Dancing with the Stars – Who Wore it Better? Part IX
With all of the hubbub surrounding the closely-approaching (and much-anticipated!) premiere of season 11, we here at Pure DWTS have gotten a little burnt out from all the coverage…maybe some of you have, too. So what better way to let off some steam and relax than to take a look at some more costume dittoes from previous seasons? Just a little something to pass the time while we wait with baited breath for the new season to start…and for more costumes to get reused 😉 Enjoy!
Battle of the black, sparkly, backless Latin dress with the braided cord strap: Julianne’s rumba with Helio in season 5 vs. Anna in the ladies’ pro dance opener in season 9
Courtney: This is what I like to call a “mullet dress” it’s business in the front, and party in the back. Really, the dress is rather unremarkable when you look at the front of it; it’s the completely open back (and daringly low-cut) that gives it the drama factor. That said – I’m not wild about it. Not the most exciting rumba dress I’ve seen. I think Anna’s bright hair gives the dress a little more punch, but her curls almost seem too sweet & innocent for such a vampy dress. Not wild about Julianne’s hair, but the pose she’s striking really shows off the dramatic part of the dress well – so I’m going to go with her.
Heidi: I think the photos benefit Anna the most – beautiful smile, very nice hair…I just love this picture of her. Both women wear it extremely well, but I’m going with Anna mainly because she just looks so pretty. It’s the hair. 😉
The winner: Anna, for being all-around pretty
Battle of the purple, stoned, cut-out, one-shoulder ballgown: Holly’s preaseason photo shoot/quickstep with Dmitry in season 8 vs. Snejana Petrova in one of the guest pro dances in season 9
Heidi: I don’t really care for this dress and I can’t really say why. I love the color, for sure. It’s entirely possible that I don’t care for it because neither woman appears to be wearing it all that well. I have to give the win to Holly because I really hate all that drapey material they added to the dress for Snejana.
Courtney: Quite possibly my favorite ballgown on the show, EVER. I love color and the simplicity of it. I don’t blame the costume folks for using it for both Holly’s photo shoot (which was done at breakneck speed, since she was cast as Jewel’s replacement only days before the premiere) and her quickstep, because it’s just a gorgeous dress. Since the simplicity is what I adore about it, I kinda hate that they stuck a long drape of fabric on it for Snejana to wear it for a pro dance – likely a tactic to try and distract from the fact that we’ve already seen it. Nice try, Randall – we’re onto your tricks! 😉 And I just don’t have any clue what’s going on with Snejana’s hair…looks too fussy, whatever it is. While Holly’s laugh annoys the crap out of me, I think she looks better in this one.
The winner: Holly, for the lack of fuss.
Battle of the red, ruffly, cut-out, pouffy-skirted Latin dress: Karina’s mambo with Mario in season 6 vs. Cheryl’s pro dance with Maks to Queen Latifah in season 9
Courtney: Whatever the hell they did to Snejana’s hair in the photo above, it looks like they did to Cheryl’s hair here. All sorts of fussy bangs & curls & whatnot. The dress looks great on both ladies’ bodies, but I’m giving this one to Karina for having more tolerable hair.
Heidi: That’s *Cheryl*??? I didn’t recognize her. Which is really a bad sign. Karina for the win. 🙂 Her hair is just prettier, nice and soft looking.
The winner: Karina…because we can barely recognize Cheryl under that mop of bangs & curls!
Battle of the pale pink, jeweled-halter ballgown: Karina’s Viennese waltz relay with Aaron in season 9 vs. Anna’s pro dance with Jonathan to Sarah McLachlan in season 10
Heidi: Anna is the picture of Romance in this dress and the picture is just gorgeous. Everything about Anna sets this dress off perfectly – very soft and romantic. Karina looks nice in it, but it’s definitely a dress that calls for Anna’s flowy hair and facial expression.
Courtney: Do I really even need to tell you? 😉 Anna, Anna, Anna…the color looks fantastic with her skin, hair, and eyes, and this picture is just beautiful anyway. Interesting to note: Anna also wore this dress when she & Jonathan performed at the Dizzy Feet Foundation benefit in 2009. The dress looks pretty against Karina’s olive skin, but her hair and makeup seem a bit too overdone for the simplicity of the dress…plus she & Aaron just look really unhappy. Less is more, people! And SMILE! 😀
The winner: Anna, for true romance
Battle of the blue, fringe-skirted, stoned, skimpy-top Latin costume: Anna’s cha-cha with Albert in season 5 vs. Carmen Electra in the Cherry Boom-Boom “Stars of Dance” performance in season 8
Courtney: Ok, let me start off by saying that I’m actually a big Carmen Electra fan – she’s actually a good dancer, and has always seemed really down to earth every time I’ve seen her on TV. However, I was actually kind of horrified when I saw her in this performance…she seemed kinda bloated & out of shape, and didn’t move with the same energy and attitude that she used to when she was with The Pussycat Dolls (the burlesque troop, not the pop group). She didn’t seem to be really excited to be there, and I think she was in the midst of her divorce from Dave Navarro, so maybe it wasn’t the happiest time in her life. But it was rather sad to see a pale shadow of the former Carmen 🙁 Anna, on the other hand, seems to be totally committed to this dress – the attitude, the fit, the hair, the pose – it all works for me. Gotta hand it to her, she does a good job of rocking dresses with this really skimpy cut up top – check out the pink ballgown in Who Wore it Better? Part VII for more proof 😉
Heidi: Oh good, it’s not just me that had a Pavlovian response to seeing a picture of Carmen in this dress. 😉 ACK!! Poor thing. That’s one of those moments that stuck with me and not in a good way. Not only is Anna rocking it better, but I love the arm bands and matching earrings she’s wearing.
The winner: Anna, for energy, commitment, and great accessories
Battle of the blood red, sequined, mesh & feathered ballgown: Anna’s tango with Steve in season 6 vs. Susan’s preseason photo shoot with Tony in season 7
Heidi: I swing between thinking this dress is awful and totally understanding what they were going for when they designed it…and kinda liking it. I’m normally the “no fuss” person when it comes to these dresses, but I’m also a Gemini. Half of me hates it and the other half of me really likes it. BOTH sides of my personality have to go with Anna just for knowing what she’s doing in this dress. 😉
Courtney: This dress is rather awful, really. Too many textures & trims going on for it to really work well – the sequins, the mesh, the feathers, the lace…yikes. Poor Susan just looks like she’s being eaten alive by it, with her slight frame. Anna wears the dress, rather than it wearing her – and the color looks surprisingly good with her hair and skin.
The winner: Always Anna, this week. 😉
Battle of the peach, fringey, stoned bra & booty shorts Latin costume: Edyta’s mambo with Cameron in season 5 vs. Toni’s preseason photo shoot in season 7
Courtney: Props to both ladies for carrying off a cut and a color that not many people could wear well. But I think the color looks more striking against Toni’s darker skin, and I’m glad she ditched the headband that Edyta had worn with it. I hate headbands!
Heidi: Yep, the color is definitely better on Toni…and I hate headbands too. We are in sync here. I have to add, though, that Edyta wins the battle of the body nearly every time. She just lost the dress battle this time. I can’t let this picture pass by without commenting on the position they captured her in – do I need to say any more about it? 😉
The winner: Toni, for lack of headband…and a less humorous pose 😉
We hope you enjoyed this little detour from the non-stop season 11 madness as much as Heidi & I did 😀 Just 32 more hours until the premiere…any guesses on what costumes we might see dittoed this week? Any favorites you’re hoping to see again this season? Talk to us!
