It’s weird to see an Olsen smiling so genuinely and big, but Elizabeth Olsen is doing it, and shattering all of my preconceptions in the process. I think if her dress were a size smaller, I would really love this. It’s minimalist and chic and somehow just suits her. Also, not to be that douchebag on the street who’s all, “Come on sweetheart, give me a smile,” but minimalism looks so much better with a smile.

Of the three ladies wearing embellished metallics, I think I like Laura Dern’s pantsuit the best. Katherine Heigl’s dress is more Golden Girls than golden. The colorblocking on Robbie Myers has the unfortunate effect of making her look blocky, when she’s clearly slender as all get out.

Abigail Breslin is dressed like summer, which makes me sad about the impending winter. Citrusy colors look really great on Abigail, and while I think a better shoe exists out there, I even like the neutral pump she paired with her orange dress and yellow clutch. Cobie Smulders has a cool name and reminds me of Jennifer Connelly. Her dress and makeup are nice but the dress just a smidge too shapeless and perhaps one size too big. Octavia Spencer is looking gorgeous. The dress is a beautiful color for her. I love the simple gold necklace and the subtle flutter sleeves on her dress.

That is one weird drape on Robin Wright Penn’s dress. Why is there a cascade of bunched fabric spilling out from her crotch? Jenna Dewan-Tatum is rocking the boob window. Her hair and shoes are the standard, “I’m really sexy!” hair and shoes for a dress like that. I looks okay, I guess. The gold is pretty, and the ruching or whatever that is on the side is unnecessary. James Brolin and Barbara Streisand always look like James Brolin and Barbara Streisand, which is to say totally in love and not giving a fuck. Babs is wearing a red crushed velvet pantsuit with a matching purse and shoes. Who can beat that? No one.