Taylor Swift at the 2012 ARIA Awards.
Photo: Getty
Oh, what's a pop star to do? You're going to an awards show, and not only do you have to pick out a killer gown for the red carpet, but you ALSO have to come up with an amazing on stage look! So many outfits, so little time. While we sometimes wish we had reason for multiple costume changes throughout the day, it IS a delicate balance that must be struck when choosing one's looks for a show. At Australia's ARIA awards, two of our favorite ladies both on stage and on the carpet showed us how it's done with their looks. Taylor Swift took to the carpet in a stunning floor-length Ellie Saab gown. The dress, which featured a fitted bodice with a slightly-more-va-va-voom bustline than we're used to seeing on Taylor, had sheer panels along the sides and back. It's part Grecian goddess, part bridal, and part princess--just the right amount of grown up and youthful for our girl Tay. She kept her beauty look simple and elegant, her hair swept into a low bun, pink lips, and a smoky eye. The gown covers them, but beneath those cascading folds of fabric she was also wearing Jimmy Choo heels.
For her performance of "I Knew You Were Trouble," Taylor switched things up dramatically, eschewing her modern Cinderella look for a red varsity jacket, black tap shorts, a striped shirt and some floral brogues. It's similar to her "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" look from this year's VMA's, but taken up a notch. Not only was the outfit super cute, but the shorts and flats were a practical choice for all of the choreography required of the upbeat, dubstep-heavy tune. Did we mention that tap shorts make Taylor's already miles long legs look EVEN LONGER? Tips and tricks. She finished off the retro-nodding collegiate look with a ponytail, but with a little twist. Unlike your typical cheerleader topper, Taylor's hair was styled into a low beehive before being pulled back into a pony, adding a super cute 60's flair to the whole look. We're taking notes.
Kimbra at the 2012 ARIA Awards.
Photo: Getty
Kimbra, meanwhile, chose two outrageous, but, we think, complementary looks to take her from the red carpet to the stage. With her black bob loose and relaxed, she took to the carpet in a BONKERS, ultra-directional cocktail dress, featuring some seriously statement shoulders, a photographic print (are those flamingos?), and Hawaiian punch red feather skirt. She manages to avoid making the challenging dress seem TOO costume-y with cute, on-trend metallic cap toe pumps, a structured clutch, and a classic red lip. The dress was designed by Sydney designer Anna Langdon, who provided some close up sneaks of the dress via her Facebook page yesterday. And yes, those ARE DEFINITELY flamingos. Amazing.
Her on stage look maintained some continuity from the carpet, replacing the red feather skirt with an enormous puff of brilliant red tulle, and the photo-realistic bodice with a bodysuit positively dripping with sequins. Depicting a graphic, smiling face, with big blue eyes on each shoulder, the sequin work is positively breathtaking. Our favorite part of the dress is totally bizarre and awesome: sewn on sequined gloves, extending from her hands up past her elbows. We love the idea of taking a red carpet look and taking it even FARTHER on the stage, and Kimbra did a fantastic job of just that.
What do you think of Taylor and Kimbra's carpet to stage looks?
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