At first I classified this as a scrolldown, but then once I got there, I found myself heading back north with some questions as well.
The empire waist crowds the giant bow neckline a little, and makes the below-the-knee hem feel like an ETERNITY away. Maybe if the seam hit at her natural waist, it’d seem more graceful, or if — yes, you totally know what I’m about to say; I should just program it to F6 on my keyboard — she shortened it, maybe to the knee or even perhaps a bit more mini. But what threw me first, and still weighs me down, are the giant, chunky wooden platform heels (they are not wedges; couldn’t find a great angle on them), like she strapped her feet to some of those hand-carved blocks that people like to bang on while they dance around a campfire, or in toddler music class. And something about the ensemble feels marooned from an abandoned, glammed-up production of Annie, in which the orphans help run a vintage store. It’s not practical for that, either, though — you can’t walk all the way uptown to Daddy Warbucks’ mansion in those suckers without some serious gangrenous blisters forming. Pepper would never.
In sum, there is a hole in this bucket, dear Fug Nationals, dear Fug Nationals. How would you fix it?
Comments (50):
As long as that is NOT MACRAME– which is an important first question– skip the bow entirely, shorten it to the knee, swap out the bag and shoes for something nude and strappy (shoes) and thinner (clutch)
On full-size view, the dress looks like a jillion tiny sequins. So how could something that sparkly be that depressing?
Now that I realize they’re sequins — http://www.justjaredjr.com/2012/07/17/hailee-steinfeld-the-dark-knight-rises-premiere/– the black is all right. Just de-clunkify both the bag and the shoes.
Agreed. Cute dress, fun on her, but lose the foot bricks. Please.
Is there a Cash For Clunkers buyback program for those clodhoppers she’s wearing?
I usually like the longer lengths that GFY wants to shorten, but in this case, I have to agree. The long skirt, plus the high neckline, plus the big bow, plus the little floral print plus the empire waist = kinda dowdy. It’s just too much old-fashioned influence at once. I say pull down the waistline to her waist, keep the bow, make it just above knee length and less clunky shoes.
Turn the dress into a top, pair with a pencil skirt and less clod-hopper shoes.
Yes.
Change the shoes, and add a natural waist with a belt or sash.
But overall, I would take this over Momsen/Lohan/Cyrus teenagehood ANYDAY.
Well, I would resign the shoes to the woodpile. We’ll burn them for heat in the winter. As for the dress, I have some kind of innate hatred of dresses that hit at that exact spot somewhere in the wasteland (pun!) between what I thought was empire and the natural waist. I always thought an empire waist hit directly under boob. So, I would definitely adjust the waist downward. Ditch the bow and in fact, renovate the entire neckline situation. It’s too high, too confining. It’s crowding her arms. So, maybe more a sundress, straps kind of a deal up top? Not thin straps–ones that are at least an inch-thick that go straight down to a straight-across bodice.
All these changes except I vote for a U-shaped bodice. And I also HATE these wasteland waistbands.
Me three.
And burn all the neckbows with fire.
I cant believe Im about to say this but:
Make it a strapless mini. Burn the shoes for warmth.
For some reason this feels almost like a Depression-era housedress to me, and even the shoes play into it in a way. I like the effect, to a degree, but with sequins, and on this young thing, it seems weird.
The shoes are pretty on-trend, however much Fug Nation hates them, but I think I’d like to lose the bow, open up the neckline just a little, and throw that mumsy purse far, far from her. I’m personally not a fan of those curtainy florals, either, but other people like them, so whatever. I don’t mind the raised waistline or the longer length, though.
just ‘cuz they’re on the trend, doesn’t mean anyone should wear them! lol
Only think about some of the OTHER on-trend items she could be wearing instead! You have to get it out of your system somehow, and I think if you’re under twenty you should get a free pass as long as none of your trend items reveal your bathing suit area.
tThis is definitely a depression-era housedress.
How about shortening the dress way way above the knees, make it a natural waist, move the bow down to the waist and place it in front on the side. I love bows and sequins. This definitely needs different shoes.
Ditch the bow, give it a scoop or sweetheart neckline and cuter shoes.
Shorten the hem, lose the shoe, lower the waist, add a belt… then I might be able to live with the neck bow.
Geez – I can’t find anything redeemable in this ensemble. From shoes to hair and everything in between – just plain FUG.
I think all this needs is a shorter hemline – anywhere between mid-thigh and the knee. And I know this will be unpopular, but I even like the ugly shoes. If the dress were shorter, they would look cute and young (not unlike Hailee herself).
I… think she looks cute? Yeah, the shoes are clunky, but she’s 15, so I give her a pass for wearing something so trendy despite the fact that they’re not flattering.
I only like the colors in the dress. I say start again, with these colors and a new dress.
I would take the material — because the pattern is cool and the colors are pretty on her — to a good seamstress and have her start from scratch. Length, cut, fit, neck bow…it’s all a big case of NO to me. She just needs to start over.
She also needs to burn the shoes.
No bow, an above-the-knee hem, a scoop neck, a lower waist, and set the shoes on fire.
Yes Kara, and maybe turn it into a shift dress and add pewter or silver sparkly sandals?
I like the shoes! Maybe with jeans? She could pull off really nice jeans at a premiere with more formal top. She’s 16! And adorable. We should all go through our teens looking so good.
scrap the entire thing and take her shopping!
Damn! Girlfriend mugged Ma Walton and ran off with her best summer frock.
I kind of love the bow on her, and like the sparkly colors, but would definitely set that seam at her natural waist, and shorten the hem to just above the knee. Different shoes, obvi… I’m fine with the black, but maybe a lightweight, patent-leather sling-back peep-toe.
No unfugging needs to be done to a muumuu rejected by Mrs. Roper and a pair of orthopedic sandals. Burn th whole shebang and send her shopping.
Shorten the hemline and trash those God awful hideous shoes she’s wearing.
cut the dress alittle above the knees and get some cute blue and pink sandals
Are the kids doing nineties retro now?
Because that’s a nineties granny dress, with nineties clunky shoes. And no, no amount of unfugging can save nineties grunge fashion.
I’d let her change into something equally attractive and comfortable- like a latex snuggie.
When I first saw it, I though, “That gal got a D in Home Economics based on that ill fitted sack of a dress”.
Make the divine sequin material into a nice jacket and pencil skirt suit, with strappy (thin straps) sandals to show off her cute pedicure. Keep the hair and makeup.
Yes! I vote this!
Though, she’s a little young for the jacket…but if it were a bit on the cropped side…I’m on board!
This is a rather unwholesome comment about a very adorable girl…but the choice of her clutch and it’s placement in the photo makes it look like she’s holding a 3-D extension of one of the Dark Knight’s body parts.
Bwah-ha-ha! Didn’t notice it at first and now it’s all I can see.
Lose the bow, add a belt, shorten to knee-length and change the shoes.
Runway != real life. Lop an inch off the bottom of the shoes and it wouldn’t be that bad, though.
http://www.tomandlorenzo.com/2012/07/hailee-steinfeld-in-marc-jacobs.html
Lock her in the closet until the Save-Hailee-Steinfeld’s career units arrive with new clothes.
I’m actually fine with the heels. It has a 70s vibe to it that goes well with the color palette of her dress. I’m questioning the length of the dress though. With those heels and that dress as a mini or at least cut above the knee, the outfit would have been perfect!
Oh and a more fun bag.
Shoes are vile.
Cut it short to just above the knee and wear different shoes with it. Maybe a thin belt?
The shoes and bag. They’re from the Goodwill and aren’t remotely connected to the dress.
This is all hideous !!
If Hailee and Marion Cotillard were to swap outfits, both would be perfect!
Shorten it to the knee, lose the bow and clunky shoes (replace with a bright pump, preferably, in a contrasting but still complementary color), and lose the middle part (hair up still ok).
So imagine we had to unfug it in an emergency like MacGyver with just what we’ve got in front of us. MacGyver would fold the skirt up a notch at the waist and turn the neckbow into a belt to hide the fold and lower the waist, then he’d use something from her bag, or perhaps the sharp bits of the batman stand behind, to prise off the chunky soles so they’re just sandals that hopefully nobody will notice (they look pretty shoddy; I’ll bet they’d come apart without much of a fight). He’d chuck the bag, and voila, hands-free she’s now ready to pick up a glass of champagne and a canapé.