Sarah Jessica Parker arrived at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday, and she had a lot of duties. She’s trying to promote her film I Don’t Know How She Does It, which doesn’t come out for months and months. She was also there to be “the American celebrity” at the premiere of a Chinese detective film Wu Xia (which will be called Dragon in America). I think her real reason for showing up at the festival was to show off this Elie Saab dress. It’s certainly unique, isn’t it? I’m not saying that in a crude “It’s so ugly, I’ll just call it ‘unique’” kind of way. This Elie Saab is a great improvement over that tacky, FUBAR Valentino from the other day. While I think this dress has faults – that black lace/netting junk at the too-high neckline, waist and wrists, for one – I appreciate that SJP went for something different. Hey, at least it’s not Marchesa.
The fabric – the patterned silk georgette – of the body of the gown is rather beautiful. I would like to see that fabric used for a sleeveless, long, full-skirted sundress/gown. It would be more appropriate for Cannes, and it would just be prettier overall. Technically, this gown is from Elie Saab’s Autumn/Winter collection, though, which is why it’s long-sleeved.
For another event, SJP stepped out in a doily. The actual dress wasn’t so bad (kind of Miss Havisham, but it’s okay), but then she wrapped a doily around herself. And then there’s the problem with the pearls…hh, SJP. Crazy woman.
Photos courtesy of WENN & Pacific Coast News.
I love that dress. Very elegant, very special. All the little details are just right.
Looks like doilies are making a comeback this season. And not just on your gramma’s furniture!
I think this has more “personality” (we’ll call it) than her other choice, but it is still w-a-y too much dress on her. (The long sleeves; wrong season for Cannes in May; very busy; the black crap; but I digress…) I do agree it would look better re-styled for the season/event.
Is it just me or does it seem that NO.ONE. knows how to dress for their bodies anymore? We’ve got Kirstie Allie and Lardassian Kartrashian (you choose which one) claiming they’re size 4; then we’ve got SJP wearing tents. What is wrong with these people?
**side note – I’m not speaking for anyone but me. I’ve had my own personal style – I know what works on me and what I like – for more than half my life. I refuse to be “dictated to” about what I should wear.
Too bad we can’t see her shoes in the Elie dress pics. Have a feeling they’re nice.
it looks like a tablecloth from a 70’s key party. on the upside there’s so much going on there that it distracts from her face. so i guess i’m on the fence here — should SJP get style points for coming up with an alternative to wearing a bag over her head?
The white dress looks like Uma Thurman’s boob-flower disaster with a jacket.
Tiffany lamp shade but SJP gets the benefit of the snark.
I appreciate that she surprises us. It’s not always the best outfit..but she makes an amazing effort to keep it interesting.
she reminds me of miss havisham in the white with all those necklaces. I really like SJP, but she is getting to be so severe looking!
To the original bellaluna:
I think the problem is that they want to fit whatever silhouette is trendy or in fashion instead of what actually works for their particular body type. Actresses have choosen fashion over having style; which aren’t necessarily the same thing.
As far as the second dress goes, it looks like today’s hard economic times have also hit the Broderick-Parker HH. Much like Scarlett O’Hara and her curtains, SJP has had to resort to using her finest irish table linens to dress herself. It’s sad.
On the upside, the Elie Saab dress is beautiful. It must look even better in person.
Honestly, I think SJP should just go home. I don’t know what she’s doing there.
@Original Bellaluna-you summed it up perfectly.
SJP, for all of her fashion missteps, has a good body. While the dress is unique, it completely overwhelms her. I would rather take classic than what is trendy at the moment.
She is trying to recreate the cute, quirky, Carrie Bradshaw look from 10 years ago. The problem is, she has AGED 10 years and cannot get away with the stuff she used to. Those pearls are ridiculous and that Elie Saab – while pretty- totally overwhelms her small frame. Plus that she desperately needs a facelift if she is going to stay in this business and have people not make fun of her.
SJP and Tori Spelling — two women with faces that all the work in the world can’t fix. Put them in a room together and the flowers wilt. However, SJP has a great frame and I don’t hate the Elie Saab dress, or the shoes and bag from the doily-pearl mess.
I think the Elie Saab is really pretty. Maybe just a tad shorter in the arms and length. The second outfit? I’ll just say I wouldn’t wear it. I still think SJP is adorable. Needs to eat some more, but adorable.
Cleveland Girl—I think she’s already had work done. Too bad since I think most plastic surgery is yucky. It sucks our culture isn’t more accepting and celebratory of aging. Why shouldn’t she be able to age w/out plastic surgery and not “have people make fun of her”?
“Carrie” would wear the Elie Saab. I think it’s a nice change for her-and age appropriate!
I think SJP is another one who greatly benefits from parting her hair on the side.
And yeah, co-sign what LunaT said.
She looks like crap. Aged face and too busy dress. Blech. Then the claws holding the doily.
I love the dress. The face is fug.
@ jinni – I couldn’t agree with your last sentence more if I’d said it myself! 🙂
Why does Harvey always have to grab the actresses he is with? He did the same thing in pictures with Emma Watson, his hands were all over her. It makes me want to smack him.
I’m sorry, but the pattern of the dress is atrocious. And the colors look dull. Maybe it’s a bit more vibrant in person? Love the cut, though. Very romantic.
There’s something about the Saab that I like, I haven’t yet decided what it is.
It is a bit overwhelming for her, though. I like the hairstyle with it.
The white outfit… not so much.
I thought of a funny new user name… If I begin to use it instead of the current, will I be banned as per the rules below? or does that refer to multiple names in the same thread?
@Luna…I don’t make the rules. If she does not want to get plastic surgery then she should dress her age. I think Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep are two of the most casted actors of their age group, and they have a natural (and age appropriate) look. SJP should stick to dressing like a 45 year old, not a 25 year old eccentric.
I love the Saab dress – it’s amazing and it looks fantastic on her! The best I’ve seen her look in a long time. And I think what makes it especially striking are the long sleeves and the high neckline. It would be boring in a strapless dress, IMHO.
Is it just me or does her nose look like a dong?
thanks Kaiser.. my eyeballs are bleeding now. sigh.
I love, love, love the dress! SPJ confuses me because sometimes she looks great and sometimes she looks utterly fugly – here though, is one of her good days.
Oooh. Look. She wore the worlds ugliest curtains. And then she dressed up as a grandma. I won’t pick on her face. It’s what she was born with and we ALL age and NONE OF US will look pretty at the end of it. So there’s no reason to be cruel. If she had surgery on her face people would just bitch about her refusing to age gracefully.
Also, the idea of “dressing you age” is absurd. Obviously anyone past their early 20s should dress like mature adults and not like teens holding on to teenhood, but dress however the hell you want. Age does not dictate fashion. Not being tacky and dressing like a trashy teenager does. There’s nothing that I, at 34, could not wear at 64. I dress with class and class is timeless. I imagine the same holds for many people.
I think she and Broderick are dunzo and have been for a while now.
Sarah dresses as if she is 6 ft. tall.
When she is barely 5’1. And wearing platforms do not make up the difference.
That is why her clothes are actually nice things, but look odd on her 5’1 body.
But she has it in her head she is a “fashion girl”. As in, she sets the trends. But sadly she just comes off looking silly.
A lot like the Olsen’s. They are just too tiny to wear vintage clothes, that were made for women who were much taller.
can we all get back to talking about saunas please?
At first I hated the pattern, but now I kind of dig it. It fits her very well.
The white outfit is hideous though.
I actually like the patterned dress. I usually am not a big fan of that kind of pattern, but she looks good in it.
SJP can do no wrong!
The top dress would rock on someone else. Her weird uptight horse face ruins it.
No one could pull off the white doily thing.
@the original bellaluna, I totally agree. Isn’t it the stylist’s job to steer their clients to the right look for them?
uh, her hair looks better.
She needs to stay home and get a life. i am sick of her.
I LOVE the first dress. Striking.
I think that SJP just has fun with fashion. That’s why I like her.
damn she’s ugly. why isn’t her fifteen minutes up yet?
Come on Sarah, what would Carrie say to that blue dress?
The white one is pretty on her though
I actually like it on her. She wears it really well. And no, she’s not the most beautiful woman in hollywood. But I think it’s sad that they’re held to such a crazy high standard for it. So much so that they race to change everything about their faces and their bodies. Most of the “beauty” in hollywood is plastic. So sad.
I like to see an evening dress with a pattern for a change. Like ti all except the necklace, the sdress says enough without that clutter.
Love it…and you can see her shoes in the last pic (through the sheer black lining)…perfect. Hate the white dress and the shoes.
I love the dress & think she looks great in it. She is a fashion risk taker and although i dont always agree with her choices, its better to expirament than wear the same old Herve Leger dress with Jimmy Choo shoes that everyone else wears.
SJP looks absolutely awesome in the Elie Saab dress! This dress is full of life and color; it is amazing. I don’t care for the white dress though.