The year 2009 ended more than two months ago but it won’t be a bad idea to take an introspective look back and examine some of the incredible fashions choices and trends that were adopted and count the errors to see those that were considered the worst faux pas.
From the ornate lawns of the White House to the glamour of Hollywood, straight to the glitziest of international runways, and the red carpets of Paris, New York and Lagos come some of the worst fashion blunders in 2009. But who should take the blame for some of these fashion mistakes? What were these celebrities and fashionistas thinking? Faux pas can happen to anyone, but what makes fashion victims to be so often completely oblivious to their blunders?
Now take the first gaffe in political style etiquette. In January, in his first public appearances as the US President, President Obama in introducing the first family’s Portuguese water dog, Bo, wore tailored, ready-for-work attire, “suiting up” for the occasion; a dress, suitable only for the Oval Office! That fashion blunder by the world’s most powerful man heralded the first of 2009 fashion faux pas.
Then enters Sarah Palin (remember her?) What was she thinking about with a campaign wardrobe worth a whopping $150,000! And may be we can also all agree that Kanye West is one of the most ridiculous humans on the planet, and so are the shutter shades and blings that he cherishes? Didn’t his many blunders redefined “public etiquette” in 2009?
There were tons of Hollywood celebrity fashion blunders this year. Would these blunders not have been avoided if the celebrities involved simply took the time to browse the free designer evening gown rack themselves instead of sending their publicists or managers? But in the end, what would the Red Carpet event be like if everyone followed the Hollywood fashionable dress code? Pretty boring, to say the least.
The long list of Hollywood fashions disasters reached their peak in 2009. Did you watch the red carpet entrances at this year’s Oscars? Then you saw the astounding number of celebrities that made small to spectacular fashion disasters come to life on the screen.
From Catherine Zeta Jones to Angelina Jolie and Beyonce who made a disastrous famous fashion mistake. What was Beyonce thinking about when she agreed to wear a fitting bridesmaid dress that looked like it was made from a set of living room curtains? Would any blunder have been worse in 2009? What look was Beyoncé going for when she choose this style, sexy or simple? Doesn’t she look like she couldn’t make up her mind?
At the New York Fashion Week, which by far is 2009 most stylish fashion event, Eva Longoria, the Desperate Housewives actress choice of a techncolour coat for the catwalk show was one of the events highlight and an unusual faux pas for the star, who is normally spotted in more fetching items.
Back in Lagos, Nollywood celebrities continue to do the unbelievable! Why should players in the emerging entertainment industry continue to spot dark goggles even at night just like their American counterpart? What were they thinking? Hey guys there are no Paparazzi here. So you need not shield your eyes from those blinding flashes of their lenses.
And Denrele Edun sets the pace for donning the most outrageous fashion items ever seen in this clime in 2009, confounding the most conservative. Who will also forget in hurry, Omawunmi, the new pop sensation who left the audience staring mouth agape as she reached down her-wait- inside of her bra for her speech after she won in a category in this year’s Hip Hop Awards? That gaffe became an instant talking point as the celebrity Faux Pas of the year. What was she also thinking about?
Some of 2009 most egregious blunders arise from improper underwear. If you have left your home in the last one year, you have no doubt witnessed some of the year’s more common missteps in parties, on the streets and in “high society” engagements in Lagos: exposed bra straps; bare, bulging midriffs, thongs jutting out underneath low rise pants, unsightly underwear resulting from sagging mania.
The list is endless. Subtle blunders tend to wreck the grandest outfits and in the most improbable of places, in a restaurant, at a wedding reception, even in church; a stylish woman seating and wearing the chicest dress of the season stands and the fabric of her dress decides to park itself securely in her rear and doesn’t budge even when she gets up to walk.
Perhaps the most ghastly of public indiscretions I have seen in 2009 is the menace of the visible panty line, many women fall prey to this blunder. It was also the year of celebrities’ impersonators. Unless you are a celebrity, isn’t it best to use the looks on the runway for inspiration, rather than imitation? Should one spot a look just because a celebrity is spotting it forgetting that celebs tend to get away with a lot more than the average person?
A lot of overweight women in their attempt to be sexy end up squeezing themselves into clothes that are ill fitting. This was a common sight in 2009. If you are in doubt, check the fashion pages of magazines published this year. I am scandalized at the sight of droopy pants in 2009. If you’re not a gang member, don’t dress like one? It is worse if you are old enough to be a father. The looks you see on the runway are not always meant to be thrown on the streets. Collections that seem ostentatious are sometimes meant to be, in order to get the designer’s vision across. Resolve not to be a fashion victim in 2010.
