TVB 48th Anniversary Awards: Red Carpet Fashion Critique

Another anniversary awards season has come to an end, and while the winners were all very deserving and satisfying, the fashion left much to be desired… We throw in all the comments, quips, and sarcastic remarks we have regarding the fashion at this year’s awards show.

Iris: As the obvious TV King and Queen of the night, Roger and Charmaine were dressed to make an impression. Charmaine looked like she had stolen something straight from Ingrid, the Snow Queen’s closet from “Once Upon a Time.” From the shoulders down it looks okay, but the collar looks like it's eating Char's neck and going for her head. 

Roger looked so confident he was going to win, he ditched a tie for a crown ornament. The children on his jacket, which are supposed to represent his son and daughter, are sweet and meaningful. However, had I seen him in person, I'm pretty sure I would've been left blinded by all the white. "MY EYES!"

Niki: Every time I look at Charmaine’s picture I have trouble seeing her as a whole person simply because that collar is so distracting. Her head seems to just be floating in mid air and then an inch down is the rest of her body. The only thing I really like about this dress is the sheer waist that managed to hug her curves and prevented her from looking like a complete stick.

As for Roger, I think he looks quite dashing in the all white outfit, but Iris is right, had I seen him in person I probably would've had to put on sunglasses. The details on his jacket is definitely a sweet sentiment and I’m sure his kids would love it when they see their dad accepting his award with them in mind. I actually love his crown ornament in the pictures he took without his jacket. It gave the eyes something to focus on in an all white ensemble and it’s definitely a fun accessory piece. However, with the jacket on it felt like there was too much going on. No matter how you look at it, these two definitely took the spotlight in this year’s award show.

Iris: These two look strange standing next to each other in their vastly contrasting looks. Linda's simple updo hairstyle and gold headband and earrings are perfect. Her hair, makeup, and accessories make her look absolutely gorgeous, but I'm indifferent to the dress. A bit too princessy to me, but I'm glad Linda isn't trying to pull anything too weird anymore (Remember this disaster?)

Despite the full cameo... This is the least weird and eye-opening look I've seen from Bosco at an awards show in a while.

Niki: I think I’ll call this one “The Princess and her Bodyguard”. Does it not look like it?
I also think that Linda did an amazing job choosing her accessories and makeup. It was a simple but elegant look, which fits her perfectly. I don’t have anything to say about her dress, except for the fact that she looked like she was performing in a ballet more than attending an award show.
Even though I’ve only seen a couple of award show pictures, I can tell that this was a safe outfit for Bosco.

Iris: Plaid, plaid, and...yep, more plaid. And somewhere under all that plaid is Him. At the least, he is clearly shown to be wearing a jacket and not looking like a Scottish red bird like Ron last year.

I'm a bit surprised by Kate this year... The whole look is so simplistic. The dress is boring and basic, but I guess she wasn't trying to get attention this year. Glad she has stopped slicking her hair back though. The updo and jewelry are still nice.

Niki: My eyes actually dilated when I first saw Him’s outfit. It was so glaring that I didn’t even see who it was at first, all I saw was a patch of plaid. If I stare at it long enough I’m sure I’ll manage to somehow hypnotize myself. (I could go on, but I’ll stop here)

Kate kept it very simple and safe this year, which isn’t an entirely bad thing. While the dress is on the boring side, I do like her choice of jewelry.

Iris: Leave it to Kristal to go for the edgier look. I like the contrasting black and white and train of the dress, but don't dig the leggings/pants underneath. It's just too much for me, but I love how she's not afraid to be more bold and different.

Niki: Kristal really rocks this punk and edgy style, she definitely gets points for thinking outside the box. From the waist up I wouldn’t change a thing, but the sudden cut out in the front is awkward at best.

Iris: I didn't get as good of a look while watching the anniversary awards, and thought Eliza's dress looked quite nice. But when looking at actual pictures, the print of the dress looks like she took her comforter to a designer's office to have converted into a dress. I'm not sure if the comforter look or her usual prom look is better.

Niki: Iris basically stole what I was going to say. From the pictures I’ve seen from her it looks like she’s either dressed for prom or she’s drowning in her dress (sometimes a mixture of both). The material also seems to be on the thicker side, coupled with the ballgown cut it only adds more weight to her small frame.

Niki: Vincent looks so warm and cozy in his navy trench coat that I can’t help but love it. He carried this look well, considering it could’ve ended up making him look skinny and bean pole-ish given his height. Even though I can’t say that it’s a vintage look, something about it does remind me of the 1950’s.
Josie looked like she was dressed to go to the club instead of an award show. Her makeup was too dark and heavy and the dress is a bit too short for this occasion.

Iris: I agree with Niki on both counts. Vincent pulls off the trench coat, making it a nice change from the classic suits and outrageous outfits the men usually go with. Meanwhile, Josie just looks totally inappropriate for an awards show.

Niki: If you look really closely this is a very nice dress, but sadly on Natalie it blends a little too well with her skin tone making difficult to see the dress’ details. The other unfortunate issue is that the vertical patterns on the dress makes Natalie look even skinnier than she already is.

Iris: The gold color should have been either a darker or bolder color, but instead makes Natalie look washed out. The dress indeed has nice detailing, but does not do anything to accentuate her very thin figure.

Niki: Nancy looks sharp and fierce this year in her shiny silver dress. My favorite part of her look has to be how the tiny silver plates reflect the light. The deep slits on the side create a sexy feel without being too revealing and black belt cinches her waist nicely and prevented the dress from looking too baggy. The coral lipstick was also a nice makeup choice as it was a refreshing look and it gave her a splash of color that highlighted her face very well.

I think a suede suit, particularly in this purple/blue combination, would bug me if it was on anyone else besides Raymond, but somehow he makes it work. To me, he’s very charming and adorkable, as always, with this clean cut look.

Iris: Nancy definitely looked sharp in this dress and was able to show some skin without going overboard. After seeing her sport an eye-popping orange dress earlier, it's nice to see her exhibit some boldness in a different way. With the coral lipstick, this is a relatively simple but eyecatching look. As usual, Raymond goes the more dorky but still cute route. I agree I probably would not like suede on another guy, but he has a way of pulling it off.

Iris: "My name is Tony, I am zhe French paint-uh" is basically what he's saying with this get up. I'm going to guess Priscilla laughed at him for about 5 minutes straight when she first saw him. Not a good look for Tony... but I guess with his shaved head and mustache right now (for the filming of "Cheung Po Jai"), avoiding looking silly would be hard. Priscilla's dress looks more flattering from the side and back than the front, but overall the dress isn't too bad and quite sweet looking while her side swept hair is a nice and attractive change. Still, these two and their playful friendship never fail to make me smile.

Niki: Maybe he recognized that there was no getting away from looking ridiculous with that mustache and haircut so he decided to go with it ;D. Priscilla looked clean and sweet in her dress and I quite like her hair pulled to the side this way. Not to mention that this has got to be my favorite picture out of all of them, these two are just too adorable together (in a completely platonic way of course).

Iris: Tavia always plays it safe, and this year was not an exception. However, it is an improvement as the dress hugs her curves to give her a more flattering figure. Her dresses and overall looks are always on the mature side though. While I don't want her to go all prom queen on me, I would like her to try something more youthful. As for Ruco, I just hope his hair grows back soon. Hats can be appropriate for awards shows, but this was playing it too casual. And for the nth time, I wish he wouldn't wear those dorky glasses to hide his handsome face.

Niki: The lace details on Tavia’s dress is just amazing and she’s definitely benefiting from the silhouette of the dress. Even though it does make her look more mature, I would say that this is one of the times where she does look more youthful because the dress played with her curves so well. I agree, Ruco’s look was a bit too casual this year. I think that was mainly because of the beanie, if it had been any other hat then it wouldn’t have been as bad.

Iris: Sharon, I'm happy that you got married this year, but please stop wearing wedding-inspired dresses to award shows and events. Every dress she has worn since becoming a Mrs. has screamed that she's still in the wedding mood. At the least, the influence is not as seen here as it was for the gala and Starhub Awards. High low dresses can be fun and different, but for Sharon, it's gotten boring. Sammy is a pretty good looking guy, but kind of looks like a grandpa here, mostly due to the jacket

Niki: Getting married is a wonderful thing, wanting to share your happiness is also great, but after a while it just feels like you’re rubbing it in the faces of single people. Sharon, you look nice, but stop it. Sammy’s look may not be the most stylish, but I actually think it’s kind of cute, in a dorky hipster kind of way.

Iris: I like the lilac color of Mandy's dress, but with its simplistic cutting, there's nothing to go "wow" about. It looks like Oscar decided to compensate for Mandy because there is a bit too much going on in that suit.

Niki: I think Mandy’s dress would’ve been more flattering if the waistline had been just a little bit lower, but the color does look very nice on her and the overall look as a romantic feel to it. The prints on Oscar’s suit reminds me of the decorations in the castle in “Beauty and the Beast”. It’s outfits like these that make me wonder whether I should blame the designer or the buyer more.

Iris: The silk duo? Ben is able to mostly pull it off (still too creme-colored looking for me though) since he paired it with black pants, but Maggie's black silk shirt and pants made it look like she was wearing her pajamas. Throwing on the fur coat and vintage hairstyle just made the look more strange.

Niki: “The silk duo”, just what I was going to say. The black pants definitely helped Ben’s look, but I just personally cannot stand the creme-colored jacket. The vintage hairstyle complemented Maggie just fine, it looks great on her actually. I think she had the potential to look amazing if she had chosen something different to wear. The high-waisted crinkly black pants were horrible and the fur coat is just confusing to me.

Iris: I think this kind of top style is sweet and a nice change from the usual sleeveless, but Becky's dress would have worked a lot better with a scoop neckline or at least a regular v-neckline instead of this widely spread apart one. Her hair doesn't look bad either but the clip makes her look a little more childish.

Niki: I think this look is nice and sweet, but it’s also a little bit promy, maybe because of the baby pink color and hair clip.

Iris: Leanne needs to stop wearing lingerie to fancy events. Okay, she's not actually wearing lingerie, but the silk and lace combo sure makes it look like it. While this is a lot more subtle than the shocking dress she wore to last year's gala that left little to the imagination, she should try something else. The cutout below her chest bothers me, and she would have benefited from a silver necklace to match her bracelet.

Niki: Unlike some of the other ladies she should try a thicker fabric next time. I do, however, like the lace details on the side of the dress (maybe I’m just a lace person).

Iris: "And for the first day of Christmas, I want Louisa So..." Wait, what? The print of the dress as well as the design makes Louisa look like a wrapped up Christmas present. Nothing much is wrong with Wayne's simple black suit, but his hair kind of makes me laugh.

Niki: Not only does the dress look like Christmas wrapping paper, but the pattern makes it look like those old fashioned ones. It also made Louisa look bulkier than necessary with the huge pleat on the front. As for Wayne, he looks sleek in his suit and the mini bow tie was a cute touch. But I’m more amused by his expression than anything else.

Iris: Although Louis sometimes likes more trendy and flamboyant clothes, I'm glad he decided to choose something more classic, and he looks very dapper. Not too simple but not too busy. Samantha always seems to wear a variation of the same deep v-neck dress so this rose-printed strapless one is more modest and actually quite refreshing and flows nicely.

Niki: Can I give Louis the “If looks could kill” award? haha. Louis is probably the best dressed out of all the guys. His look is clean, sharp, and classic without being too simple. Samantha was the only one to pull off a vintage-inspired look this year. Her rose-printed dress gives off a romantic yet fun feel. She made a wise choice to balanced her bold makeup and dress out with the neutral silver necklace.

Niki: Lin Xia Wei had one of my favorite looks this year. The nude underlining highlighted the black lace and tulle, creating a contrast that helped her dress pop, even with the usually neutral colors. The top is well structured, complementing her figure and is intricately adorned with black lace while the bottom transitioned into a softer look. It was one of the few ball gowns that didn’t totally engulf its wearer. Matt’s blue suede suit with leather lining doesn’t look completely horrible on him, but it’s just too much.

Iris: The lace-adorned top of Lin Xia Wei's dress is actually very pretty while still classy and flatters her figure. It's a quite elegant look and despite the neutral colors, she does not look washed out. The suede suit does nothing to help Matt's handsome looks.

Iris: Pastel colors galore! I love the lilac color even more than Mandy's dress and the top part is very pretty, but the train just seems too exaggerated and...fluffy. Pal's pairing of a light yellow jacket and baby blue slacks with sneakers is just wrong in so many ways.

Niki: This is one of those statement dresses that you can’t miss, even from a mile away. Oceane figure looks amazing in this and who knew lilac would be such a complementary color. The only thing I’m wondering is how she was able to walk in that dress. I think Pal went the silly and fun route with his outfit. The only thing I have to say is, it could be a lot worse.

Fashion Awards

Best Dressed
Male: Louis Cheung

Iris: The guy can really pull off a suit. Louis just looks so dashing and was the one guy who hit the right note of simple and classic.

Niki: Simple and classic is the way to go boys. Louis proved that you don’t need wacky gimmicks to stand out from the crowd.

Female: Nancy Wu

Iris: There's not one that I really love, but if I had to choose one I'd pick Nancy. Her look is relatively simple yet so eye catching. However, Linda gets my pick for best hair, make-up, and accessorizing.

Niki: Nancy’s look was bold and sexy, yet it still maintained that classy aura.

Honorable Mentions

Male: Vincent Wong

Iris: Vincent's trench coat was a pretty refreshing choice.

Niki: Vincent managed to make a difficult article of clothing work and achieved a look that’s both stylish and comfy. (I kinda want to borrow his coat, but I would drown in it.)

Female: Samantha Ko, Kristal Tin, Lin Xia Wei

Iris: There are many I quite liked.I really like Samantha's slightly vintage rose-print dress, which shows her figure without going overboard. Kristal's edgy ensemble is another great one if it weren't for the leggings underneath. Lin Xia Wei's was also full of intricate details.

Niki: I love the romantic and vintage feel of Samantha’s dress as well as her bold choice of make-up. Kristal can pull off some of the wildest and daring looks, so I have to give her credit for that. Lin Xia Wei’s dress matches my personal preference the most, which is why it’s one of my favorites. But it was also a pretty typical style of dress and didn’t make as big of an impression as Nancy’s look.

Worst Dressed

Male: Him Law

Too. Much. Plaid. And he almost hypnotized my partner Niki here. I love Tony but he is another bad one, but at the least he's given me a new thing to poke fun at. Oui oui?

Niki: How did Him decide that layering one of the most jarring patterns in the history of mankind was a good idea...My poor eyes...

Female: Josie Ho

Iris: Josie's look was just completely inappropriate for an awards show. She went way overboard with the make up and like Niki said, she really did seem like she was about to go hit a club.

Niki: Perhaps Josie was going for an edgier look, but she just came on a little too strong in the end.