Oscar fashion 2012: Yawn

Rooney Mara looked like the girl with the dragon tattoo who cleaned herself up
to walk down the Red Carpet. Perhaps a departure from her film character
would have been more original? (Illustration: Alice X. Zhang)

So the Oscars is supposed to be the Super Bowl of fashion, right? Well, this year there were no touchdowns. In fact, I think it was one of the most boring displays of Oscar fashion ever. Everyone played it safe. And you know what they say: No risk, no glory. 


I certainly don't claim to be a fashion expert. But as a lover of clothes, shoes, jewels and anything beautiful to the eye (give me glitter, shimmer, sparkle, shine!), I appreciate when a woman puts some effort and inspiration into what she wears. 


"Go for the gold!" is what this year's biggest Oscar fashion offenders must have thought when they picked their gowns. See Stacy Keibler's liquid-gold Marchesa dress, for example: 

"I'm not going home with an Oscar," perhaps Miss Keibler thought to herself. "So I might as well look like one." The former WWE wrestler has a sweet, beautiful face and a killer body. I think she would have looked fantastic in this lavender Nina Ricci number:

  



And what about Meryl Streep, who took home the Oscar for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady:

Ugh. It looks like tacky gold drapes from a tacky hotel room in Vegas. Sorry Meryl. I love you, but this Lanvin frock has gotta go. I would have dressed you in this gorgeous, beaded gown from Valentino (but without the see-through sheer aspect):

OK, onto Jessica Chastain. 

There's just too much going on in this Alexander McQueen gown. Yes, I appreciate the hand-embroidery. But somehow, the colors don't look right on Jessica. I think the red-headed actress would have looked fabulous in this shimmery green dress by Elie Saab, don't you?

Now, what's not to love about Sandra Bullock? And her choices in Oscar dresses are usually spot-on. But this year, I'm sorry to say that everything about her Marchesa gown was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Ill-fitting and too boxy on top. And again, what's up with the Caesar's Palace gold leafing? Yuck. Sandra, let's try something like this next year (from the Giorgio Armani Spring 2012 collection):

Emma Stone went from up-and-coming starlet to full-force fashionista. But I'm not convinced she lived up to her reputation in this Giambattista Valli creation:

The deep red color is gorgeous. But that bow! The bow is wearing her. She looks like a Christmas present. My pick? This beautiful mustard-yellow gown by Elie Saab:

You probably didn't see Miley Cyrus' red carpet entrance. And for good reason:

The girl is only 19, yet this Roberto Cavalli dress makes her look matronly. Perhaps the Disney darling was hoping to channel an Old Hollywood vibe. But unfortunately, she just looks old. The color is drab and the embroidery looks like cheesy applique. A woman on the verge of her 20s should have more fun at the Oscars (Gucci Spring 2012, for example):

Speaking of having fun, I usually can't wait to see what Zoe Saldana wears to any awards function. She's gorgeous, smart and fierce. This Oscar choice (Marios Schwab), however, was anything but gorgeous, smart or fierce:

The dress is just weird. It wants to be a gown, but had second thoughts and decided to be a shift. And the Swarovski accents on her hips look like claws coming out of her pockets. I would have much preferred this Oscar at the Oscars (Oscar de la Renta Spring 2012 collection):

And lastly, Berenice Bejo. I absolutely hated this sea-foam green beaded dress by Elie Saab:

That color is awful and it makes her skin look orange. Like she got a fake tan right before walking the red carpet. Perhaps this Vera Wang would do the trick and make her look like the Oscar-nominee that she is.

Here are some more gorgeous fashion-forward dresses from the Spring 2012 collections. I would have loved to see some of these daring dresses on the red carpet:


Zuhair Murad

Dior

Jason Wu

Marchesa

And finally, Versace

Ladies, next year let's hit a home run. Inspire us, embolden us, and encourage us to take risks. We may not be on the red carpet or catwalk anytime soon, but we sure can find our inner fashionista and strut like one!
   

Photoshop, meet Adele

"Though she's not conventionally pretty, she still IS beautiful," the
critics say about Adele. In 2012, what counts as conventionally
pretty? Or is that just a euphemism for "thin?" 

I love the March issue of Vogue and then I hate the March issue of Vogue. Let's start with the love: kudos to Vogue's staff for FINALLY putting Adele front and center. It's about time this unbelievably ballsy and talented broad graced the cover. And FINALLY it's not a waify, rail-thin model or actress or musician. Or model-actress-musician.

OK, now for the hate (I'm sorry): why all the Photoshop? I mean, we all know covers (especially at fashion mags) call for copious amounts of airbrushing. But this time, really? (It's an infraction in the same league as that infamous W cover featuring a very Photoshopped "What happened to her thigh?" Demi Moore.)

Adele is gorgeous. She didn't need all that shading, contouring, brightening and sculpting. This cover makes her look too digital, too fake, too perfect.

But what annoyed me more is the inside spread. All the photos (well, all but one) were close-up shots of Adele's face. How come no full-body shots? (The only full shot was the one below, and it really only reveals Adele's face and arms.)

Is Vogue afraid of curves?

Why does every other cover subject (from Angelina Jolie to Natalie Portman to Penelope Cruz) get to parade around half-naked and show off their bodies? Yet Adele-- who doesn't have the stereotypical "perfect body" (read: skinny)-- has only face shots? To me, Vogue is sending a message that the songbird isn't thin enough to showcase her body.

And why did Adele get only four photos in her spread? When Natalie got six (Jan 2001), Lady Gaga got eight (March 2011), and Kate Moss got 11 (Sept 2011)?

It makes you wonder.

This is what I want to see: more women of all shapes and sizes, less Photoshop and more flesh. For God's sake, we women already have serious body image issues, can't we forgive ourselves a bit and celebrate our luscious hips, generous thighs and even a little bit of back fat every once in a while?

Dear Vogue Editors: Next time, let's see Adele in a skin-tight Narcisco Rodriguez dress and some killer Jimmy Choo stilettos. Let's see a normal woman wearing haute couture. A little more real world in the fashion world, please. 
     

Today's front page

I had my morning latte and saw this on the front page of today's OC Register.

Here's the Op-Ed I wrote for today's Orange County Register.

Why is Jeremy Lin Important? She Explains
By JENNIFER CHO SALAFF / FOR THE REGISTER

ANAHEIM – Like much of America, I've been swept up in Linsanity.

Ever since NBA phenom Jeremy Lin burst into the national consciousness a few weeks ago, I haven't been able to stop talking about his unbelievable, meteoric rise. Everything he's done on the court – that thrilling, last-second three-pointer he sank when the Knicks played the Toronto Raptors; the huge numbers he put on the Lakers; all the other great shots and great passes and defense – it's all made me utterly proud to be an overachieving, Ivy League, Asian American Christian – just like Jeremy Lin.

It's bordering on obsession. In fact, I think I'm going Linsane.And this coming from a girly girl who never talks about sports – ever.

Jeremy Lin's story resonates deeply with so many of us, on so many levels. It's the story of the American Dream. It's the "If you work hard, you'll achieve great things" story.

And although Lin seems like an overnight success, his journey is the result of perseverance, humility and great faith. His triumph is erasing a history of being overlooked and proving the naysayers wrong.

Who doesn't want to identify with that?

I love that Jeremy Lin's success is turning people's worlds upside down. He's shattering stereotypes and proving to the world that we (and by "we" I mean those overachieving, Ivy League, Asian American Christian types mentioned above) are more than "Asian Whiz Kids," computer geeks or aspiring brain surgeons.

And now, with Lin on our radar, my Asian American brothers can tell American pop culture, which has historically portrayed Asian males as awkward, unathletic and never the leading man, where to stuff it. Take that, Hollywood!

For the next generation of Asian Americans, the sky's now the limit. It's the first time kids from Koreatown in L.A. to New York's Chinatown can tell their parents, "When I grow up, I want to be a basketball star – like Jeremy Lin!"

In fact, as a child, I wish I had a Jeremy Lin to look up to.

As a product of a Tiger Mom (and a Tiger Dad, for that matter), my parents always reinforced the belief that "You can be anything you want when you grow up." But of course what they really meant was: "You can be anything – as long as it's a doctor, lawyer or engineer."

As first-generation Korean immigrants, my folks aren't at fault for this perspective. For them, there was no Jeremy Lin folklore to share with their children. The only success stories coming out of their communities at the time were in the fields of academia, medicine, engineering and, later, law and business. Becoming a professional athlete (let alone an NBA superstar) was not only improbable, but impossible.

But with Lin's Cinderella story ("Linderella?" Sure, why not), even the seemingly impossible becomes possible. "God works in mysterious and miraculous ways," Lin told reporters following his breakout performance against the Utah Jazz – the game that started all this Linsanity.

Perhaps the most inspiring thing about Jeremy Lin is his faith.

It's not the Bible-bashing, hit-'em-over-the-head, fire and brimstone kind of fervor so often assigned to American Christians. His faith is quieter but deeper and more reflective.

And, at the heart of it, it's humble.

"Thankful to God for the opportunity to be a New York Knick!" Lin wrote in a Facebook post on Dec. 27, before he became a household name. In a culture where ballers are known for their bravado on and off the court, Lin's posture of humility is a breath of fresh air.

I mean, who in the NBA posts Scripture on their Facebook page (Psalm 46:10 – "He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'") or wears his heart so readily on his sleeve ("This team is so unselfish and has so much heart. Love playing with them!")?

Lin's response to stardom has been amazing too. Everyone has an opinion about him, and he's under intense pressure to keep winning. Yet he's handled it all with grace and a lot of class.

His rise has exposed some ugliness in our culture, in a smattering of offensive remarks and racial stereotyping. From sports writer Jason Whitlock's crass remarks on Twitter and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. claiming all "the hype is because he's Asian," to the most recent transgression – ESPN's racist, post-Knicks loss headline, "Chink in the Armor."

"They've apologized and so, from my end, I don't care anymore," Lin told reporters about the tasteless headline a couple of days after it ran online. "You have to learn to forgive. And I don't even think that was intentional."

Expecting the unexpected – that's what we've come to love about the Jeremy Lin story. Asian American man in professional sports, Harvard grad in the NBA, cut from two teams, then, finally, picked up by the storied New York Knicks only to be parked at the end of the bench until two and a half weeks ago. Then Lin's rise and his status as international sensation – seven straight wins and the victories keep coming.

And to watch him play? What a thing of beauty. To see someone doing what he loves, being excellent at it, overcoming the odds, never giving up, keeping the faith, living out his dream, and inspiring each one of us to do the same – this is what it's all about. This is why Linsanity matters. This is why Jeremy Lin has captured our imagination.

Whether he's Linning, makes you wanna be All Lin (yup, I'm going there), or leaves you Linspired (sorry ... sort of), one thing is certain:

Jeremy Lin is not only changing America, he's changing the world.

Jennifer Cho Salaff is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Anaheim. She's suddenly interested in all things NBA, thanks to Jeremy Lin. You can check out her blog at jenniferchosalaff.blogspot.com.

(Photos by Ana P. Gutierrez, for The Orange County Register)

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/lin-341240-jeremy-asian.html

It's a cheesy shot, I know. But Linsanity kinda
makes you act, well, a little crazy.
(Photo: Ana P. Gutierrez, OC Register)

Linsanity!

Like much of America, I’ve been swept up in Linsanity the past week. Ever since NBA phenom Jeremy Lin burst into the national consciousness, I can’t stop talking about his unbelievable meteoric rise; that thrilling, last-second three-pointer he sank when the Knicks played the Toronto Raptors (this coming from a girly girl who NEVER talks about sports, EVER); and how utterly proud I am to be an over-achieving Ivy League/Asian-American/Christian—-just like Jeremy Lin. It’s bordering on obsession. In fact, I think I’m going Linsane.

Jeremy Lin’s story resonates deeply with so many of us, on so many levels. His is the underdog story. It’s the story of the American Dream. It’s the “if you work hard you’ll achieve great things” story. And although he seems like an overnight success, Lin’s journey is the result of perseverance, humility, and great faith. His triumph is erasing a history of being overlooked and proving the nay-sayers wrong. And who doesn’t want to identify with that?  

I love that Jeremy Lin’s success is turning people’s worlds upside down. He’s shattering stereotypes and proving to the world that we (and by “we” I mean those over-achieving Ivy League Asian-American Christian types mentioned above) are more than “Asian Whiz Kids,” computer geeks, or aspiring brain surgeons. For the first time, Asian-American kids can tell their parents, “When I grow up, I want to be a basketball star—-like Jeremy Lin!” And now, my Asian-American brothers can give a big middle finger to American pop culture, which has traditionally portrayed Asian males as awkward, unathletic, and never the leading man (take that, Hollywood!).

Perhaps the most inspiring thing about Jeremy Lin is his faith. It’s not the Bible-bashing, hit-‘em-over-the-head, fire and brimstone kind of fervor that is typically assigned to American Christians. His faith is quieter but deeper, more reflective, and at the heart of it, humble. “Thankful to God for the opportunity to be a New York Knick!!” Lin writes in a December 27 Facebook post. In a culture where “ballers” are known for their bravado on and off the court, Lin’s posture of humility is a breath of fresh air.

I mean, who in the NBA posts Scripture on their Facebook page (Psalm 46:10 – “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’”) or wears his heart on his sleeve (“…This team is so unselfish and has so much heart. Love playing with them!”)?

Whether he’s Linning, makes you wanna be All Lin, or leaves you Linspired (sorry, had to go there), one thing’s for sure: Jeremy Lin is not only changing America, he’s changing the world.

*An extended version of this article appears in the February 21 online edition of The Orange County Register (and in the February 22 print edition).

Check it out at http://www.ocregister.com/articles/lin-341240-jeremy-asian.html

2

We had a fun-filled birthday weekend for the Little Princess. A perfect sunny morning at the park, then lunch at Porto's Bakery and Cafe. The next day, both kids made new friends at Build-a-Bear, followed by rides and sugary sweets at Disneyland. 


I think Little Miss enjoyed the festivities. And she's every bit the wonder-filled two-year-old now.