BET Awards 09 Fashion Countdown

This past Sunday June 28th BET held its annual Awards Show. Now one of my favorite things about Awards shows, surprisingly is NOT the musical performances but the celebrity fashions. So I have taken the liberty of providing some of my insights and critiques on the best and the worst of this year's fashions. Let's begin the countdown with the T0p 10 BEST & WORST that made me wanna look twice...

10. BEST - Taraji P. Henson



OK so must admit I'm a little torn over Taraji's look at the Awards. On one hand, HUGE fan of all black. It's sleek, its classy, its chic...

HOWEVER, if you're going to do skintight black, you have to make sure all your bases are covered. This dress is a bit unflattering for her midsection and she needs a touch of ice on the neck to really make the whole look POP. Other than that, I LOVED the one-shoulder and the spikey hair gave it some added drama.

9. WORST - Niecy Nash

Did somebody say gold lame?? When I saw this look on Ms. Niecy Nash I almost felt out my chair. First, let me say, when us shapely and curvy girls get dressed, we have to be very careful what materials we let lay across our bodies. Gold lame should never be one of them! This dress is all wrong for her body shape. It is cinched in an awkward position at the front bringing attention to her thighs and midsection. The color is reflecting her flaws instead of accentuating those assets. And Niecy girl, you need to get back to puttin' them flowers in your hair because this is NOT a good look for you.

8. BEST - Keri Hilson

Although this wasn't my absolute fave look of the night, I applaud "Ms.Keri baby" for being daring and taking a fashion risk with this dress. In the end, I think she really pulled off this look. This could easily have ended up on my WORST list. She saved herself by keeping the accessories simple (next to none), and allowing this creative dress in all its color, shape and flair, take the center stage. Good job Keri. I need to find out who the designer is..

7. WORST - Omarosa

Did homegirl get dressed in the dark?? Omarosa, really tho? Where are you going looking like a HOT pink powderpuff?! This dress is way too young for her, way too poofy and way too 80's prom. Who is going to take you seriously wearing something like this. Certainly not Donald Trump sweetie, trust me.

6. BEST - Brother rockin the Lavender

Now I'm not an expert on Men's fashion at all, nor do I know who this brother is, HOWEVER, when I saw this look, I HAD to put him on the countdown. Never have I seen a man rock a lavender blazer so tough. He turned a color that could've been borderline suspect into a well-noted fashion statement. I absolutely LOVE the tailoring on the collar of this blazer. And he paired it with just the right combo to pull it off: white oxford and dark jeans. Props to the young man whose name I still don't know.

5. WORST - Chamillionaire

Again, I'm not an expert on Men's fashion. HOWEVER, I do know the difference between something that fits and something that just don't belong. Is it me, or are the EXTRA BAGGY plain-color tees a thing of the past?? And THEN, he had the nerve to pair them with SKINNY JEANS???? Brother, you're confused. Next time you think of steppin out like this, you need to channel the "Chamillion" within and CHANGE into something more appropriate. Thanks.

4. BEST - Amber Rose

I must say, upon first seeing this look - I was not a fan. Initially, I saw her sitting in the audience next to Kanye and Iasked my friend "Now why is Amber Rose at the Awards in a plain white tee? Not doing enough!". But then, I stumbled upon these full length photos of the couple to realize she was wearing this open-back Alexander Wang minidress. Although it closely resembles a white Tee like I originally assumed it was, there's actually a cool opening at the back that makes it playfully provocative. And she really dressed it up perfectly with the hot pink pumps, clutch, and shades. I will say this though, please don't leave home without some gel pads covering those nips...I saw a bit too much of the full frontal.

3. WORST - Lil' Mama

Lil' Mama, lil' mama, where do I begin? What in the HOT HELL?? Ok so I'm all for the jumpsuits these days. I say, if it looks good on you, do it. And this jumpsuit could've been killer...instead its more like roadkill!! Lil' Mama has fall victim to a true fashion diva's greatest downfall: OVER- ACCESSORIZING! Black patent leather belt with white piping? And a bright red clutch with a crunchy ponytail to top it off. Sweetie, if you don't have a stylist - please get one. Because this is not acceptable. And somebody PLEASE tell her to stop wearing those blond squirrel-tails (can't even call them ponytails anymore cuz ponies look beteer than that) on her head.

2. BEST - Beyonce

So I'm gonna fall in line with everyone else and say that Beyonce's dress was in my top 2 of favorites for the night. Although I love this Balmain piece, I can't say Bey rocked it to its fullest potential. Even the best need some work:

a. Too matchy-matchy. We know the dress has green and purple in it, but you don't need green hoops and purple shoes to play those colors up. The dress is flashy enough in and of itself

b. I know yall like to do things big in Texas, but those earrings need to brought down a notch - all the way down to some elegant diamond studs. They're taking too much attention away from the gorgeous dress.

c. Slick it back! The wavy hair is great on you Bey, but not with this look. A sleek, slick ponytail would've took this look from "cute" to "runway-ready" in 2 seconds flat.

I won't say she ROCKED it, but she definitely pushed it real hard.

1. BEST OF THE NIGHT - Alicia Keys

What else can I say - the girl looked good! From the hair down to the toes, A.Keys stepped out in tip-top shape. Her outfits of the evening, including the sparkly minidress she wore inside when taking home her Humanitarian Award were amazing. The soft mint color and perfect sheer cut of this dress both compliment her tone and give her just enough skin to look sexy yet still classy. And she's truly showing off her worldly side with these beautiful Moroccan-inspired beaded accents. Shoes and bag = no fuss. Just a simple compliment to her already-fab threads. Good style, great hair, great rep as an Ambassador for AIDS Awareness..nothing bad to say about Ms.Keys tonight.

Well, that concludes my fashion countdown for the BET Awards. Above all the fashion, celebrity appearances and performances, it was an amazing night to witness all the love and support for the late and great Michael Jackson. May his soul Rest in Peace. Tune in for a special post about MJ's fashion influence as well as my forecast on how his style will be brought back in heavy rotation for the coming months.

*LoveBrownSugar