It’s time to look back at 2005 for the most memorable fashion moments. There were so many events and people to choose from, but these five ultra-fashionable selections stood out to me as the most original and beautiful.
1) Not only does Gwen Stefani have the balls to rename four girls Love, Angel, Music, and Baby (after her L.A.M.B. fashion line), she’s also able to pull off any outfit that her crazy, creative mind can dream up. Her show-stealing outfit this year was the dress that she wore on concert tours for her latest album.
Stefani managed to stick with her punk-rock look, but elaborated upon it with silk, lace, plaid, pleats, bows, and lots of pink. And with her platinum hair tied back with a bow, the outfit completes her Alice in Wonderland theme. It can only be defined as uniquely Gwen, with its ruffles building in the back into a lovely bustle—creating a Victorian look mixed with fierce punk.
2) The Roberto Cavalli dress Kate Hudson wore to the Skeleton Key premiere defines her ethereal style: disco one day, hippie-boho the next. It looks so sexy and natural on her. It’s amazing that this girl can go from fur-lined suede jackets to being a disco queen the next day.
The dress, a silvery metallic color, shapes Hudson nicely, and falls to the floor in pleats to surround her feet in ruffles. The strapless top complements her nicely with a bow in its center. It’s a different style then she usually wears, but so beautiful that it fits in with her repertoire.
3) This list wouldn’t be complete without an outfit from Sarah Jessica Parker. This year’s winner was the dress that she picked out for her perfume ad: a lovely pink tulle dress by Oscar de la Renta. This dress is balletic and sophisticated at the same time. The decision to go barefoot was extremely daring—especially since Parker bought over 300 pairs of shoes to try with the dress! Ultimately, the ad perfectly displayed her true character for her signature scent. She was in charge of each and every detail for the shoot, as she was for the scent of her new perfume, Lovely.
4) Elle MacPherson arrived to the party of the year—the Costume Institute Gala—in a shiny yellow Calvin Klein dress. Surprisingly, it was the most appealing dress of the night. It was a form-fitting, strapless dress that flowed from her waist into a slight train behind her. The tailoring of the dress gave it some character, but it was still somewhat dull on its own. The dress took life on her body and accentuated her natural glow. This dress has stuck with me the entire year. Her choice of leaving her hair down in order to blend with the dress was an excellent decision.
5) For the Guggenheim Ball, Usher chose a distinctive satin and velvet Yves Saint Laurent tuxedo. While men don’t have that many options to wear to a ball (other than a tux), there are many differences among tuxes. Usher chose an excellent fitted velvet tuxedo jacket with a silk collar. He threw that over a pair of normal dress pants and fastened a bow tie to complete the look. His leather driving gloves transform the outfit from mediocre to fantastic, since they sport a bit of fun and humor for the evening.
I hope 2006 will be just as great as last year was.
