Fashion at the Oscars: Jennifer Lopez in Giorgio Armani Prive & Sarah Jessia Parker in Chanel Haute Couture

One of my favorite nights in fashion just came to a close and of course I’m here to give you my two cents.  When I covered the Golden Globes earlier this year, the main thing I took away was that I was…yawn, bored.  The Oscars were a bit more interesting but most actresses still played it safe – but at least some had the good sense to wear couture!

My two favorite dresses of the night happened to be haute couture:  Jennifer Lopez in Giorgio Armani Prive and Sarah Jessica Parker in Chanel Haute Couture.  Lopez was stunning in an iridescent pink dress that was equally sparkly and dramatic.  The extra petal at her hip were beautiful and accentuated her feminine curves.  Parker’s gown, on the other hand, was striking in it’s simplicity. The most beautiful part of the dress was the neckline and back of the dress.  Both women wore the most popular hairdo of the night – the messy updo.

Fashion at the Oscars: Gabourey Sidibe in Marchesa & Mo'Nique in Tadashi Shoji

The best story behind an outfit – without a doubt – goes to Mo’Nique.  Her entire ensemble was dedicated and made in homage to Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American actor to be nominated and win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind.  Mo’Nique stated:

The reason why I have on this royal blue dress is because it’s the color that Hattie McDaniel wore in 1940 when she accepted her Oscar. The reason why I have this gardenia in my hair, it is the flower that Hattie McDaniel wore when she accepted her Oscar. So for you, Miss Hattie McDaniel, I feel you all over me.

Overall, the ladies looked lovely and there weren’t too many missteps… though of course I had my least favorites.  Here’s my quick rundown on the trends I picked up on and my picks for different categories:

Color Trends:  Lots of metallic shimmer, especially gold, but silver and iridescent were also really popular.  Blue also was a popular color for the night – from midnight navy to royal blue to pale baby blue – blue was popular in many shades.  Pale blush was also on the carpet and I must say, I was not a fan.  The color of the dresses were too close to the color of Demi Moore’s & Anna Kendrick’s skin – they blended in too much and were not flattering (which was a shame because Demi’s dress was gorgeous!).

Couture:  Finally!  The ladies wore couture.  From Chanel, Giorgio Armani Prive, Atelier YSL, Atelier Versace, Donna Karan Couture – the ladies went a bit more high fashion.

High Slits:  At the Golden Globes the ladies showed off their um, “globes” – at the Oscars, they showed off their legs with thigh high slits.  Mariah Carey, Zoe Saldana, Demi Moore, Anna Kendrick and Jennifer Lopez all showed us a little leg.

The Messy Updo:  I’m not sure if it was the weather (rainy) or if it was intentional, but many of the ladies had messy updo’s.  Jennifer Lopez, SJP, Zoe Saldana, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Ritchie and Miley Cyrus all wore this look.

Most Improved:  Tina Fey in Michael Kors looked great.  Word on the street was that Vogue helped style her – and it showed.  She looked beautiful while still looking strong and intelligent and didn’t have any uncomfortably low necklines.  Mariah Carey also came far.  She still had the girls on display but this look was almost classy for her.

Least Favorite:  Charlize Theron & Zoe Saldana.  Charlize’s awkwardly placed rosettes drew all the attention to the breasts – and looked ridiculous.  Yes, Dior, apparently, can do wrong.  Zoe’s dress was beautiful from the waist up but the mass of tiny ruffles on the bottom of the dress was just too much.

Most In Need of Finishing School:  Miley Cyrus and Kristen Steward are tied for this one.  Kristen Stewart should stick to converse because she can’t pull off glamour.  She needs to wipe off that smug look off her face and stop slouching before she hits the red carpet.  Miley actually has great Oscar dresses (she had one of my favorites) – she just needs to be able to wear it like a lady.

Check out the gallery to see for yourself and let us know your favorites, least favorites, etc…

Left to Right: Amy Adams in Carolina Herrera, January Jones in Lanvin, Courtney Cox in Victoria Beckham

Last night the Golden Globes aired and started the official round of 2010 award ceremonies. The Golden Globes is notoriously the fashion “dress rehersal” for the Oscars – and I really hope that this year, the Golden Globes are not an example of what we can expect at the Academy Awards. Everything from the fashion, to the actual show was very ho-hum BORING. I didn’t see anything that made me excited. It seemed like everyone played it very safe.

Left to Right: Christina Hendricks, Chloe Sevigny, Christina Aguillera

There were definitely some trends popping up on the red carpet:

• As far as color these were the major players:  Black, Red, Purple (in all of its shades) and Pale Pastels.
• Strapless – the most popular of the necklines – along with accompanying cleavage as an accessory
• Waist details – lots of cinching at the waist with beading
• Fabric flowers and ruffles
• Hair – either upswept or down and very natural (blame it on the rain??)
• Makeup – not too dramatic.  Most emphasis was on the lips – either very red or very pale.
• Umbrellas are the new black? Sorry, just kidding – but it was really funny to see Red Carpet shots taken with umbrellas.

Left to Right: Fergie in Elie Saab & Leona Lewis in Roberto Cavalli

My very favorite looks included January Jones in Lanvin, Courtney Cox in a design by Victoria Beckham, Zoe Saldana in Louis Vuitton, Lea Michele in Oscar de la Renta and Kate Hudson in Marchesa. There were 3 looks that I absolutely hated!  Mariah Carey and her boobs hanging out all over the place (did they have their own nomination??), Sandra Bullock in that sheer hot mess of a dress and Tina Fey in a Zac Posen dress that was actually not bad but did not suit her AT ALL.

The Worst! Left to Right: Sandra Bullock in Bottega Veneta & Tina Fey in Zac Pose

Who were your favorites?  Who did you dislike the most?? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!

I was one of the many, many people glued to their TVs to see what the celebrities (and their stylists) decided they should wear to the Golden Globe Awards.  There were gorgeous gowns, dazzling jewels and coiffed coifs.  Dior seemed to score big with many leading ladies wearing gowns by John Galliano for Dior.  But the biggest trend of the night was in the hair category – so many bangs in face!  I didn’t mind it, more annoying was the constant moving of the hair from the face.  As usual, there were the people that looked great, and people who I just looked at and wondered:  “Really, you have THAT much money and THAT much access to couture and diamonds and THAT’S the best you could do?”  One of my favorite looks of the night was Susan Sarandan in a black tux paired with a corset and long diamond necklaces.  Here’s a brief breakdown of my favorites, trends, and WTFs?

2 Favorite Dresses (minus the silly expressions):

Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab & Kate Beckinsdale in J. Mendel

It comes as no surprise that 2 of my favorite dresses would be black and white.  Wood’s dress is evocative of Chanel to me and is glamorous and age appropriate and a good choice for an award’s show.  Beckinsdale’s dress was my favorite of the night for pure dramatic effect.  The neckline was gorgeous and she carried it beautifully.  I didn’t love her earrings but she was smart in skipping the necklace and going with big earrings.  I hate when people feel like they need to junk up their decolletage in a strapless dress with a necklace.

3 more favorites:

Kate Winslet in YSL, Eva Mendes in Dior, Maggie Gyllenhaal in Lanvin

I love Kate Winslet – she’s smart, funny, strong and a “Dame” in the making.  Her choice in dress reflected her personality – it was sleek, sophisticated and strong.  Eva Mendes was beautiful in Dior (though I was surprised she wasn’t in Calvin Klein – you know, the perfume deal . . .) and her necklace was pretty though I don’t know if I loved them together.  And Maggie Gyllenhaal looked fresh, young and independent in her Lanvin gown.  I thought all 3 ladies had nice hairstyles – I’m a big fan of up-dos for fancy occasions and their coiffs were modern and not stuffy at all.
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