Elegance at the Oscars

I may not have loved all the movies that were nominated for awards last night, but I sure loved a lot of the winning looks.  Here are my picks for best dressed at the Academy Awards 2023. In no particular order:

Loved seeing Dwayne Johnson in a pink Dolce + Gabbana suit jacket. With Emily Blunt wearing a chic white Valentino gown.
Cara Delevigne put her supermodel skills to good use in a voluminous Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown with an oversized bow at the shoulder and high slit, plus the jewels.  Photo: Getty
In a freshly-cut pixie and bold red lip, Michelle Williams selected an ethereal caped white custom Chanel gown with silvery details and full cape, plus Tiffany & Co. jewels. Photo: Getty
Michelle Yeoh is a winner in her Dior Haute Couture gown with sheer yoke and rows of delicate feathers, plus tons of sparkling gems including in her hair as a headband.  Photo: Getty
Oh Sandra; you chose well. Sandra Oh in a juicy citrus Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown with gathered cape-like sleeves and showstopping vintage jewels from Briony Raymond, including a Harry Winston pendant with a 77-carat citrine. Photo: Getty
Actress Danai Gurira wears a classic black strapless gown with raw edge with a meaningful structured updo encircled with gems.  She looks super elegant.
Actor Ke Huy Quan in a classic Giorgio Armani Made to Measure tux with elegant brooch and David Yurman cufflinks.  Very dapper.
Nominated for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Stephanie Hsu lit up the Oscars carpet in her vibrant watermelon pink strapless Valentino Haute Couture gown accessorized with Cartier sapphires and diamonds. Photo: Getty
Janelle Monae in a cropped, plunging black bustier overlaid with an orange Vera Wang skirt and topped with a wide black bejeweled choker. Photo:  Mike Coppola / Gerry.  She pulls this bombshell look off well, where many others could not.
Austin Butler says he picked his Saint Laurent tux (worn with Cartier jewelry) because it was beautiful. Yes it is; and so is he! Photo: Getty
Kerry Condon wears a sweetheart neckline gown by Atelier Versace in a sunshine yellow shade with a bold red lip. Photo: Mike Coppola Getty
Sofia Carson dons a drop-waist custom gown by Giambattista Valli Haute Couture with a knockout emerald-and-diamond necklace she said required its own security detail. Photo: Getty
Eva Longoria stepped out in a sheer white lace dress with a low plunge neckline and lots of crystals by Zuhair Murad. Photo: Keven Mazur/Getty Images.  This dress is a little busier than i usually like but I think she pulls it off beautifully and she looks great.

Who do you think wore it best?

Advertisement

Style: the Oscar for best dress goes to…

The Oscars are this Sunday

In my opinion, these are all academy award winning dresses.

Let’s just be clear that as much as we admire many of these stars, love the films they’re nominated for and even the ones who are there only for the sake of presenting an award, we really love seeing what they’re wearing and who wore it best.  After all this is the time to pull out all the stops.  The fantasy is being able to dress like a storybook princess one special day of the year.

There are so many past and present stars who wore it best.  It was difficult to choose, but looking through the archives and in no particular order, I narrowed it down to some of my all-time favourites. So beginning with someone named DEBBIE:

Nominated for her role in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Debbie Reynolds brought the princess look to the red carpet and the stage for a performance during the ceremony – 1958.

Jennifer Lawrence and Dior have been a match made in sartorial heaven since the two began working together in 2012. This lace and tulle confection which she wore for her Joy nomination was another one for the books.

In the span of a year actress Lupita Nyong’o became a style icon. Following her baby-blue Prada dress that she won an Oscar in, she followed it up with this intricate pearl-covered Calvin Klein Collection gown – 2015.

How many can pull off this color?  I say do it if you can and you will be noticed!
Michelle Williams‘s saffron Vera Wang dress has become one of the most memorable fashion moments. The actress attended with her then-boyfriend, the late Heath Ledger, who was nominated for his role in Brokeback Mountain, where they both met – 2006.

Gwyneth Paltrow pioneered the caped trend at the 2012 Academy Awards in this Tom Ford, which became one of the biggest fashion trends from outerwear to cocktail dresses.  It solidified her status as style icon – with good reason.


If only for my love of Vintage.  Penelope Cruz channeled a fairytale princess in a vintage Pierre Balmain gown when she won Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona  in 2009.


Becoming the first African American woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress is certainly a moment in time to remember, as was Halle Berry’s Elie Saab partially sheer floral gown – 2002.  And really; how many can get away wearing a dress like this.  She did!


As if Mira Sorvino knew she would be the winner of the night, the actress aptly dressed as a princess for her big Academy win for The Mighty Aphrodite – 1996.  I loved her in that movie, and this dress also reminds me of a vintage one hanging in my closet, only in black and a tad less formal. Still waiting for my perfect role.


No bubble head,  Joan Collins clearly turned heads in this bubble hem gown—and in the 50’s no formal look was complete without elbow-length gloves.  You don’t see dresses like this anymore – 1950.

On Monday we’ll have a look at some of the dresses from this year’s Academy Awards.

How about you?  Have an all-time favourite gown?

most images: harper’s bazaar