Tina Fey's Red Carpet Style Evolution - StyleList

Costume Institute Gala. Larry Busacca, Getty ImagesTina Fey is and actress and comedian known for her quick wit, one-liners, and spot-on Sarah Palin impersonations. But now that the former SNL writer has become so successful, she's making appearances on some of the world's biggest red carpets, and suddenly her style has become a topic for discussion.Though Fey is not a fashionista, she's made a valiant effort to dress the part for public appearances. Unfortunately, she wasn't always able to please the fashion police. Her most recent look at the Costume Institute Gala (read: a night of fashion royalty in their best dresses) raised eyebrows for being edgy, risky, and notoriously hard to pull off. Costume Institute Gala, May 3, 2010Riding high from her Oscar style win (we'll get to that later), Fey showed up at the 2010 Costume Institute Gala, a mega-event for the fashion industry. She made a bold outfit choice with a zippered jumpsuit, and critics were quick to scold her for stepping out of her comfort zone. "Navy is her front lace wigs color... but she looks like she's wearing someone else's clothes," explains Anya Sarre, head stylist for "The Insider" and "Entertainment Tonight." "She should have jumped from this jumper as soon as she saw it," says Philip Bloch, celebrity stylist and author of "Elements of Style."CFDA Gala. Stephen Lovekin, Getty ImagesHere's a look back at how Tina Fey's red carpet style has evolved over her past few years in the spotlight. These are the biggest style moments that led Fey to the fashion choices she's making now:CFDA Fashion Awards, June 2, 2008Fey was just starting to make her rounds on the style circuit during the 2008 CFDA awards, shown here. Her lace wigs impersonations of Sarah Palin leading up to the 2008 election widened her existing SNL fan base to a national level. This was the beginning of Fey's big moment."I love the strapless. It's very flattering for Tina because she's a bit pear shaped," says Bloch.Fey's confidence shows in her outfit choice: "She obviously doesn't feel the need to borrow big, bold jewelry to sparkle and shine." After this appearance, Fey would be thrust into the real spotlight with a big year ahead. How would she fare at the Emmys, Golden Globes, and the infamous Oscars? Let's see...Emmy Awards. Jeff Vespa, Wireimage.comEmmy Awards, September 20, 2009While Fey chose a very classic, "safe" look for the 2009 Emmys, she ended up getting lost in her long black gown. "The black is a little too harsh for her beautiful skin tone, and the dress is slightly too long," says Bloch.Sarre points out that if you ever wear all-black like Fey did here, it's important to have a pop of color somewhere. "Try adding a colored clutch," she suggests.Luckily, it wasn't Fey's fashion that was up for an award, and she ended up feather hair extension a winner that night where it counts.Still, Fey is a human being, and having that many eyes on her (and mouths yapping about her the next day) must have some effect on her fashion choices. So what would her next move be? Something classic? Crazy? A little bit of both.Golden Globes. Jason Merritt, Getty ImagesGolden Globes, January 17, 2010When Fey showed up to a very rainy Golden Globes red carpet, the umbrellas weren't the only thing to raise eyebrows.Her bold statement dress was a definitely "look." And one that didn't necessarily put Fey on the fashion map."Tina got a lot of flack for this look," says celebrity stylist Anya Sarre. Bloch explains that "from a distance it looks great, but up close... a bit of an eyesore," and describes the patterned, poufy dress as "Mary Poppins goes to Hollywood." Something simpler (but not black!) would have been the better choice. And after seeing herself on many best and worst dressed lists (in the latter category), Fey was likely to take note for next time.SAG awards. Kevin Mazur, Wireimage.comScreen Actor's Guild Awards, January 23, 2010After the negative press surrounding her Golden Globes outfit, Fey made a more simple, elegant choice for the SAGs, and was welcomed with open arms by the style-a-razzi."I love the color of this vibrant blue.