Country Couture: Best and Worst Looks From the 2012 CMA Awards

Posted by , on November 2, 2012 at 10:00 am

With her hit album sitting pretty at the top of the charts and her name in the press thanks to her alleged breakup with Camelot scion Conor Kennedy, Taylor Swift was the start to watch on the red [...]

With her hit album sitting pretty at the top of the charts and her name in the press thanks to her alleged breakup with Camelot scion Conor Kennedy, Taylor Swift was the start to watch on the red carpet—even if she didn't win any awards. We're glad Swift mixed it up a bit with this dazzling patterned Jenny Packham gown.

Country queen Faith Hill wore a Roland Mouret dress, Bottega Veneta shoes, Neil Lane jewels and carried a Roger Vivier clutch last night. With Hill's figure and confidence, she can pull off anything — [...]

Country queen Faith Hill wore a Roland Mouret dress, Bottega Veneta shoes, Neil Lane jewels and carried a Roger Vivier clutch last night. With Hill's figure and confidence, she can pull off anything — but something about this fell flat. Perhaps it was the lack of accessories, or maybe a punch of lipstick could have brought the look up to red carpet level.

Carrie Underwood is all about consistency, and this Reem Acra gown may not have been a major departure from past red carpet looks, but it worked. Delicate and feminine with a plunging neckline, we'd say [...]

Carrie Underwood is all about consistency, and this Reem Acra gown may not have been a major departure from past red carpet looks, but it worked. Delicate and feminine with a plunging neckline, we'd say this was a win. 

Miranda Lambert and hubby Blake Shelton both win big last night — but not in the dressing department. Lambert wore an ill-fitting Maria Lucia Hohan gown. Country style may be about big hair and lots of [...]

Miranda Lambert and hubby Blake Shelton both win big last night — but not in the dressing department. Lambert wore an ill-fitting Maria Lucia Hohan gown. Country style may be about big hair and lots of cleavage, but this just didn't make the cut. 

If "Nashville" star Hayden Panettiere wore this Georges Chakra Couture mint green flapper dress to any other awards show, we'd be a little bummed — but it was young, fun, and appropriate for the [...]

If "Nashville" star Hayden Panettiere wore this Georges Chakra Couture mint green flapper dress to any other awards show, we'd be a little bummed — but it was young, fun, and appropriate for the CMAs. 

We love Connie Britton (like most "Friday Night Lights" devotees), and the "Nashville" star looked lovely in a red Amen dress and Jimmy Choo shoes while presenting an award last night. 

"Pretty Little Liars" actress Lucy Hale is quickly becoming one of our favorite red carpet style stars. In a Moschino dress and Casadei shoes, she was elegant but not stuffy at the CMAs.

We can't deny that Reba McEntire's blue sparkly Theia dress was a little cheesy, but she's a legend and a crowd pleaser, so we thought it was pretty spot-on for the CMA red carpet.

If anyone has embraced the metallics trend on the red carpet, it's us, but we thought Karen Fairchild's metallic gold gown fell more costume-y than glamorous.

Kellie Pickler looked magnificent in an ice-blue Pamella Roland gown and huge Tacori diamond earrings. Her closely-cropped haircut (in support of a friend going through chemotherapy) is beyond chic, and [...]

Kellie Pickler looked magnificent in an ice-blue Pamella Roland gown and huge Tacori diamond earrings. Her closely-cropped haircut (in support of a friend going through chemotherapy) is beyond chic, and she may be our best dressed of the night.  

Carrie Underwood certainly has the body to pull off her gray, high-slit performance outfit, but it was a little too dramatic for our tastes.

For her performance, Taylor Swift changed into a more laid back (but also red — in honor of her album "Red") number. We're glad she chose an album title that reflects a color she looks good in!

A pregnant Jennifer Nettles of the band "Sugarland" kept it simple and chic in a black strapless gown.

Kimberly Perry of the band Perry may have been going for "edgy," but she just came off looking "messy" in this semi-sheer dress and tousled hair 'do.

"American Idol" alum Lauren Alaina hit the red carpet in a princess-y red dress that was a little too much red, a little too much skirt—well, just a little too much. 

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At last night’s Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, we were treated to an array of dazzling (and, it’s true, occasionally disappointing) red carpet gowns from some of our favorite country starlets.

The CMAs red carpet always manages to remind us that in the country world, there are certain things that would never fly at a Hollywood awards show. That said, country music’s new generation was out in full force last night, sporting an array of designer names that prove the industry’s come a long way since Shania Twain’s stomach-baring days.

Between Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and, of course, an appearance by veteran sequin abuser Reba McEntire, the CMAs brought out Nashville’s best and brightest.

Click through the gallery above for a look at the best and worst looks!

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  1. Bren Keller says:
    November 2, 2012 at 3:59 pm

    Agree with your comments. Well done!

    Reply