If you're anything like me, the Oscar pre-show is quite possibly the best part of the telecast. Don't get me wrong--I'm very much into movies and can't wait to hear the winners (and losers)--but Oscar night is really the holy grail of red carpet events. And, sadly, last night proved to be a little too safe to qualify as the cutting edge style I was hoping to see.
Beauty, elegance and style were in strong supply for sure, but where were the divas? The Chers, Barbara Streisands and Bjorks of yesterday were nowhere to be found. Even red carpet rabble-rousers like Vanessa Paradis (wife of Johnny Depp) played it safe in traditional black. There were some standouts, which I'll discuss tomorrow, but first let's talk trends. We did see much of what was expected, and luckily, these looks are extremely adaptable to real life.
First up, the color of the night: Red. My favorites were Anne Hathaway in Marchesa and Harry Winston earrings (above left) and Katherine Heigl in Escada (right). Coincidentally, they both also chose one-shoulder silhouettes, the style of the moment. I'm so glad to see this va-va-voom color in full force--one look at Hathaway's dark features and Heigl's blonde bombshell-ness shows you that the color works on all types. They both chose diamond drop earrings to accentuate their gowns. I would try these on for size:
Anne Hathaway kept it simple with diamond drops. Try a low-cost option with these Mauboussin 18k white gold crystal diamond drop earrings. Katherine Heigl wore longer drops with a little edge, just like these Kwiat 18k white gold drop earrings.
There was also a mini-trend of layered necklaces with strapless gowns. Keri Russell aimed for the subdued version of this look, wearing H. Stern's vintage floral necklace with her champagne Nina Ricci gown. Nicole Kidman really went for it, though, in a custom creation by stylist (and Mick Jagger girlfriend) L'Wren Scott over her Balenciaga black. Try these multi-strand necklaces with your next strapless dress:
Marco Bicego 18k yellow gold 5-row Paradise semi-precious necklace. Why not mix it up with this multi-colored accessory that will go with nearly everything.
Jose Hess 3-strand 18k white gold diamond necklace. The perfect necklace that can read formal or informal based on the particular situation.
Lastly for today, we had our usual smattering of black. I did like the interest in this year's dresses, though, most of which had rouching, pintucking or tulle layering. Many of these ladies went with earrings and serious diamond cuffs to offset the dark gowns. Kristin Chenoweth (above left) chose Kwiat jewels while Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton wore Damiani's Sahara Cuff featuring nearly 48 carats of diamonds. Here's some similar wrist-bling:
Stephen Dweck Sterling Silver Diamond Floral Chain Bracelet. A couture look without the unattainable price tag.
Andy Gotz 18k diamond floral botanical hinged bangle bracelet. A perfect mix of Art Nouveau and modern drama, this bracelet won't go out of style.
Images courtesy Frazer Harrison, Frederick M. Brown, Vince Bucci; Getty Images.
