Hot or Hot Mess: Evan Rachel Wood in Alessandra Rich at the Venice Film Festival

September 8, 2011     Posted in Fashion, Style

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If you read this column regularly you will know that I rarely move from the fence. I like the fence. Plus, the deciding factor is always up to you. I like picking outfits that I’m not quite sure how I feel about. So here we are, another outfit of indifference.

Evan Rachel Wood wore this Alessandra Rich dress to the Venice Film Festival this week. The dress is almost a big-girl shirt dress, with a cinched in waist and full skirt with a thigh-high slit.

I absolutely love white dresses (despite it now being past Labour Day- please ignore that old rule!) and I love how this one is sophisticated and doesn’t have that bride-y look about it. But I’m still not too crazy about it. I’m not a huge fan of shirt dresses, maybe because I personally, can’t pull them off. I usually find them shapeless and unflattering. While this is neither shapeless nor unflattering, I’m just not sold.

I think this is a brave and unusual choice, but it is a strange juxtaposition of seeming a little casual on the top half and then incredibly elegant on the bottom half. Maybe it’s the material. I don’t know, I feel this will divide people. In some respects it’s perfectly old Hollywood, in other respects it’s a very posh men’s shirt.

The shoes I like, but not with this dress. There aren’t many black accents in the outfit and they seem a little too much of a stark contrast. Makeup I love, and while I see where they were going with the hair, I think it would have been nice to have had something a little more dramatic.

But what do you think, hot or hot mess?

3 Comments on "Hot or Hot Mess: Evan Rachel Wood in Alessandra Rich at the Venice Film Festival"
  1. Steph says:
    Fri, 9th Sep 20117:12 pm 

    Yeah… it's too casual for the red carpet. I'd wear it to something semi-formal or casual, but not formal.

  2. Caddy says:
    Wed, 14th Sep 201110:25 am 

    The way you described it actually made me like it more. While I'm usually a big fan of unorthodox, quirky frocks and menswear inspired fashion, there's something a little…wrong about this. Better shoes would be a good start. I must admit, I hate that style of open toed heel. Maybe something a little more classic and retro? Neutrals? And def. loose the gold belt buckle erlack.

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