Trend #1: Kaftan
Photos: Judy Eddy/WENN.com, Will Alexander/WENN.com
Miss: All things retro might be making a comeback but the kaftan is one trend that in most cases is better off left in the fashion vault. Take, for example, the flowing monstrosity that True Blood actress Janina Gavankar wore to the Maxim summer issue launch in Las Vegas. If that print is supposed to be a window into her soul, I don’t want to go there.
Hit: The gold embroidered kaftan which Kate Moss wore to the Fashion for Relief party in London might only seem socially acceptable in comparison to Gavankar’s robe, but I like that it culled more from the 70s aesthetic associated with the garment. Her tousled tresses and minimal makeup finished this exotic and artistic look.
Trend #2: Jersey
Photos: Paul Terry/WENNcom, Lia Toby/WENN.com
It’s a tie: At this point, Lady Gaga has made Technicolor fur/Sesame Street costumes in the height of summer seem blasé, so it was actually what Rita Ora had on underneath her shag carpet that caught my eye. Athletic-inspired fashion works in small doses, but the popstar’s shlumpy baseball jersey just doesn’t make sense with leather thigh-highs. Actually, none of her outfit makes sense—but neither did Nicola Roberts’ at the Styled to Rock TV press launch. With the Olympics drawing to a close we’ve all got sports on the brain, but the Girls Aloud singer’s hockey jersey and heels combo seems more like the stuff of Canadian teenage boys’ fantasies than what the star of a new fashion talent show should be wearing in public.
Trend #3: Animal Print
Photos: Nikki Nelson/WENN.com, Kyle Blair/WENN.com
Miss: Kate Beckinsale is so gorgeous, it’s a shame she chose this Armani Privé gown to wear to the Total Recall premiere in L.A. The overlapping layers of python print make it look like she’s either trying to use the snake shedding it’s skin metaphor to communicate something—or she’s just getting devoured by a reptile.
Hit: Jessica Biel did animal print right in a Giambattista Valli dress that is so much more chic and interesting than other leopard print numbers I’ve seen lately. The artful cinching is very flattering and the muted, almost abstract print avoids the over-the-top animal look of her Total Recall co-star.