Bafta Fashion: Penelope Cruz dazzles & Michelle Williams underwhelms

Let’s start this BAFTA fashion post with Penelope Cruz. I was going to start with Michelle Williams, but I fell asleep just looking at photos of her. So here’s Penelope in Armani Prive, in a brilliant, rich red. I love the color – I love the color ON HER. But this is the weirdest dress – I really like the dress from the front, and I loathe it from the side and from the back. From the back, this Armani flattens her ass, right? And from the side, you see how bizarre the cut is at the top. I like straight lines in dresses – I get so tired of sweetheart necklines, I can’t even begin to describe it. While I’m board for the straight, raised bust line, I could do without the mirror effect in the back. It just looks weird. Also: her hair? I’ve never liked her with those little bangs, and I don’t feel any different today.

Helena Bonham Carter in Giles Deacon. I was looking at the fabric close up, and it’s quite lovely. But the dress in total is bad, and it sucks on HBC. But mostly it’s just boring, right? I feel like she wears a version of this dress all the time.

Here’s Jessica Chastain in Oscar de la Renta. Beautiful dress – a dress that would have been AMAZING at the Oscars. For the BAFTAs? I feel like we’re watching her freeze to death. I’m not thinking about how great she looks, I’m just worried that she’s going to lose some toes.

Christina Ricci in Givenchy. Nice metallic, pretty dress, bad bangs and much, much too skinny. You can see her pointy hip bone through the dress.

Michelle Williams in zzzzzz…… what? She’s wearing H&M. I’ll be nice – I’m glad she didn’t wear a pastel. I’m glad her dress wasn’t all-white or all-cream. I’m glad she’s not telegraphing her second virginity through fashion. I’m glad the dress doesn’t look like something she stole from Matilda. But this is totally boring.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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66 Responses to “Bafta Fashion: Penelope Cruz dazzles & Michelle Williams underwhelms”

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  1. merski says:

    What? Wearing H&M to events? Is that even a thing?

    • Leigh says:

      It should be!!
      I don’t love the dress. But I DO love that she wore H&M! Not all nice clothing has to be high end designer…

    • Esmom says:

      It happens occasionally. I remember once Sharon Stone wore a Gap top to the Oscars and everyone was abuzz.

  2. Jacq says:

    From behind, Penelope looks like she’s sitting in a chair while she stands. Making your butt look like a flat-back chair = fashion DO NOT!

  3. brin says:

    Penelope looks great and I love Jessica Chastain’s dress….very goddess looking.
    Michele was so bored with her look that she brought a book to read.

    • demian bichir says:

      I’m pretty sure it’s an Olympia Le-Tan bag,Portman wore one during her black swan era too(LES AMANTS).

  4. Lilalis says:

    I actually don’t think Michelle’s dress is that bad, I kinda like it. But what is that book/purse-thing? Is this supposed to make us think she is some kind of intellectual?

    From the back Penelope’s dress looks like it has a chair built in… meh.

    • smith says:

      The clutch design is a tribute to Arthur Miller’s “The Misfits,” which starred Marilyn. And of course she was also married to Miller so we’re practically bathed in subtext:

      (oscar.marilyn.oscar.marilyn.oscar.marilyn.mine.mine.mine)

      Ahh Michelle, ever subtle.

  5. paola says:

    sorry, i hate penelope’s dress and i love Michelle’s! and the fact it’s H&M has really made my day 🙂

    • ross says:

      Mmmmm….Penelope Cruz looks TERRIBLE with that dress. I don’t understand how people can say that she looks great.

      • paola says:

        Dunno.. the color is awful..the hair is terrible and the shape of the dress is just very unflattering hiding her boobs.. the only nice things i can say about her at the moment are that she’s wearing some nice earrings and that i love her husband (which is nowhere to be seen?!)

      • Amy says:

        I don’t understand why women wear red dresses on the red carpet. They just blend into the rug.

        I realize that the red carpet walk-n-pose is just a small portion of their evening, but they know they’re going to be photographed (and that the red carpet photos are what the entire world sees and judges). You’d think they’d want to stand out and really shine.

    • Maria_Spain says:

      Mine Too XD

  6. normades says:

    This is the best dress I’ve seen Jessica in. I think her hair is a shade darker here and it really suits her.

  7. carrie says:

    where are Michelle Williams’boobs? usually she has nice boobs

    i like Pene Cruz’s dress color but only the color :the cut of the top is just awful

    i’m disappointed by HBC’s dress “too unflattering”

    Christina Ricci looks so skinny

    i like Jessica Chastain’s dress and her look (face,hair,make-up:simple,classy and natural)

  8. RocketMerry says:

    Ooohlla, Jessica Chastain!! Lovely

  9. Katie says:

    Forget that she’s wearing H&M, which I actually think is cool. She’s carrying a book! Who does that? Self satisfied second virgins with bad hair and a smug face, that’s who.

  10. Amanda says:

    My eyesight’s not so great, but is Michelle holding an Arthur Miller book? Showing up to an event with a book is weird enough, but a damn Arthur Miller book? It’s like she’s trying to convey how “connected” she and Marilyn are. Ugh, it just makes me gag.

    • Jessica says:

      It’s not a book. It’s a clutch and they are the thing right now, apparently.

      • Amanda says:

        Ugh, that makes me want to gag even more, if possible.

        I’m surprised she’s not wearing thick black-rimmed glasses (with no lenses)

  11. Tanguerita says:

    I don’t care for Penelope’s dress at all – apart from the colour it’s downright ugly and doesn’t do her any favours. Michelle, however, looks great (imho): her look is understated enough for Baftas, sculptural, not without irony (Arthur Miller clutch by Dior – tribute to MM) and grown-up at last – nice change after all these horrible “I’m a little girl” dresses by Beckham.

  12. bea says:

    I love Javier Bardem and his wife looks nice……..

    I love Michelle’s “handbag” – so her!

  13. Wow says:

    No word on how odd Penelope’s face look?

    Something is off about her face. Not sure if she got some work done, or too little sleep but it ain’t pretty.

  14. *Roxy* says:

    Kaiser, some women just need the bangs because of the huge unattractive forhead. I can’t figure which bangs you’d like. 🙁

    • gab says:

      I agree, Roxy, some women do need bangs for a variety of reasons. I like Penelope’s bangs here, because they are sort of taped in or are more gradual. I hate the half head of bangs look that Ricci has. I don’t find it flattering. Sort of looks like Moe from the three stooges. But I do think Penelope’s are flattering to her face.

  15. Lindsey G. says:

    Michelle Williams goin’ to the prom or something?

  16. Julie says:

    Jessica looks so beautiful. I would switch sides, as they say, for Penelope!

  17. drew says:

    Jessica looks great but i am so disappointed in her.I thought she is different from this superficial stars.I’ve just read somewhere that she is lying about her age.She claimed to be 30 but Mandisa from american idol tweeted that they went to high school together and she has their yearbook pictures.Mandisa is 35 years old so jessica is 35 going on 36 already.That is why she look matured .She is a talented lady, there’s no need to lie about her age.You cannot hide this thing for a longer time.

    • normades says:

      ohhh…that is juicy *goes off to google this*

    • demian bichir says:

      In HW everyone lie about their age(i’m looking at you Olivia Wilde).If she had told her real age (36), HW would of given her 4 years before the expiration date which is 40 years old for women in the industry.
      When i saw her during the VF shooting,you could easily tell that she was in her 30’s just by comparing her to the other starlets in the room, but i thought she was in her early 30’s.
      Thank you for the gossip drew!

    • mag28 says:

      Mandisa could have been a senior to Jessica as a freshman. Also, she has never lied, or given an age. Whenever she is asked, she answers by saying that “once an actor tells their age, they are forever typecast to only play that. They are no longer able to disappear into the character.” She’s an artist first.

  18. *Roxy* says:

    Also I’m in the minority who liked Penelope’s dress and don’t care that almost nobody liked it. 🙂

  19. Cathy says:

    I like Michelles dress and Jessicas dress. But Penelopes dress is just awful. Terrible cut, and it looks like somebody stuck a piece of plywood in her dress all the way down past her bottom. The only thing I like about the dress is the color.

  20. Sara says:

    I really like Michelle’s dress@ The book purse not so much says trying too hard to look smart. Many celebrities seem to have an insecurity with the regard to their intellect.

    • Jessica says:

      Really? Because it is her stylist who dresses her, even though she does approve it. Also, it is SO obviously not a book, so I’m not sure how carrying a book purse means you’re intellectually insecure. I’m pretty sure there isn’t a person there who doesn’t know that carrying a book on the carpet would be both stupid and pretentious. They’re more aware of their images than that.

  21. Marianne says:

    I find Penelope’s dress underwhelming. And I hate that it so flat across the top.

    Jessica’s is very nice. Of course you dont have photos wheres she holding her dress out like a crazy person.

    I also really like Michelle’s. Simple and classy.

  22. Jackson says:

    I actually really like the dress Michelle Williams is wearing. Although I still do not like that hair color on her at all, and I don’t like that shade of red lipstick on her….she finally looks like an adult! Yaay!!! Simple, classic silhouette. Not childlike. No shades of Mia Farrow. Stunning. Oscar-worthy.

  23. faye says:

    I like Michelle’s dress. I think the problem is the jewelry. A bold, beautiful sprakly necklace and earrings would have lifted the dress and taken her style up another notch.

  24. Happy21 says:

    Penelope’s dress is ok. I remember noting to myself in the past that she seemed to have a pretty flat ass…Its a gorgeous colour. Her face does look a bit off, too pointy? To young?

    Jessica looks beautiful. I have only ever seen her in The Help and don’t know what she usually wears.

    HBC is true HBC style. Love it or hate it, she wears what she wants!

    Michelle Williams to me always, without fail, seems awkward, boring and self conscious.

  25. lucy2 says:

    I would love Penelop’s, but the top is just too weird. Color is nice though.
    I don’t mind Michelle’s, it’s boring but not awful. Don’t care for the book clutch though.
    Jessica’s is lovely. Hope she has something great planned for the Oscars, because if not she wasted this gown on the BAFTAs.

  26. chloe says:

    Penelope’s best accessory is Javier and since he is not there, I will say the color of the dress is all she has going for her look. The whole bangs thing wouldn’t bother me if I knew they were real, I’m really getting tired of the whole fake hair thing.

  27. Maritza says:

    Jessica Chastain’s dress is gorgeous! Michelle Williams has her own style and she sticks to it, she looks her usual pixy Peter Pan self. Penelope’s dress makes her look flat from the front and her behind. I don’t like that dress at all.

  28. Kim says:

    I think Muchelle looks gorgeous. Love her dress– very vintage Chanel looking. I dont care for Penelopes dress. Jessica looks beautiful – that dress color is great for her.

  29. I.want.shoes says:

    Penelope’s boobs look wonky in that dress (2nd picture). They seem to be hanging low but yet we see cleavage at the top of the dress.

    Michelle Williams needs to grow up and start dressing like a woman.

  30. original sandy says:

    i too like Michelle’s dress, not to crazy about Penelope’s. the others are great except Helena.

  31. Kristen says:

    When I saw the first photo of Penelope in that dress, I thought that she’d had some kind of wardrobe malfunction and you guys had digitally added a big block to cover her boobs or something. It took my eyes a minute to realize that that was not actually the case.

    • demian bichir says:

      It’s just the consequences of a bad investment…She understands now that FAKE boobs are not really classy so she had to cover them.That’s all.

      • Scarlet Vixen says:

        Um…what? Penelope Cruz hasn’t had a boob job. Those are nursing boobs.

      • demian bichir says:

        Pedro Almodovar hinted that she had a boob job in a press conference a long time ago(Volver era or Los abrazos rotos era sorry i don’t remember anymore).If you don’t believe it just look at old pictures of her or better than that look at the spanish version of vanilla sky(she has a topless scene in the film),this woman never had a big breast.

  32. UniqJazz says:

    I love Jessica’s dress and christina ricci’s dress. She looks good in that color. What material are both those dresses made out of? I like it.

  33. Asli says:

    So refreshing seeing a celebirty not wear a fashion brand (Dolce, Gucci, Versace etc.) It’s nice.

  34. Esmom says:

    How can you say C Ricci is too thin while giving Angelina a pass? She is slim but her arms are probably twice the size of Jolie’s.

  35. Camille (The original) says:

    Jessica looks stunning. Flawless from head to toe. The rest meh.

  36. Isa says:

    Jessica looks beautiful. I think Penelope’s dress would’ve looked a lot better if the back of it wasn’t square as well.

  37. Vera says:

    Penelope’s is the worst for me. Just the back and the weird stuff it does to her chest, though I do like the colour.

    The rest are alright. I think with Helena I’m just used to how she dresses, that this looks normal for her. Jessica’s is very lovely. Christina’s is alright. Michelle’s is nice.

  38. marie says:

    I don’t like the back of Penelope’s dress and I am on the fence regarding the front. Jessica Chastain looked gorgeous! Michelle looked better than she has in a while….she finally wore something age appropriate and classic and NOT hippy dippy.

  39. ZenB!tch says:

    HBC disappoints… her pretty is showing. I thought she dressed silly to distract from The Burton (love him but not hot). This is not weird enough to distract me. Her hair looks SHINY!

  40. coconut says:

    yeh bangs!!