Sundance celebrates the amazing films that don’t necessarily have the cash to make it to the mainstream. It’s for the artsier movies, and we’ve come to find the same can be said of the fashion seen on the carpet.
This is the place for looks that are more casual than other red carpet events, with a little more street-style influence and less reliance on trends. However, not every style experiment is a success. This week we were left scratching our heads at the wacky looks people like Matthew Gray Gubler, Chloe Sevigny and Jaime King wore at this year’s film fest.
What not to wear at Sundance
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Breeda Wool
Breeda looks like a walking advertisement for the hipster cliché, sponsored by her local thrift store. Everyone’s got their own style, which we totally get, but this one is trying to be different while being made of elements we’ve seen a thousand times before.Getty Images
Zoe Chai
This suit is actually pretty awesome, but we have to include it because the combination of patterns is just different enough to make us dizzy. We feel like we’re looking at three different optical illusions at the same time. Does anyone have any Gravol?Getty Images
Stacey Bendet
You know something’s gone wrong when the bears tacked to your dress look cooler than you do. Creative directors of fashion labels always dress a little kookier than the rest of us, but Alice + Olivia designs are way more chic than this.Getty Images
Peggy Siegal
Peggy’s a publicist, and honestly, she’s pretty good at it considering we’re talking about her right now. Granted, the reason we’re talking about her is because she’s wearing a giant fur hat, furry platform ankle boots, and oh yeah, a giant tacky purple coat. But hey, all publicity is good publicity, right?Getty Images
Chloe Sevigny
As an indie darling, Chloe is no stranger to the Sundance carpet. Usually she’s one to watch for having that unique, less mainstream style. This outfit fits the criteria, but fails in execution. The only interesting thing about this dress is the pattern, which ultimately, though less than boring, isn’t for us.Getty Images
Parker Posey
Like Chloe, Parker Posey has always had a unique sense of style, only hers is even more eccentric. We applaud her for sticking to her guns, but we have to stick to ours and say that we do not like this look. The top could be really cool if the rest of the getup was toned down at least 12 notches.Getty Images
Nafessa Williams
This particular look wasn’t at Sundance, but it had to be on this list. The jacket is too wide, and an outfit should never be made out of a sleeping bag, even if it is camo print. Also, the patches aren’t helping. But really, this is just scratching the surface…Getty Images
Nafessa Williams' back
Yes, this is the same outfit. We understand there could be some confusion as to why Naffessa would wear matching separates with a camo front and Bob Marley collage back, but… but… yeah, we can’t defend this. It makes no sense, but at least it’s memorable.Getty Images
Michelle Monaghan
This is definitely one of the most creative looks we saw at Sundance this year. We actually might be able to get behind it if the bodysuit underneath wasn’t so angular and wasn’t a shade yellower than the rest of the look. Still, you do you, Michelle.Getty Images
Matthew Gray Gubler
The Sasquatch is real, guys, THE SASQUATCH IS REAL! THIS IS NOT A DRILL…wait never mind, it’s just Matthew in a giant Teddy bear coat and matching suede boots. This look has to be a hoax because we’re used to seeing him in slick suits as Spencer on Criminal Minds.Getty Images
Laura Dern
Under a thousand flashbulbs, a fabric that looks fine in regular life can become see-through, so we can’t fault Laura for that (though she should’ve known). What we can fault her on is the skirt in a terrible fabric—too orangey to go well with the more purple red of the top.Getty Images
Jaime King
If Sharpay Evans went through a film snob phase post-High School Musical, this would be what she’d wear. Jaime looks like the villain in a movie about a teen girl locked in battle with the rich snooty owner of a ski chalet over…something. The point is, the look is bad.Getty Images
Gigi 'Gorgeous' Lazzarato
Gigi’s style is all about being over-the-top fabulous. She’s built her brand on it. For goodness sake, people know her by the word “gorgeous” instead of her actual last name, Lazaratto. Still, this dress is a little too far over the top for us, as are her boobs, which look like they’re trying to escape.Getty Images
Elena Kampouris
Elena looks like she may have found the secret to time travel, because this outfit is more like something from last century’s Sundance. Someone’s seen Almost Famous a few too many times. If the jacket top and bell bottoms weren’t already too much, she had to throw on an embellished choker.Getty Images
Carly Paradis
Carly looks like she had forgotten about promoting her movie and was in the middle of repainting her kitchen when she got the call from her PA telling her she was meant to be at Sundance. There’s looking like you don’t care in a stylish way, and then there’s this smock.Getty Images
Caitlin Mehner
We get what they’re going for, and the contrast between the fabrics could be cool. But the mesh looks so stiff it might snap in a mild breeze. We expect more winter-appropriate wear at Sundance, but the tights and boots combo just doesn’t work with this dress as well.Getty Images
Alfre Woodard
This colour’s freaking amazing on Alfre, but we are not into the whole muumuu thing. We do love the navy pant that totally complements the orange, but we wish we could actually see more of it. Even leaving it as is, but just shortening it to tunic length would be an improvement.Getty Images
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