My 2017 Oscars Best Dressed List

Tonight is The Oscars, my favorite night of cinema celebration, red carpet fashion and dreams come true! Below is my best dressed list with abbreviated captions so that I can get back to the show. But before I go, I do want to note the trends of the night - velvet, ruffles, feathers, champagne (the color... and probably the bubbly), metallics and shiny embellishments. Feeling fancy, incorporate one of these on your next night out!

Full Metal Belt: Born to Shine

You’ve seen it. Its shine caught your eye. And if you’re like me, you can’t get it out of your mind. It’s the sleekest, chicest accessory to hit the red carpet.

It’s The Belt of the Season, made of solid, smooth metal.

Before the metal belt made such an impact at award shows and A-list parties, it appeared in early 2012 on the runway for the fall Calvin Klein Collection and in the lookbook for Stella McCartney’s fall evening line.  We saw McCartney’s gold version several times last year from her favorite “Saskia” gown. The “Most Worn Dress of 2012” was sported by Gwyneth Paltrow, Shalom Harlow, Brooklyn Decker and Kira Miro, to name a few.

Raf Simons also used it to nip waists and add modern edge to his debut for Christian Dior Haute Couture. His fall 2012 collection reimagined the groundbreaking premiere of Dior’s “New Look” from 1947.

Later that year it topped more looks from geometric print dresses at the Juanjo Oliva show to Prabal Gurung’s black and white ensembles.

A metal belt used to evoke childhood memories of my brother practicing to be a WWE professional wrestler in our living room.  Luckily I survived those matches intact and I can appreciate today’s metal belts, which seem equally futuristic and rock & roll.  The accessory’s allure is that it adds that little something extra to make almost any dress more edgy, yet polished. 

How to Rock It:

(Almost) Any Dress - Seriously. A metal belt will give some sass to a romantic dress with lace or ruffles and put a simple, sexy dress over the edge.  Consider adding a jacket or long cardigan over or under the belt.

A Skirt and Top Combo - See above.  Plus it will accentuate the waist even more.  I think a metal belt would look very bad ass with a leather pencil skirt and a simple top.  For a tamer outfit, pair it with a flowy midi skirt.

Skinny Jeans - Pair it with dark skinny jeans, a boxy cropped top and booties for a rocker look; a tunic sweater and flats for a casual day or a sexy tank top for a party look.

Additional Note: Keep jewelry minimal or even better, wear none at all.  If you must, try multistring mixed media pieces, a metal cuff bracelet or stud earrings.

 

Photos courtesy of Getty, InStyle/Dara Kushner/INFphoto.com and Joseph Kerlakian/Rex

 

 Wide Metal Waist Belt from Topshop - $36

Clean Metal Bar Belt from Topshop - $50

Nicholas Roxanne Silver Plate Belt at Shopbop - $120

UPDATE 2/10/13: Natasha Bedingfield continues the metal belt’s reign at the 2013 Grammy Awards!  That and her matching gold clutch add a little rock and roll to her red lace Emerson gown.

Photo courtesy of Getty and The Huffington Post

What A Great Find! Emerald earrings, à la Jolie

On an impromptu shopping trip to New York & Company, I found these gorgeous emerald-like drop earrings, worthy of the red carpet.  Inspired by Angelina Jolie’s pair that she wore to the Oscars, these are a fortunate find during award show season AND they were deeply discounted!  I've been looking for a near exact replica since I fell in love with Jolie's and these are very similar.  I also snapped up the matching bracelet.

Oversized statement earrings like these reprised their role on the red carpet at the Golden Globes last Sunday.  While there are no black tie events in my future, I look forward to wearing these with a black cocktail dress and suede pumps on a date night.

Happy Award Season!

Photo of Angelina Jolie by AP Photo/Matt Sayles
Photos courtesy of E! Online, Jason Merritt/Getty Images, John Shearer/Invision/AP

Oscar Night: All dolled up in Toledo, Ohio

On Oscar night I attended a party hosted by the Norman and Louise Jones Foundation with my boyfriend and his parents.  As an admirer of movies, Hollywood and all things glamorous, I'm surprised to admit that this was my first Oscar Party.  I imagine myself as a hostess of an annual get together but I always find myself on the couch in my PJs.  One day...

But THIS year, I got all dolled up, thanks to Estée Lauder, and celebrated the night with champagne and hors d’ oeuvres.  Of the makeup that came in the massive Estée Lauder kit I received from the Camera-Ready Style contest presented by Vanity Fair I used the Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup foundation in 1 for above my cheekbone and 4 for below.  The lighter shade highlighted my cheekbones and evened out my skin, while the darker shade contoured my cheeks.  This tip, among others, was shared by Estée Lauder's Premier Makeup Artist Blair Patterson during our time together for the Vanity Fair photo shoot.  Then I used Ideal Light Brush-on Illuminator to further disguise under-eye circles.  On my lips I brushed Pure Color lipstick in "Enticing Fuschia," which I topped with Pure Color Shimmer gloss in "Garnet Desire."

Here we are on the red carpet.  Forgive me for the poor pictures.  My camera is taking a hiatus.

[caption id="attachment_745" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Betty, Carlton, myself & Jim"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_741" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Carlton & I"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_743" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Dress, Forever 21; shoes Gianni Binni; necklace & bracelet, vintage"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_746" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Clutch, MAC makeup case; bracelet & rings, vintage"][/caption]