Let’s start with what I liked about Michelle Williams at last night’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. I liked that she wore a bright color – this red/pink Valentino dress was vibrant, and the shade looked gorgeous on Michelle, who all too often wears pastels and pale, wispy colors that wash her out. I also loved Michelle’s hair last night – she gotten it to a great honey color that suits her skin tone, and the length, especially in the front, is great on Michelle. I also love that Michelle’s forever awards-show date is her BFF Busy Phillips. I know it’s partly a strategic move, and let’s not pretend that Michelle hasn’t had significant boyfriends over the years and all, but I just like that Michelle and Busy always do awards shows together. Their friendship seems genuine and sweet, and I’m guessing Busy is a true girl-friend to Michelle.
So, now on to what I dislike about Michelle’s look at her appearance last night. While the dress was a pretty color, the asymmetrical length threw me off, as did the lace detailing on her shoulders. The worst, though, was the shoe choice. As the cameras panned down, it really looked like Michelle was wearing stripper shoes. Also: dear God, Michelle’s little girl voice bugs me. It’s so affected. She’s making an effort to put present herself a certain way, that of an oh-so-fragile girl-woman, and the voice affectation is part of that. It drives me up the wall.
Speaking of affectations and Oscar campaigns, I think Lainey has been right-on with her theory that Michelle is following The Natalie Portman Method of Oscar Campaigning – it’s all about motherhood and being an “accessible” (FRAGILE!!) single mother for Michelle. So I’m including some photos of Natalie Portman from the SAGs too. She’s too precious (and a mother!!!!!) to walk the red carpet, but she was still at the show to present Best Actor, and she deigned to pose for photos backstage. Natalie wore this Giambattista Valli haute couture gown that reminds me a lot of her Oscar gown from last year – similar shade, similar drapey design with some fluffy detailing at the bust. It’s pretty.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame.
I really liked Michelle’s dress, it was pretty, yet understated.
LOVED Natalie’s. So gorgeous on her. Didn’t like the hair. I know its in an updo…but it looks like someone to scissors to her hair and gave her a weird pixie cut. Plus Natalie walked the red carpet at the Globes. Perhaps she arrived last minute…
Portman is gorgeous!
I love Michelle but I wish she wouldn’t talk like that. This is a new thing-she used to speak normally. Meh.
She looks gorgeous though. That’s not my favorite dress but I think the cut and color and vinatge-y feel look great on Michelle.
Wasn’t that the Voice Fry you linked us to?
I loved Michele’s dress, but not the length. It had that European sari twist/vibe to it, and the color suited her nicely. But at awards shows, either you completely hide your ankles, or you wear short by hiding your knees. Nothing in between, looks odd and takes away from a rather beautifully cut dress.
Maybe Mathilda had thrown the dress in the washer and had shrunk it? Oh, that precious child!
I think the color clashes with her hair color (which to me looks super-fake) and the cut and lace are tacky. I think she looks awful. And that’s lovely that her friend tried to support her by wearing an even uglier dress so she’d look better by comparison.
So harsh but so true. 🙂
Michelle looks lovely. I agree the color is very flattering to her skin. The matchy-matchy prom shoes have GOT to go.
Ms. Portman looks flawless, as usual. Thanks for not including a photo of her baby daddy/kept man, it makes me think less of her when I see them together. (man stealing and all that)
I love earrings, I feel like a day without earrings is a day wasted. Now if i was going to award ceremony where i had a chance of winning and forgot my earrings/ any jewellery whatsoever, i’d be inconsoleble. I love Michelle Williams and I won’t be put off her, she’s a class A actress but dear god, is she allergic to jewellery?! She’s an insult to pierced ears 😉
RE: Natalie Portman, someone wants us to know she’s lost the baby weight, how can she breathe? did she have a couple of ribs out?
Michele is taking baby steps in her style to go with her baby voice. I’m glad she chose red for a change but I’m not crazy about the style. Her hair & makeup look good. Natalie looks great.
At first I was going to say it was both budget AND cute (Bucute? Cudget?) but now I’m leaning towards budget.
I also like her friendship with Busy (silly nickname but whatever). Dawson’s Creek was almost a decade ago and they’re still friends. I don’t think you can fake friendship like that.
The friendship is cool. And I even kind of like the nickname “Busy.”
I just realized Natalie has short arms! DinoArms! Look at Natalie’s as compared to the Michelle’s.
I agree on the shoe choice, but I’m not sure what kind of shoes would have worked here. I wish the dress was full length instead. I’m also not loving the red clutch – the colors are strange together. Besides those little points, I think she looks nice.
I really like Natalie’s dress.I think she is overrated as an actress, but she a good one. I really didn’t like this whole issue with the black Swan controversy. She came off kind of shady. And her performance as a “ballerina” was hyped. Her arms were not that great and I say that as lover of ballet, but no damn expert.
Michelle sounds likes the Ghost Whisperer and I don’t remember her sounding so “precious” when she was on Dawson’s Creak. And that dress is so 2002 prom. I do love the shoes!
Busy Phillips, is really pretty, but her choices in clothing…chile.
Something about those Natalie pictures bugs. She looks pretty (and really thin..) but that look on her face…like, she’s scared that the cameras are eating her or she is so unsure of herself (which is probably a total put on). I want to like her…but find it hard to.
Natalie Portman looks divine. Michelle looks okay. Busy just looks bad.
On anyone else I’d be so-so on it, but I love Michelle’s dress on her. It’s nice to see her in a vibrant color, it’s understated, and still has a slightly offbeat, vintage look to it.
I like Natalie’s a lot, love the color and it’s very flattering.
Busy’s is terrible.
Natalie’s skin looks really sallow, she doesn’t look well.
Of the three dresses, Natalie’s is the best.
Michelle’s hair looks great and I love that color on her – the dress is awful.
The dress on the middle person is horrible – toss that out in the garbage dear!
Let’s all admit that the best thing ever for this woman’s public image was the death of Heath Ledger. She can’t exactly have a man with her and keep talking about how broken she still is over the death of her ex.
I don’t really feel anything for Williams in any direction, but it’s quite a clear media strategy.
Yes, agree.
I love the way Michele’s dress is draped at the bottom – it really shows off her shoes and they look good with dress style/color-wise. I don’t really understand the lace and I’d like to see what’s going on in the back. I agree that it’s nice to see something other than super pale colors on her.
What Busy has on seems cray-zee! The dowdy necklaces! I totally do not understand.
Hate the “precious” little cap sleeves.
Michelle looks fab from the neck up (said in a baby voice), Natalie from the neck down (said in a precious voice), Busy….well that’s just unfortunate all the way around.
So true! LOL
Lower the screen until all you see is from Michelle’s lips to feet.. Frumpy Grandma! The girlish-twee age ship has sailed and she needs a radical woman of this decade update.
Portman looks terrible here. I don’t know what’s going on with her hair and make up, but she looks awful. Besides that, you nailed it: she’s just too ”precious” to waste her time on a red carpet, you know…she’s so over Hollywood, she’s too ”intellectual” to care. Ugh, fuck this extremely overrated, extremely arrogant, extremely ungrateful woman, seriously.
Hate Michelle’s entire look. The hair color is pure brass and that red dress and shoes are the epitome of ‘budget.’ I won’t even comment on her voice.
Natalie looked really good. Great color for her although I could have done with a little less flounce on the bodice.
Natalie Portman looks weird because she is weird, simple as that.
Can’t stand Hershlag.
I think Michele looks so much better with longer hair. Why does she stick with the Mia Farrow look?
I like both dresses but I don’t like Michelle in hers. It clashes with her hair. And I don’t particularly like her looks. I don’t see cute or sexy when I see her. I can’t imagine her portraying Marilyn Monroe, either, looks wise.
I think Natalie looked great. Not entirely sold on the deepness of the color of her dress. But she is a very pretty woman.
Forgot to add that while I liked Michelle’s dress for her, I disliked the matchy-matchy cheap looking shoes.
Um, maybe Natalie was running late or had some other reason to not walk the carpet? Sheesh. I know she’s not that likable, but it seems a little silly to attack her for it when no one knows the circumstances and LOTS of celebs show up for shows but skip the red carpet.
I know right? I said something earlier, about how she might have arrived last minute. I mean she walked the red carpet at the Globes. And that was only a couple weeks ago.
The dress looks cheap
Busy Phillips is clearly saying F-U to the paps. Realize she’s attending as a +1 but that dress/styling is ridiculus – absolute worst dressed ever.
Busy’s dress is rather…busy.
I think this is the best that Michelle has looked in a long time. Usually she has weird style and looks dumpy, but here she looks pretty. Not too crazy about the shoes though. They look stripper bridesmaid, uou know the dyed to match look.
Busy Phillips looks awful. She looks as if she came straight from a commune.
they wear my fav dress
I will never understand how they picked a girl with a twelve year old’s figure to play the sexiest, most voluptuous woman of all time. I do think Michelle’s dress looks budget but it is tailored nicely to her petite figure. Some of the women look like their dress is wearing them. I also think Michelle’s hair looks brassy, I liked her as a blonde.
Busy? Dress fits her name.
Portman looks like she’s about to burst into tears. I would cry too if caught out in that hideous frock.
Michelle looks good. What was Busy thinking?? WAY underdressed including hair and makeup. Looks like she is going to the beach?!
Michelle’s dress is beautiful! I like Natalie’s dress too but Busy’s is way too casual for the occasion.
I liked Michelle’s dress and I thought she looked pretty. But her personality is a turn off for me.
Natalie’s face looks awful, her makeup artist did a terrible job IMO. And her dress is just ok. The colour is nice though.
God, will Michelle ever start acting like a woman, not soooo sweet little girl??!!
Natalie is wearing the best dress…except for that monstrosity on her left boob side…looks like her boobie is gonna burst of lactating let-down…oy! somebody chop that off her dress, Please!
As for Michelle…i’m bored with her by now…her spark is so short-term…
wow! i really like Michelle’s look, she has color on and she looks great, Natalie looks good but she looks the same all the time. more color maybe?
Michelle Williams usually looks so much like someone’s grandmother style wise that she had no where to go but up. The dress isn’t great but it’s better. The shoes…well the dress is better.
I don’t like Busy Philipps’ dress at all. Michelle Williams looks nice.
She’s a gimme to play Pikachu if they ever do a live action re-imagining of Pokemon
for a woman who emancipated herself as a VERY YOUNG teen, it’s time for Michelle to stop playing the ingenue card. she is so not that.