Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab at the Critics’ Choice: boring or beautiful?

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Rachel McAdams was another one of my favorites at last night’s Critics’ Choice Awards. I know Elie Saab gets a lot of hate and/or disrespect, but I think as a design house, Elie Saab consistently delivers pretty, well-tailored, flattering gowns for women who are not feeling all that sartorially adventurous. I like this Elie Saab on Rachel because it looks great on her body, it’s a simple, uncomplicated design, it’s a great color and she’s pretty enough that she doesn’t need all of the bells and whistles of so many “high fashion” designs. If I have one complaint about this look, it’s that I wish Rachel would stop with the blonde, specifically this shade of blonde with the ashy, dark roots. It washes her out.

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Lord help me, because I enjoy January Jones. I enjoy her as an actress, as a fashionista, as a person. She’s fun and funny. But this Altuzarra? Meh. She was phoning it in.

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America Ferrera in INGIE Paris. This, to me, looks like a prom dress. But from the neck up, she’s gorgeous.

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Jennifer Jason Leigh in Roland Mouret. If you’re old (like me), this gave you a flashback to one or more ‘80s references. This Mouret either reminds you of Julia Roberts’ fancy dress in Mystic Pizza, or the dress Brenda and Kelly fought over on 90210. Which is to say… I love it. JJL’s face is morphing into Jessica Lange though.

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Bryce Dallas Howard wore Balmain – she said she bought it online for herself, which is her thing. She doesn’t borrow dresses, she buys them because she has difficulties finding dresses to borrow in her size. I like that she’s okay with that and she talks about it openly. But I would love it if she would work with a stylist to figure out what’s actually flattering on her body. Because this is not it.

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Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.

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57 Responses to “Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab at the Critics’ Choice: boring or beautiful?”

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  1. AG-UK says:

    America’s face is stunning and she has such a beautiful smile.

  2. Jegede says:

    Rachel McAdams is far too pretty for that horrid, heavy make up.

    America Ferrera’s face has never looked lovelier.

    • Kitten says:

      And that color overwhelms her as well. I’m not a huge fan of wine-colored makeup and wine-colored dresses on blonde, fair-complected women with such delicate features like McAdams.

      • StumpyCorgi says:

        I’m on my phone so I can’t see details, but it looks like the wine shade complements her skin, and the lipstick pulls it together. Oh well, she’s smiling so I’m glad it seemed to work for her! 🙂

    • LadyMTL says:

      IMHO the issue with Rachel McAdams is the hair more than anything else. That shade of blonde just really does not work for her. Imagine the makeup look if she had darker hair…I think it would be gorgeous.

      (ITA about America Ferrera, her face is so lovely).

    • bluevelvet says:

      Agreed. I don’t care for ANY of the styles, just horrid. Out of the bunch, Rachel looks the best, but she could have done much better.

  3. Patricia says:

    January has such a beautiful figure, it’s quite an accomplishment for a dress to actually make her look THAT bad. Beyond unflattering!

    Rachel looks amazing. Just gorgeous. Her makeup is perfect.

  4. ell says:

    elie saab’s dresses are hit or miss, imo. i like this one, rachel’s stylist dresses her always very well. and we disagree on the hair colour, i think it suits her a lot… and it’s also my current hair colour btw, although my skin tone is a bit more rosey than rachel’s.

    january jones should change her hair though, i find her roots to be fair worse. and don’t get me started on the dress smh

  5. Sara says:

    Bryce looks like she’s wearing a futuristic hospital gown and about to get a mammography.

    • jugstorecowboy says:

      Ha! I like it anyway. I’m a sucker for a star…

    • bettyrose says:

      What “size” is she exactly that she can’t borrow dresses? Nevermind. I’m not interested in hearing that she can’t get a size 4 or 6 from the designer collections because they don’t come larger than 2.

  6. Jayna says:

    I love Rachel’s gown on her.

    • Lauren II says:

      Rachel is one the most beautiful women ever in Hollywood. And an outstanding actress. She looks amazing. Love her.

  7. Locke Lamora says:

    Rachel looks perfect. The dress is so beautiful, and her haircut is lovely. I agree about the colour, she looks best with a warm brown colour.
    America is stunning, and I like her dress.
    How can Bryce be too fat for designers? How? She’s a size 40 tops. That’s ludacris.

    • justagirl says:

      On the red carpet at the Golden Globes, Bryce said she’s a US size 6…with limited options in the borrowed-gown world, because most dresses available are in ridiculously tiny sizes. She buys her own so that she actually has numerous options.

      It says a lot about how tiny these people are, and how the fashion industry caters mainly to them, and anyone else gets “well, we have this ONE in your size”.

      • bettyrose says:

        Oops. I just asked about this before seeing your post. Yeah, that’s what I figured. She’s a 4-6, so no luxury brands for her.

  8. Diana B says:

    God, Rachel is so stunning. She’s just ridiculously beautiful.

  9. DavidBowie says:

    America looks beautiful but that dress is awful. Don’t get me started on those fug shoes.

    I like Rachel’s dress and hair but not her makeup.

  10. Josephine says:

    I really like Rachel’s dress although it is definitely better close up so you can see the pretty detail in the fabric. It’s a great color, too.

    And Bryce is stunning, regardless of the fact that the dress is perfectly flattering.

  11. Tania says:

    I think Rachel is spot on, great hair, great make up, great dress. While BDH’s dress may not be perfect, she looks a million times better than January Jones. JJ not only looks like her dress will fade into the matching background, but now I’m forced to ask if she’s pregnant because she looks practically obese in that dress as compared to her usual self. And if she’s gained weight, that’s totally fine, but if it is the dress making her look like that, wow, she should burn it and send the ashes up in space–rid this world of that dress!

  12. Don't kill me I'm French says:

    A necklace miss Rachel’s look and I like the color of her mouth

  13. StumpyCorgi says:

    Rachel looks stunning. Her dress can be boring/ simple AND stunning. The contrast of the wine color against her skin tone is lovely. She looks comfortable and happy.

  14. mandy says:

    Rachel is ridiculously beautiful and an amazing person, Ryan gosling is a fool for losing her.

    • Jayna says:

      Rachel is great and I thought they were cute together. But they broke up twice. It obviously didn’t work.

      And he seems very happy with his family, his wonderful little girl and very much in love with Eva.

      He was asked what he looks for in a woman or the quality he looks for in a woman, something like that. His answer was:

      “I know that I’m with the person I’m supposed to be with,” he said of the 41-year-old, adding that the one quality he looks for in a woman is “that she’s Eva Mendes. There’s nothing else I’m looking for.”

    • Kennedy says:

      No! Rachel and Ryan forever! I have an irrational hatred for Eva Mendes so I just can’t with her and her tragic NY & Company fashion line lol.

      Plus, Rachel is now an Oscar nominee so in my irrational mind – two Oscar nominees are destined to be together. Again, I’m irrational.

  15. Mia4s says:

    The dresses were dull overall but it’s worth remembering this is a C-list awards show. You save the big stuff for the Oscars, Golden Globes, Emmys, hell even the SAGs! This one gets the third or fourth choice dress at best.

  16. Mindless Contemplations says:

    America looks stunning.

    Did she get divorced I have noticed in recent event pictures she isn’t wearing her wedding ring nor showing up with her husband.

    • Lee says:

      No, he was with her at the GG (not on the red carpet but inside) and she posted pics of them together on her instagram. 🙂

  17. embertine says:

    Rachel McAdams, I will fight you. I will fight you for your sparkly ruby fairy dress and I will win. And then I will be unable to fit more than one leg into it, because I am a giant ogress and you are a tiny elfin princess. *sigh*

    ETA: Nevermind, just seen that it’s sheer.

    • McLori says:

      Right? the Sheer ruins it. You can see her underpants………..I really wish that would stop being a thing.

  18. Jan says:

    I like Rachel’s dress and she looks happy wearing it, so that’s a win, buuuut it’s a bit too sheer for me. Is it lined or is it supposed to look kinda see-through?

  19. here or there says:

    I love Rachel’s hair here.

  20. GingerCrunch says:

    Et tu, Jennifer Jason Leigh? Shocked at the extent to which she effed with her face. I’m sad.

  21. Lucy says:

    I must say I’m very proud of Rachel. I’ve always liked her and she has come a long way since Mean Girls and The Notebook. Now she’s an Oscar Nominated actress!!!

  22. QQ says:

    Ok, First of all Rachel looks like a frigging ANGEL, her face! Her Makeup! her Hair!! that Dress color, LOVE it

    America its too beautiful and deserves better than this dress

    JJL I don’t even understand , is a cross of Jessica Lange and Kyra Sedgwick: HOW SWAY!?!??!

  23. serena says:

    Rachel’s dress is perfection! I love it! her make up and hair are also perfect (though I think she’d be better with a dark blonde colour).

  24. Barrett says:

    Rachael and that blond hair, terrible.

    She looks best as a brunette like in wedding freshers!

  25. lucy2 says:

    I like a lot of Elie Saab dresses, they often have a lot of pretty detailing and nice lines. I like Rachel’s a lot here.
    America looks gorgeous and I think her dress is cute – and appropriate for the event.

  26. Minxx says:

    Rachel is so beautiful and perfect, I don’t mind the too light shade of hair (though I agree it should be darker). America looks so fresh and lovely. January- sorry, disaster. Makes her body look like a bedazzled column. Bryce Dallas Howard – I love her, I think she’s pretty, subtle and hugely talented but she NEEDS to hire a stylist.

  27. JeanGray says:

    I love Rachel. Love her dress. I liked her Mean Girls/Notebook blond but not this shade or cut.

    And what’s supposed to be the issue with Bryce Dallas Howard’s body? I don’t see it. I’ll admit I’m not that familiar with her except knowing she is Opie’s kid and one or two other red carpets, but I’ve never looked at her and not seen her look pretty. Do people think she is a big girl?

  28. Kristiec68 says:

    I don’t get Bryce saying that no stylist will work with her because of her size when Amy Schumer kills it in designer dresses. Aren’t they almost the same size? Either way, I think Bryce is lovely. Maybe she’s too low key.

  29. Murphy says:

    I like America’s dress, I wish I looked like that at my prom!

  30. Farhi says:

    I don’t like Rachel’s look at all. The top of the dress is too small and is not proportionate. Overall it looks cheap, not tailored.
    The color of the dress is nice but it doesn’t work with her white-on-white look. I don’t know why she bleaches her hair, it completely destroys whatever was unique about her look. She becomes invisible. She looked much better with dark hair.

  31. Becks says:

    Rachel is flawless! She’s making me want to cut my hair even shorter!

  32. yolo112 says:

    fyi… jjl is wearing my prom dress from 1993.. no lie

  33. TreadStyle says:

    This color is gorgeous on Rachel! I think her hair is also a great color and length right now. I love these looks on her soooo much more then the big floral gown at the golden globes. She is so naturally pretty, another one that seems to be aging gracefully. Love it! The rest dress wise, no. I don’t get the powder/baby blue trend ugh. I think I would actually like Americas dress if the top part wasn’t satin looking. I do love her down in those waves though, so pretty!

  34. WillowS says:

    I loved Kaiser’s comment about Jennifer Jason Leigh’s dress. It really does look similar to the Brenda/Kelly 90210 prom dress lol.

  35. Mrs. Odie says:

    I think Rachel McAdams looks stunning in the creamy pale skin with dark wine lipstick. She makes my pulse quicken, looking at her. I like her with darker hair, but I’ll make an exception here.

    When I watched this show last night, I said to my husband, “America has grown into such a beautiful woman,” and he replied that she is “stunning.” I didn’t love the dress, but I have yet to see a dress this awards season that I love. Fashion is going through an ugly phase in my opinion. I liked Amy Schumer’s dress fine, but white is always a risky choice, She looked like a bride.

    I thought Jennifer Jason Leigh was Kiera Sedgewick. Hmmmm. Same surgeon?

  36. FF says:

    I think Rachel’s dress and makeup is lovely – though I wonder if this hard edge look will make it to the Oscars (I’d be surprised). Have to agree about the washout shade of blonde but I assumed it might be a character remnant.

    Only other thing: why do some people always have to bring up McGosling in posts about her? It’s ancient history at this point. It’s like people who can’t get over their prom king boyfriend or keep referring to their ex-husband as their husband ten years later. It’s over, seriously. I don’t get the need to keep tying her to that. Nevermind that Ryan seems quite happy with the mother of his child, and his daughter.

    JJ’s choices keep making me seriously wonder if those rumours about her and Jon Hamm are true. She always looks like she’s got a secret lately.

  37. Anare says:

    Correct me if I’m wrong but wouldn’t a designer make or alter a gown for a big name actress esp for a major awards show? I don’t buy that nonsense that if you’re a six 6 there is nothing for you to try on in haute couture so you have to trudge off to Macys to find something.