Dancing with the Stars – Who Wore it Better, Part VIII – The Pre-Season 11 Edition!
YAY! The official cast photos came out yesterday! And what better way to bring our series back from a two-week hiatus than to give you a fun, creative way to check out this season’s couples in costume? 😉 And as a bonus – this one’s an extra long edition! ENJOY! 😀
Battle of the red stoned & feathered Latin dress, redux: Brandy’s pre-season 11 photo shoot with Maks vs. Debi’s salsa with Maks in season 9 vs. one of the performers in the Haiti “Stars of Dance” performance
Courtney: Some of you may remember that Heidi & I actually already critiqued (er, more like ripped apart!) this dress in Who Wore it Better? Part II. We couldn’t even pick a winner, because we hated this dress with a passion. But now seeing it on Brandy…I actually think it looks kinda cute on her. Maybe not my first choice for her, but not terrible. So I would hereby like to retract my previous opinion that this dress did not look cute on anyone, and dub Brandy the winner of this battle 🙂
Heidi: Yeah, it looks cute on Brandy and for sh…crap on the other ladies – but a better question is why is Brandy standing so stiff and straight, both feet together?? That was the last thing expected from her and it makes me wonder. But lord knows she’s not the only one looking stiff in these photos. 😀
Courtney: Oh you’re terrible, Heidi 😉 It’s comments like those that start fan wars! Or showmance rumors…as if there aren’t enough of those flying around already…
The winner: Brandy!! Her first, but likely not only, win of the new season!!
Battle of the grey button-down shirt & black dance pants: Derek’s first jive with Nicole in season 10 vs. Derek’s pre-season 11 photo shoot
Heidi: LOOK!! My pretend boyfriend recycles too!! And this isn’t his first time reusing a costume, I just haven’t had time to go back and look up all his dittos. I LOVED this outfit when worn for his jive with Nicole – I like the more understated outfits on the men. Not to mention that he looks all growed up these days. 🙂 I like the photo shoot version – mainly because I keep getting distracted by the cowlick in the Jive version. 😉
Courtney: Kudos to Heidi for finding our first ever MALE ditto! Granted, the subject in question may account for why her eye was so keen, but that’s beside the point 😉 I like the the more casual look of the short-sleeved button down shirt for Latin dances. I think the winner of this one is…geez…I dunno…so I guess I’ll go with…DEREK! Haha 😛 But more specifically, when he wore it for the jive. The photo shoot lighting tends to make everything look so drab.
The winner: The Hot Blond Guy in the gray shirt.
Battle of the red, fringey & stone-y Latin dress: Kate’s jive with Tony in season 10 vs. Margaret’s pre-season 11 photo shoot
Courtney: Hahaha…ok, I know some people are put off by Margaret’s tats, but I actually really like the character they add to her. And clearly she’s got plenty of character to bring to the stage! I have a feeling I’m gonna really like her this season. I think Kate looks more “put-together” in this dress, but as a lot of you know, I LOATHE overstyled, bumpit-y hair…so I’m giving this one to Margaret, and her cute red shoes 🙂
Heidi: I have to go with Margaret simply for having balls to be OUT THERE and not stiffly posed like some of the others. Did I say balls? We’ll get to those later. 😉
Courtney: Oh boy. I can already tell it’s gonna be another toilet humor/innuendo filled post 😉
The winner: The delightful Ms. Cho for BRINGING it!!
Battle of the red-stoned, long-fringed Latin dress with the skinny belt: Anna’s salsa relay with Chuck in season 9 vs. Jennifer’s pre-season 11 photo shoot
Heidi: Hmmm….they both look fabulous, but I don’t know about red on a redhead. I have to give it up for Jennifer because she just looks amazing. I can’t believe she’s 50. I won’t look that good at 50, I’m sure. In any case, there’s a filter on the camera that makes it look pinker on Jennifer and her makeup matches beautifully – but I do like the neck scarf that Anna has on. But I have to go back to Jennifer for the soft and lovely look.
Courtney: Now while I may have a heterosexual girl-crush on Anna, she looks a little too overstyled in this dress – the hair, the thing around the neck, the earrings…blech. I like Jennifer’s simpler look better, but again, another dress that isn’t necessarily bad on the celeb, but isn’t the best either. But my god – Jennifer looks fan-frickin-tastic for being 50. If I age half as well as she has, I will be one hot cougar. 😉
The winner: Jennifer – the woman we all want to be when we’re 50. 🙂
Battle of the 2-piece, heavily-fringed red Latin costume: Audrina’s pre-season 11 photo shoot vs. Holly’s samba with Dmitry in season 8 vs. one of the performers in the guest pro dance Snejana Petrova in the guest pro paso/samba/jive demo in season 9 (EDITOR’S NOTE: I stumbled upon this nugget of info whilst searching for other dittos – just thought I’d share, for the sake of accuracy 😉 )
Courtney: Ok, I know what some of you are going to say: “But this was also Stacy’s jive costume!” Sorry to burst your bubble, but it’s not the same outfit – very similar, but the cut of the top is different. See for yourself. Anywho, I hated this costume on Holly, not only because she was a terribly awkward mover in it, but also because the fringe accentuating her ample bosom and the headband in her hair just made her look like kind of a bimbo to me. Looks decent on random blonde pro from the random guest pro jive – I think it could be Snejana, but who knows. Audrina seems to pull it off with the most ease, but I think I like her better with dark hair.
Heidi: Audrina is a beautiful girl, and she certainly wears this dress better than the other two – but here’s another girl that seems to be holding herself very stiffly – is it a model thing? Nerves from the photo shoot? Her pose just seems weird to me.
The winner: Audrina, despite the hair and the perceived case of the stiffs
Battle of the long, black, lacey, fringey, and ruffle-y ballgown: Bristol’s pre-season 11 photo shoot vs. Kym’s Argentine tango with Donny in season 9
Heidi: My first thoughts when seeing Bristol in this dress?? “Where the fu..dge did they get the damn curtains to sew on to the tablecloth??” Folks, there is such a thing as too much crap on a dress and this is a dress with too much crap on it. Lordy. Poor, POOR Randall, if this is an example of what Bristol wants to go with the entire season. Poor MARK!! He’ll get swallowed up by fabric the first time he attempts a rumba. I have the overwhelming urge to comment on modest clothing versus teen pregnancy. I’m trying very, very hard to refrain. 🙂 Man, think of the cheesecake awards. 😉
Courtney: I can imagine the banter at the photo shoot: “We need more ruffles in here, STAT! No way the former first daughter of Alaska is gonna show as much skin as that Aussie bombshell!” It’s a little hard to tell from this angle, but they added quite a bit more fabric for Bristol’s modesty than the original dress offered – Kym was sex on legs in this one! Props to Bristol for staying true to values, but I daresay she isn’t going to be able to dance every week being this covered up. Kym – you are still our favorite blonde Aussie with “ausome” boobs 😉 Hehe, get it?
Heidi: Did you just say that Bristol remained true to values?? Are you TRYING to kill me here? My tongue needs to be sewn back on as it is!! 🙂 Just a joke folks, just a joke. Keep tuning in just to see how long I can hold it in. :::chants::: She’s not her mother, she’s not her mother, she’s not her mother….
Courtney: For once, I was trying to give the girl the benefit of the doubt, since she said in some interview that she was determined to wear “modest” costumes on the show. REALLY trying to give her a fair shot like I did with Kate at first last season. But yah…values, schmalues. I still think she’s the biggest joke to ever do DWTS. And I think she’ll quickly find that the wardrobe department likes skimpy costumes for 3 reasons: they show the movement of the dances better, they don’t take as much time, fabric, & effort to make, and sex sells. Obviously.
The winner: Duh. Kym. The Aussie Bombshell. Hee.
Battle of the red mesh & tulle party dress: Anna’s freestyle with Evan in season 10 vs. Anna’s pre-season 11 photo shoot
Courtney: I thought this dress was a hot mess when I saw it during Evan & Anna’s freestyle – but then again, that freestyle wasn’t the greatest, either. She’s playful when she’s wearing it in the freestyle; but I love her expression in her photo shoot – she almost won it last season, which makes her that much hungrier for it this season. This girl means business!
Heidi: I can’t decide if I like the dress color with her hair color or not, but I do think I have mad love for this dress. It’s muy funky. She wore it well both times.
The winner: The Photo shoot Anna. 🙂
Battle of the short, cranberry-lace tango dress: Chelsie’s Argentine tango with Louis in season 9 vs. Chelsie’s pre-season 11 photo shoot
Heidi: I LOVE this dress!! Love, love, love it. I like the photo shoot version better mainly because I don’t like how she has her hair done for the tango – the bangs bother me. Straggly.
Courtney: This is another one of my favorite dresses. So simple, yet so sexy. But I think I prefer it the way she wore it in the tango better- the overall look feels more “done”, and the dress also sits better – I can’t help but think it looks like negligee in her photo shoot pic, especially with the hair blowing in the wind and the slightly “come hither” look in her eye. I’m sure John’s loving it either way 😉
The winner: Well, Chelsie, either way. 🙂
Battle of the skin-tight, red lace & fringe tango dress: Cheryl’s pre-season 11 photo shoot vs. Cheryl’s Argentine tango with Chad in season 10
Courtney: Wasn’t wild about this dress when she wore it last season (wasn’t wild about that tango, either – she just danced around Chad!), but paired with the long hair and without the gloves, Cheryl looks SEX-AY. And I’ve already said that she & Rick are going to make one stunning couple this season…this is just the preseason shoot. Think of what their rumba will look like!
Heidi: Well, we thought a rumba with Chad would be hot too. She and Rick will be a much prettier couple, but whether he can bring the sexy or not remains to be seen. Now Cheryl, on the other hand, is bringing the sexy. I’m with you, her photo shoot version of this dress is a zillion times better. It’s definitely the loose hair – I think she should do that more often. The severe hair just isn’t good for her face shape, I think.
Courtney: Agreed. Her face is too round for very “pulled back” hair.
The winner: Photo shoot Cheryl!
Battle of the black & silver razor blade & chain bra & feathered skirt ensemble: Lacey’s samba with Lance in season 7 vs. Chelsie’s pro dance to Rascal Flatts in season 8 vs. Lacey in the ladies’ pro dance opener in season 9 vs. Lacey’s pre-season 11 photo shoot
Courtney: Wow, Lacey really loves her bedazzled bra & feather skirt! I just find it funny how the costume evolved: when we first saw it in season 7 (which happened to be the season that both Cheryl & Lacey were catching all sorts of flak about their weight gain), it had a vest over it. Then they made Chelsie wear it for a pro dance – fail, since that girl just isn’t punky enough to carry off a bra with razor blades dangling off of it. Then Lacey gets in shape, and dons it for the ladies’ pro dance – and I actually think it looks really good there, with her flowing brunette locks (who cares if her hair is mostly fake? If you can’t acheive it, weave it!). But Lacey as a blonde? Ugh. It just doesn’t look right. I thought the dark hair really brought out her eyes and skin much better, while the blonde just kinda washes everything out. And is it just me, or does that outfit seem even skimpier than before…especially in her photo with Kyle? Are they trying to pawn Lacey off as the new Edyta? Yeeeesh.
Heidi: You stole all my lines. 🙂 The blonde hair is ugh, the outfit is skimpier – seeing as she probably took Edyta’s place I guess that’s one way to go. Yadda yadda yadda. What more is there to say?
The winner: Lacey as a brunette sans vest.
Battle of the black, stoned, plunging, ruched-side tango dress: Kym’s pre-season 11 photo shoot vs. Joanna’s Argentine tango with Maks in season 9
Heidi: Well, crap, this is hard – the dress and both women look awesome. I have to go with Joanna for the dark lipstick and the hair – and the gloves. 🙂
Courtney: Ooh damn…this is a tough one to call. Two very sexy blondes, striking the same very sexy pose, in one very sexy, clingy black dress. Joanna is, quite possibly, the only person on the show who has come close to rivaling Kym in terms of having great boobs. But Kym is the queen of the expression – she can take a ho-hum costume and make it great just by making the right face. It pains me to do so, but I’m gonna have to go with Joanna on this one – but just barely. I just loved how she rocked that super dark lipstick and long black gloves in her tango.
The winner: Joanna, by a millimeter.
And folks, we went and saved the best for last…
Battle of the silver, fringey, 3-quarter sleeve sheath dress with ungodly large shoulder pads: Florence’s pre-season 11 photo shoot vs. Louis goofing around at his pre-season 11 photo shoot vs. Kelly’s freestyle with Louis in season 9
Courtney: Take one of the tackiest dresses in DWTS history. Put it on a TV legend – meh. It’s okay. Put it on a reality TV star – okay, it’s kinda cute. Put it on one very flamboyant male pro – it’s the fiercest, most fabulous thing you’ve ever laid eyes on. Louis Van Amstel for the fashion WIN. Extra points for accessorizing with the watch.
Heidi: Girl, it ain’t just the watch, it’s the POSE. Dude is rocking that dress, although it doesn’t wear as smoothly over his lower half. :::smirk::: But you know, Florence could join the cast of Dynasty in this dress – WTF with the shoulder pads? Since Louis is not a big guy, the pads work for him – and those bumps balance out other….oh, never mind. I can’t bring myself to go there. 😉
Courtney: If my honey were here, he’d recommend a dance belt for Louis…I won’t go into detail, but it tends to keep certain problematic bulges in check. Oh boy, look what you’ve done…now I’m talking about genitals too! 😛
The winner: Louis, by a….watch. 🙂
Have you fallen in love with “Who Wore it Better”? Then be sure to check out all of our previous editions while you wait with baited breath for the next installment! 😀
I actually liked how Kate looked in that red latin dress, Margaret not loving the tatts.
Notice how adorable Chelsie looks with Louie. She should have been given a young guy this season.
Lacey was gorgeous with the dark hair. Blonde just doesn’t do anything for her.
Kym rocks that black Tango dress much better than Joanna imho.
And yes, Louis makes that silver dress fun!
Thanks for posting – this is awesome.
What a fun post! 🙂
I was on the fence about Lacey’s hair but now have to say I like her much better as a brunette.
liked it =]
Fantastic post, soooo entertaining!!! Thanks Ladies!
Courtney – Oh I know all about that dance belt… interesting conversations I’ve had with my dance teachers about those…
Yeah, I”m familiar with the dance belt as well. I’m not going to say why. 🙂
OMG Anna is so pretty, she looks so fierce in her picture, by far the best picture.
I think Lacey costume looks skimpier as the blonde because it matches her skin more, so the costume looks more exposed as opposed to her hair being brunette and looking like she’s more “covered” if that makes any sense.
@Steve, I think Lacey looks a little more curvy now, not a lot, but she was really “ripped” through the abs in season 9…and so that does make the costume sit slightly different.
LOL! You guys are a scream. Too fun! I agreed with all of your winners too. lol
Jennifer, I so agree about Anna. She is so pretty. I love her red hair. Her dress is my favorite! I love the tutu like satin and net layers.
love this post … great fun – looking forward to future editions! Louis hands down the winner in that dress. Hard for Kym not to look smoking in anything they put her in. Love Cheryl’s longer hair – softens her look which is very appealing. Am looking forward to see Margaret dance – love her tatts and glad she’s not trying to hide/minimize – will be interesting to see her Vienese Waltz. Agree with everyone about Lacey as a blonde – bleh. Anna has the best photo, no question – love everything about it – the dress, the look, the stance – everything. Am getting really pumped about the season, looking forward to the premier. Hope we get a few rehearsal videos between now and then. those often give an idea as to who can move and groove and who, alas, cannot.
Ok we all know Kate looked better in her Jive! She looked awesome! And Louis winning in that dress….. I aint even gonnago there i still wanna ROFL, Hit something, vomit all at the same time…..
Did someone say Chelsie in negligee?
Kym totally beats Joanna in those pics. Kym is smokin there!!
John, you read my mind. By the way, this season’s pre-season photo shoot is probably the best one I’ve seen. Can I just say that the women are drop dead beautiful! When it comes to the pros, these ladies have never taken a better picture! Kym looks ready for action as does Cheryl. I hope Anna can pull something out of Kurt because I want more Anna! I really grew to like her last season. I’m super worried about Brandy and it has nothing to do with the dancing, although I will say, if anyone thinks she’s a sure ringer, think again. I don’t remember one dancing video from Brandy, if there are any out there, please somebody send me a link! I hope these ladies dance as well as they pose! Oh and I love Audrina and Bristol’s pictures as well!
Here you go, Nathan:
Thank you Carlie!
Oh my gosh, Florence and Kelly never had a chance! Louis is a DIVA!!
Thanks for the link to Brandy’s waltz, Carlie! After seeing that, I’m pretty sure she’s not a ringer. (I didn’t think she was before, but now I’m even more certain.) I can safely say that nothing I’ve ever seen her do looks like anything done on DWTS. (And as far as basic waltzing, I would think a lot of people, and maybe especially older contestants, would have some familiarity with it. Not a big deal to me.) Also, I’m glad no one’s tried to say Brandy has and edge because of her “acting” because whoah, that was awful.
@all – Glad everyone enjoyed it so much! Remember, this isn’t the first “Who Wore it Better?” we’ve done, and it certainly won’t be the last 😉 Stay tuned!
I generally agree with everyone’s sentiments – Anna looks fierce & fantastic in her picture, Lacey needs to go back to being a brunette, and it’s hard to outdo Louis in terms of outright fabulosity 😉 But I’m surprised that more people haven’t commented on Bristol’s photo and how much the dress was altered from when Kym wore it. I mean, they added an UNGODLY amount of ruffles to that thing to cover her up. If she insists on being this covered every week, I think she’s gonna have some issues moving!
really funny post i like it!!
yeah heidi the D man is recycling costumes too! look back at the brown outfit he worn in Jenni garth’s samba, in season 9 photo shoot and in joanna’s samba! it’s the same one!!!
i have to say that i really like the new cast it would be something to watch, looking forward in particulary for Jennifer Grey and the Hoff!
Thanks, Katie – that brown outfit you’re talking about (that he’s worn at least 3 times) is one of the other ones I’m thinking of – didn’t know where to start looking though. Thanks for the help. I think he may have also worn it – or a very similar one – with Julianne in their pro dance to Jennifer Hudson.
Thanks for such a fun post!!! I especially love how you managed to also include pictures of unnamed dancers from pro dances or other special dances:)
I know I’m in the minority here and Courtney I think I have a heterosexual girl crush on Anna too, but I actually think she looked better in the freestyle. I do think her hair clashes with the dress in the photoshoot. May be more obvious in the pic with Kurt though.
I agree Kate looked better in the jive dress and Louis looked better in the last one:)
Nathan,
I actually think a number of the pictures from this shoot look awkward. Although, a few of them might be the best shots they’ve done yet (ie. Kym).
Courtney,
I think Bristol looks fine in the dress with extra fabric. Granted, I come from the University where this type of ballroom outfit is the norm. I don’t think it will cause Bristol any troubles.
Hey Guys, here’s something fun to read;
Dancing With the Stars Costumer Talks Dressing Bristol Palin, Florence Henderson, David Hasselhoff, etc, New Clothing Line::
http://www.stylelist.com/2010/09/08/dancing-with-the-stars-bristol-palin-florence-henderson-costumes/