MTV Style | Best Of 2012

The Best Red Carpet Style of 2012

Posted 12/21/12 4:19 pm EST by Maud Deitch in Best Of 2012

It's December 21st and the world hasn't ended, but we ARE one day closer to the end of the year! What does that mean? Why, a brand new Best of 2012 post for you, of course. This week's offerings were a bit more about fun than they were about breaking it down, with the Best Fashion Lyrics and yesterday's music video paper dolls cracking us up in our almost-holiday madness. Today, however, we have a more serious best of to break down for you: The Best Red Carpet Looks of 2012.

Gah, this one was a doozy. How do you choose from a whole year of sparkly, silky, long, short, frilly, gorgeousness? How do you pick just ONE look from each of your favorite stars when there are SO MANY AMAZING ones? We were kind of hoping the Mayans would be right on this one and we would be off the hook, but alas, the world is still very much turning and so we got put on the hot seat. Now, disclaimer, there were so many amazing red carpet outfits this year that we cannot say that these are ALL of the best, so just consider this MY personal fave red carpet looks of 2012.

BEYONCE IN GIVENCHY AT THE MET BALL

Beyonce in Givenchy.
Photo: Getty

First of all, a disclaimer: Beyonce could show up on a carpet in a potato sack, or in all of the things we've discussed in Weird Wednesday this year combined, and she would probably still look the most incredible. The combination of her superhuman poise, that smile, and her incredible bod make her a red carpet hit, and so Bey at The Met gala was a guaranteed home run. But were we expecting this incredible black and sheer Givenchy gown, cascading down her frame into a pool of black and purple feathers? No. It. Blew. Our. Minds. Bey strolled up fashionably LAST to the ball's red carpet, and immediately stole the night from some very stiff competition, making this perhaps our #1 favorite red carpet look of 2012. We say perhaps, however, because we're not picking favorites, not exactly.

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Print Out Paper Dolls Of The Best 2012 Music Video Fashion!

Posted 12/20/12 1:00 pm EST by MTV Style in Best Of 2012

We've spent all month long counting down the very best hairstyles, fashion lyrics, and cat ladies of the year, and now that we've finally reached the last leg of "MTV Style's Best of 2012" marathon, it's time for something slightlydifferent. So rather than attempting to narrow down our favorite music videos into a neat little list, we've enlisted our friend and graphic designer Joshua Covarrubias to transform the top fashion-centric vids into PAPER DOLLS! After all, if the girls of Girls and Rihanna can get the paper doll treatment, why shouldn't Katy Perry, Lana Del Rey, PSY, and Solange?! Starring their most iconic music video outfits, each of these dolls is totally and 100% printable when you click the picture (you're welcome!). So load up the inkjet...it's time to play dress up!

Click the picture to print out paper doll!
Illustration: Joshua Covarrubias/MTV

Tags Katy Perry, Lana Dey, Paper, Psy, Solange

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The Best Fashion Lyrics Of 2012

Posted 12/19/12 1:16 pm EST by Gaby Wilson in Best Of 2012, Humor

It's the home stretch, y'all! We are soooo close to the end of the year, we can almost TASTE the Auld Lang Syne and New Year's glitterbombing. All month long, we've been counting down the biggest and best style moments of 2012 from the typical like best hair, nail art, and campaigns to the silly (e.g. cat ladies, sticker apps, and Instagram selfies). What's next on deck? A personal favorite: the year's best fashion lyrics.

MTV Style exists, in part, due to an intrinsic and unavoidable relationship between music and fashion. That happy creative marriage manifests itself in a couple of different ways from designers inspired by musical muses to high fashion performance outfits to renaissance musician/designers dominating everything from the runway to retail à la Kanye West and Jessica Simpson. The point of intersection we're interested in today is the "Fashion Lyric." Musicians, especially MCs, have been writing style references into their songs for years, but this year, fashion lyrics feel more prevalent than ever. I mean, what are the chances of both Yeezy and Nicki Minaj penning rhymes about Vogue EIC Anna Wintour in the same year? And believe us, that's only the tip of the iceberg. We made it our duty to sift out all the best nuggets from this year's offerings (yes, non-singles from new album releases this year were fair game!) and relay them back to you. Peep our round-up of the best fashion lyrics of 2012 from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's ode to thrift shopping to A$AP Rocky's expert integration of Maison Martin Margiela, and there's even a nod to Lady Gaga's Philip Treacy runway wardrobe extravaganza. Enjoy!

KANYE WEST FT. DJ KHALED - 'COLD'

Photo: Getty Images/MTV

NICKI MINAJ - 'COME ON A CONE'

Photo: Getty Images/MTV

Tags 2 Chainz, A$AP Rocky, Angger Dimas, Azealia Banks, Best Of, Best Of 2012, Big Sean, Iggy Azalea, Kanye West, Karl Lagerfeld, Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey, Lyrics, M.I.A. Frank Ocean, Macklemore, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Odd Future, Pusha T, Ryan Lewis, Snoop Dogg, Steve Aoki, Trinidad James, Tyler The Creator

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The Best Red Carpet Beauty Looks Of 2012

Posted 12/18/12 7:05 pm EST by Annamarie Tendler in Beauty, Best Of 2012

Editors Note: Phew! Can you believe we're exactly one week away from Christmas? And only two weeks away from New Year's? The time is FLYING and it's probably because we're having so much fun sharing our 2012 faves with you (sorry, we had to). Yesterday we brought you a sillier one, our the biggest cat ladies of 2012, and tonight we bring it back to something you might have expected a little more of us, which is the best red carpet beauty looks of 2012. To narrow down our immense list of much-loved looks, we enlisted beauty correspondent Annamarie Tendler, who you might know from The Daily Face, and her halloween makeup tutorial on House Of Style! We commend her for being able to pick her top 5. There were so many good ones, we were about going crazy just thinking about having to choose!

While the dress reigns king when stepping out on the red carpet, we can't forget how hair and makeup can make or break a look. A bad chignon or over done face can destroy everything, while an amazing updo or knockout red lips can save a boring dress. Here are my top five favorite beauty looks from the red carpet this year. Oh, and the dresses aren't bad either.

CAMILLA BELLE, THE MET BALL

Camilla Belle at The Met Ball.
Photo: Getty

This is a gutsy look and it totally worked, not many woman could pull off something this harsh. This is a perfect example of dress, hair and makeup complementing each other perfectly. Camilla Belle looks like she walked out of a party in The Great Gatsby. I want to dress like this every day.

Tags Angelina Jolie, Beauty, Best Of 2012, Camilla Belle, Jessica Alba, Jessica Chastain, krist, Kristen Stewart

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Biggest Cat Ladies Of 2012

Posted 12/17/12 8:22 pm EST by Chrissy Mahlmeister in Best Of 2012

Oh hai! If you've been following our Best of 2012 wrap-ups, you might notice that we've been covering the ENTIRE gamut in the style world. From grills to band style to hair, we've left no corner unturned, but we've still got one week left! So, kick up those heels and scroll through some of the best fashion and beauty moments from the past year, will ya?

Newsflash: 2012 was the year of cat fashion. I mean, we've seen it all, folks—cat loafers, cat sweaters, and even Christmas cats, and we STILL can't get enough of the fluffy stuff. Lucky for us, it looks like celebs are equally as enamored with this catshion (our new word, NBD) obsession because throughout 2012 we spotted our fair share of kitten-inspired ensembles. In fact, some peeps wore feline-friendly clothes so much, that we're officially calling them cat ladies. And, hey, that's not a bad thing! We're just callin' it like it is. (Psst! We're cat ladies too. *paws at keyboard*)

TAYLOR SWIFT: QUEEN OF ALL-THINGS CAT

Taylor Swift in her many cat ensembles throughout 2012.
Photo: Splash News

Let's start this off with a bang, shall we? Ladies and gentlemen, meet the 2012 queen of cat fashion, Ms. Taylor Swift. (I mean, have you seen her kitten Meredith?) She has stepped out in so many cat-inspired ensembles this year that we have started to lose count! Here we peep just a mere handful of T Swift's kitten-faced duds, including (but not limited to!) a black and beige all-over cat print ASOS dress paired with a slim-fit black jacket, Charlotte Olympia kitten face loafers in beige with a retro-inspired ensemble, a polka dot sweater complete with a cat's visage, and the Charlotte Olympia loafers again, but this time in black.

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Best Hair Of 2012

Posted 12/14/12 7:30 pm EST by Chrissy Mahlmeister in Beauty, Best Of 2012

Ahhhh, we're almost halfway through December, friends, meaning our "Best Of 2012" posts are almost halfway done. But before we get too sad, let's look back on all the awesome stuff we've covered so far. We dished on the best campaigns, best grills, best band style
and best celebrity nail art, just to name a few. So, sit back and relax as we keep all the goodness rolling out!

If there's one thing we're experts on here at MTV Style, it's HAIR NEWS. Some of the biggest hair transformations (see: Miley Cyrus) have caused the biggest waves (heh) on our blog, and we SO aren't mad at that. From killer retro updos to statement ponytails to super-short shaved 'dos, there wasn't as shortage of highly-talked-about locks over the past year. So, let's take a look back at all the best hair trends from 2012, shall we?

BOTTLE BLONDES

Rita Ora, Gwen Stefani, and Ke$ha.
Photo: Getty Images

2012 was ALL about the bleached 'dos—the brighter and more platinum the color, the better. Our favorite bottle blondes included Rita Ora, Gwen Stefani and Ke$ha. Rita went for an old Hollywood look with soft, deep-parted waves, while Gwen rocked her sleek signature blonde hue. Ke$ha went all-out glam rock with her stick-straight platinum 'do, which carries tons of killer volume.

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The Best Free iPhone Sticker Apps of 2012

Posted 12/13/12 8:26 pm EST by Maud Deitch in Best Of 2012, Tech

Rihanna on her 777 Tour plane, Cat Wanged.
Photo: MTV Style Instagram

Yesterday we crowned the MTV Style 2012 king and queen, and brought you "The Big & Best Of 2012: A Year End Celebration Brought To You by T-Mobile," and over the past weeks we've broken down everything from the best nail art to the best magazine covers, the best band style and best facial hair. Today we're getting a little more specific, and breaking down our five favorite sticker apps of 2012. We have a lot more Best of 2012 coming, too, so stay tuned right here.

One thing that took up a lot (too much) of our time this year: Instagram. Both at work and at play, we at MTV Style are all about the photo app, and make sure to document everything from the crazy products that come through our office to the amazing events we get to attend. From the runway, to the Rihanna Plane, to the set of House Of Style, we're always on the lookout for a good photo opp. Sometimes, though, we're feeling a little more playful than just straight documentarians, which is where our fave photo apps come in. Whether you're putting little bears all over your brunch photos with Line Camera or adding a little rainbow to your selfies with the Lisa Frank app, there are tons of ways to jazz up your pics, and make them stand out from the crowd of ho-hum, well, brunch photos and selfies.

CAT WANG

Ok, Catpaint was a fave of ours even before Instagram, but after a couple of years it got a little old, we have to admit. We LOVED the cat motif the Odd Future crew plastered all over their Golf Wang tees and hats, and so naturally their Cat Wang app made us purr like creepy little upside-down cross painted kittens. With a huge variety of cat faces, as well as explosions, laser beams, beanies and paid add-ons, this app upps the ante of Cat Paint so your photos still have that shot of feline-induced "awww" but with a little bit of an "ew" thrown in for good measure. We applied some cat faces and laser beams to one of our photos from Rihanna's 777 tour above. The app is free and you can download it here.

Tags Apps, Best Of 2012, iPhone Apps

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Lady Gaga And One Direction Win Readers' Choice: Best Dressed Stars Of 2012!

Posted 12/12/12 5:09 pm EST by Gaby Wilson in Best Of 2012

Do you know what the date is today?? It's December 12, 2012. As in 12.12.12, guys! Thanks to our "The Big & Best of 2012: A Year End Celebration Presented by T-Mobile" which has been airing live since noon today, we've been counting down the biggest and best moments of the past year. Around these parts, we hone in on the fashion-filled moments. The best nail art, best facial hair, and even the best Instagram selfies — they've all made it to our MTV Style recaps thus far. What's next up? The results to our Readers' Choice: Best Dressed Stars of 2012 poll!

Lady Gaga and Harry Styles look pretty happy about their titles.
Photo: Getty Images/MTV

While photoshopping Lady Gaga and Harry Styles together into gilded crowns and a technicolor light show is definitely a thing we'd do on any normal day, today, this image has a special meaning. Dear MTV Style readers, Gaga and One Direction are the lady and dude(s) YOU crowned as the BEST dressed stars of 2012. We offered up some hefty competition — Beyonce, Demi Lovato, Elle Fanning, Emma Watson, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Rita Ora, and Taylor Swift for the ladies and Justin Bieber, Zac Efron, Andrew Garfield, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adam Lambert, PSY, Robert Pattinson, A$AP Rocky, and Kanye West for the dudes — but it was GAGA and 1D that pulled through and reigned supreme. Definite special mention should be given to Miley and Glambert who were SO narrowly beaten out for the titles (check those poll numbers, eep!), but we're going to take this time to go deep into the crisp styles of your winners. LEGGO!

Tags Best Dressed, Best Of 2012, Lady Gaga, One Direction

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Best Campaigns Of 2012

Posted 12/11/12 6:30 pm EST by Liza Darwin in Best Of 2012, Campaigns

Between the ridic nail art, band style, and facial hair happening this year, it's tough to keep up with it all before we officially cruise into 2013. But don't worry! We've got your back. The MTV Style crew has been scouring the internet for the ultimate best-of guide for 2012, and the best part is, it's only just beginning. Not that you REALLY needed an excuse to keep checking back, or anything...

Sure, advertisements are about pushing a product. But let's be real: sometimes the art direction, overall concept, or the star of the campaign is just SO good, that it doesn't even feel like an ad in the first place. These are images that you'll want to rip out (or print, because it's 2k12) and stash away in your drawer along with old issues of your favorite magazines or middle school art projects. At least that's how we feel, anyway, and we've waded through ALL of options this to year to present our very favorites. So whether it's starring a singer, an actor, or, ya know, a model, click through for the very best campaigns of 2012.

KATY PERRY FOR GHD: BEST MERMAID MUSE

Katy Perry for GHD.
Photo: Courtesy of GHD

With several GHD campaigns to her name already, Katy Perry has the super-glam, glossy fash thing on lock. But this shimmery edition stood out the most to us this year because a.) there's glitter, so obviously and b.) the combination of the Brooklyn bridge backdrop and seawater motif is just TOO good. Oh, and did we mention her side-swept purply-pink hair?! Well, let's just say Ariel would be jealous...

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Best Grills Of 2012

Posted 12/10/12 8:03 pm EST by Chrissy Mahlmeister in Accessories, Best Of 2012

This is it, folks. 2012 is coming to a close, so we're taking a hot ~~minute~~ month to count down all our top style moments throughout the year. So far we've dived into the best celebrity nail art, top fashion magazine covers, most awesome Instagram selfies, most memorable facial hair, and best band style—but we're just getting started! So sit back and relax as we reminisce about all our favorite style moments of 2012, will ya?

Sure, every season accessories manage to make a huge mark in the fashion world (see: that ridic Chanel hula hoop bag), but 2012 seemed to take a different turn in the accessories department. Instead of a celeb flashing their spendy bag on their shoulder, that dough has seemingly gone straight, well, to the mouth. That's right—athletes, rappers, and pop stars all wanted a piece of the gold grill action, so we've picked the best grills that have popped up this year alone. (Don't worry, we haven't forgotten about the classic go-tos like Lil Jon, Nelly, and Lil Wayne—we're focusing ONLY on the fresh additions to the grill game.) Let's get into it!

RYAN LOCHTE: BEST PATRIOTIC GRILLS

Ryan Lochte holds a bronze medal next to his grills on Aug. 2.
Photo: Getty Images

U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte wasn't known for just winning medals, but also for all the metal he sported in his mouth. His controversial platinum grill, which proudly displayed the American flag across his teeth, almost stripped him of his bronze, so we gotta give up for his unrelenting dedication to sport some seriously sparkly bicuspids. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

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