The top fashion trends, moments of 2014

Weddings, stars, models, brows and one famous bum made news in 2014.

Fashion certainly had its highs and lows in 2014, many of them, but not all, celebrity-related. There were joyous occasions, as in a couple of big name (rea-al-l-l-l-ly big) weddings, and the very sad passing of one of the world's most famous fashion designers.

And the Kardashian family is in the mix, from the emergence of an unexpected runway star to yet another bride, this one heralded not so much for what she wore as for what she did not.

10. Kimye's cover

Considered Vogue magazine's most controversial cover ever, Kim Kardashian and soon-to-be husband Kanye West posed for the fashion bible's April issue in wedding garb. Scathing tweets followed with the hashtag #worldsmosttalkedaboutcouple. Fashion pundits and mere mortals slammed editor Anna Wintour for what was roundly deemed tasteless (after all, Kardashian's fame was launched by a porn tape followed by a reality show). Even well known folks weren't shy about their disdain, including Sarah Michelle Gellar (@realSMG) who tweeted, "Well... I guess I'm canceling my Vogue subscription. Who's with me?" (Apparently 5,500 followers retweeted it, while another 7,300 favorited it.) Kardashian, er, ended her year with a much-hyped "break the Internet" image for Paper Magazine that revealed what some consider her greatest asset. Enough said.

9. Beyonce gets cagey

There are fashion moments that strike like lightning, as in Beyonce's sizzling rendition of her hit, "Drunk in Love," performed with husband Jay Z at the Grammy Awards in January, for which she wore a custom bra and bodysuit topped by a La Perla collar and cage. The style was instantly a hot seller in stores. So hot, you'd almost expect TV sets all over the world to melt.

8. Bare bellies

We thought (truthfully, wished) they'd surely go away, but bare midriffs stayed strong even as we moved into fall with flashes of flesh and more revealing bra tops. They turned up from day to night and even on red carpets (here, Kerry Washington at the SAG Awards). Word to the wise: don't let up on those situps.

7. The moto jacket

Clearly, the one garment that was the leader of the pack for 2014 was the motorcycle jacket -- for men and women -- an uber-cool replacement for the blazer (here, a rich leather jacket from Ralph Lauren). There were specialty styles mixed in with the classics -- intricate zippers, contrasting sleeves and even a few styles produced in velvet and brocade. Still, though, a basic black moto jacket is a mainstay. Put simply, a wardrobe must-have.

6. A family veil

In August, Angelina Jolie finally married longtime love Brad Pitt in a private ceremony in the south of France. She wore a simple gown designed by Atelier Versace, but what garnered the most attention was her custom veil that boasted dozens of illustrations done by her six kids. While most fashion watchers thought the veil was incredibly sweet, Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez, authors of the popular Tom & Lorenzo blog, wrote, "We think the idea of the embroidered children's drawings is absolutely adorable, but we find ourselves wishing the fine folks at Atelier Versace had done a little editing. There's about a third too many, to our eyes. It looks like a wall in a particularly lax day care."

5. Bold Brows

Brows went wild and woolly in 2014, championed by eyebrow poster girl, model Cara Delevingne, along with a slew of other notable faces including Lily Allen and Brooke Shields (she even launched a line with MAC cosmetics that featured eyebrow makeup). In fact, brow makeup in general took a serious sales uptick -- a quick fix -- for gals with less than bountiful brows.

4. Kendall Jenner rules the runway

Pictures: red carpet dresses

The Kardashian clan may be famous for doing nothing but not so for half-sis Kendall Jenner, 19, who made her mark on the catwalk modeling in virtually every major designer show in New York and many in Europe (here, at Chanel). This girl worked it. And talk about a juxtaposition: the newbie model walked in Diane von Furstenberg's New York Fashion Week show along with supermodel royalty Naomi Campbell.

3. Taylor Swift becomes best-dressed

Named by People magazine as best-dressed star of the year, well, no one’s joking about pop princess Taylor Swift’s failed romances and breakups these day. The Taylor Swift marketing machine went full throttle in ’14 with mega hits, a stint as mentor on NBC’s "The Voice"--and she killed it on every red carpet (here at the recent American Music Awards in Michael Kors). Her off-duty her looks were just as fab, many retro, and won high praise from fashion pundits. And lets not forget about the accessories. It was a year of what seemed like hundreds of different designer bags and sometimes one of her cats (Olivia and Meredith) in tow. In a word, well, she always looked purrfect.

2. The bride watched round the world: Amal Alamuddin

It was September in Venice when Amal Alamuddin, 36, an accomplished human rights lawyer, wed one of the world’s most famous bachelors, George Clooney, and, in doing so, earned a new title and we’re not talking "Mrs. Clooney." More like: fashion icon. Alamuddin-watching became a global sport as she paraded for the paparazzi in a dizzyingly fabulous sartorial mash-up. Her look epically blended nervy quirkiness and old-school elegance. Included in the mix: a flaming red high-low Alexander McQueen dress for the rehearsal dinner; a custom Oscar de la Renta wedding gown; a chic-to-the-nines creamy Stella McCartney pants ensemble (pictured) for a civil ceremony (ooh, the floppy hat) and, for post-wedding, a daring floral Giambattista Valli mullet dress. Clooney-shmooney... all eyes were on her.

1. The late, great Oscar de la Renta

Among the world’s most legendary designers, Oscar de la Renta died on Oct. 20 at the age of 82 after a long battle with cancer. Dominican-born, his career spanned more than half a century. He dressed first ladies and red carpet stars with equal aplomb, and, according to those who knew him best, enjoyed every minute. One week before his death, de la Renta appointed British designer Peter Copping, 48, formerly the artistic director at Nina Ricci, as his company’s creative director. De la Renta’s funeral, held at St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan, drew major fashion designers including Michael Kors, Donna Karan, Diane von Furstenberg, Ralph Lauren and Valentino. Dignitaries like Hillary Clinton, Henry Kissinger and former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg spoke and others paying respects included Hugh Jackman, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Barbara Walters, a regular guest at his New York Fashion Week shows. Former first lady Laura Bush, who often wore de la Renta, as did her daughters, said, "We will always remember him as the man who made women look and feel beautiful."

Also see: royal blue formal dresses

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