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The Best Actor Nominees Are Some Of The Worst Dressers In Town

Molly Friedman — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:53:01 EST

Except for (maybe) George Clooney, the nominees for Best Actor at this year's Oscars aren't known for playing it safe on the red carpet. From Daniel Day-Lewis's preference for tiny suits to Viggo Mortensen's disdain for anything bland, we're not accustomed to seeing plain penguin tuxes from this group. But judging from their track records, they all have ways of showing their true colors without actually wearing them all at once. So we reviewed their greatest hits and greatest misses to figure out which way they should swing on Sunday.

Johnny Depp: Putting aside the joy he takes in dressing like a homeless Keith Richards impersonator during Pirates press blitzes, Depp has gone through a few style revolutions since the early 90s. But our least favorite was his 50s mobster look, complete with greasy mustache and oversized pinstripe suits. Depp looks best when he puts his own bad boy spin on a standard black suit by, say, popping the collar or skipping the tie.

George Clooney: It's hard to imagine George looking anything but dapper (annoying!), but when he starts messing around with those lapel colors, that tan looks like it came from a spray machine, not the Italian sun we know he loves. If George needs a dose of deep color, he should keep it on his tie.

Daniel Day-Lewis: DDL, like Johnny, likes flair when it comes to dressing up. But that flair should never, ever come in the form of too-tight velvet suits again. Since the plain black tux would look boring on such an exciting actor, DDL looks properly moody in charcoal grey.

Viggo Mortensen: Oh dear. That red shiny suit he wore on Letterman last year nearly broke our TV sets. See how simple it is to keep the same cut on the suit, and just add a dose of color using the shirt and tie? C'mon Viggo!

Tommy Lee Jones: We wouldn't dare advise Mr. Jones how to dress, but instead we'll let this side-by-side do the talking for us.

OSCARS 08 [Official Site]

Winner Or Loser, All That Really Matters On Oscar Night Is Who Wore The Best Dress

Molly Friedman — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:14:53 EST

The question on the minds of the glossy mags isn't who will take home little gold men on Sunday night, but rather who'll make the biggest fashion faux-pas. And there's no shortage of mistakes made by this year's Best Actress nominees in the past. But we aren't hoping for new additions to the Fashion Police Hall of Fame; instead, we went digging through the archives to find the biggest mistake all five actresses tend to make in the style department, and our suggestions for which signature looks they should keep in mind to achieve sartorial success come Sunday.

Cate Blanchett: Blanchett always stands out (in a good way) when she takes risks and chooses a ballsy costume-y gown in a striking color. Like this voluminous dress she wore doing press for Elizabeth: The Golden Age, which could have come straight out of one of Christian's collections on this season's Project Runway, as opposed to her tendency to pick mannish silhouettes in dreary taupes that wash her out.

Laura Linney: Linney just doesn't look right all femme-d out. With her blonde hair and ginormous grin, it's too Kentucky Derby. What catches our eye is when she takes the femme fatale look up a notch, going for old Hollywood glamour.

Marion Cotillard: Heavy makeup and baggy dresses don't work to Cotillard's advantage; she should stick to that whole sexy French woman thing, and let the silky hair down.

Julie Christie: Like Diane Keaton, Christie is one of those rare actresses who's feminine enough to make a pair of trousers look sexy. When she dips into the girly pool, the effect is a little too Tina Simpson.

Ellen Page: Sure, Ellen's still growing into her style and hasn't quite figured out how to pose, but we can all agree that the Juno star could benefit from dressing up. Those jeans and flannels are straight out of the movie, and she's got a figure to show off in real life.

OSCARS [Offical Site]