Lara Flynn Boyle Golden Globe 2003

Half the excitement of award shows, events, and sightings of celebrities lies in their outfits. Hits and misses; dos and don’ts–it’s all done in the name of good fun. But were all of the epic fashion faux pas really as bad as the media made them out to be? Not necessarily.

Starting from Jennifer Lopez’s infamous 2000 Grammys getup–was it risqué? Absolutely. But J.Lo is beautiful and physically fit (well, she was pre-pregnancy). If anyone could have pulled off that barely-there green Versace chiffon dress with the extreme plunging neckline, it was she. And she alone.

However, Lara Flynn Boyle and her notorious pink tutu at the Golden Globes in 2003 (left) was reason enough to call the fashion police. Complete with high-heeled lace up ballet shoes, the dress only emphasized her emaciated frame. Thankfully, the fashion industry is beginning to address the problems behind promoting this rail thin body type. In fact, Madrid has recently banned medically underweight models from the catwalks at its fashion week, whilst Armani, Prada and Versace have shunned ultra skinny models at their shows for the past few seasons. The reason why Boyle looks so frightening here is because she looks as though she has been fasting for the past six months. Undereating is most certainly a fashion faux pas of monstrous proportions.

Paris Hilton tends to look far from classy–it comes as no surprise that 64% of people polled on People.com said her Bondi Beach ensemble was a miss, while 36% said it was a hit. Nevertheless, I (for once) am with the 36% when I say that her embellished coral dress, worn as a boho-chic beach outfit, along with the hippie headband and her oversized white sunglasses, is a hit. Just lose the silver pumps and horrendous bag and this could be an ensemble anyone could confidently pull off.

Last but not least, Michelle Obama’s Grant Park celebration dress on Election Night 2008 was all sorts of wrong. Critically acclaimed for projecting the Jackie-O vibe with her style and grace, she made a crucial error when she decided to let this Narciso Rodriguez S/S 09 frock leave the rack. Even without the unfortunate cardigan Obama wore over the dress in an attempt to add a First Lady touch, this sleeveless dress is nothing short of a disaster. The V-shape created by the black sash around the midsection would only flatter a wafer thin model, not a curvy woman’s figure.

So whether its Lindsay Lohan or Katie Holmes, it goes without saying that celebrities simply cannot escape the fashion critics. However, what the industry has also taught us is that in the end, fashion is subjective: a hit for People magazine can easily be a miss to OK! So the next time you scrutinize an outfit that has been branded as a miss, take a step back and try to judge things from an alternative perspective. Who knows, you might just change your mind.