With just a few days to go until the darlings of Hollywood grace the red carpet of the 82nd Academy Awards (and try not to clash with it!) the final fittings to the all-important outfits are being made and the excitement of ‘who will be wearing who’ begins to build.
Will Renee Zellweger look like a hobo? Did Miley Cyrus raid her grandma’s wardrobe again? How will Mickey Rourke confirm his insanity this time? These are the thoughts that stop us from sleeping this time of year so to help Hot Gossip has established The Oscar Fashion Rules For the Red Carpet Star – your guide to the tasteful, the tedious & the tit-tape.
1. Reflect your inner self.
Isn’t that what true style is all about? Don’t let your celebrity stylist have their chance of revenge. The Oscars is a showcase of your personal style and what it says about you. Read 50 reviews of the red carpet and you’ll get 50 different opinions. Some loved Cameron’s quirky look, others hated it. Some thought Jessica Biel’s hot pink frock worked, others didn’t. Who’s right? You are. Now, power your individuality & full chic ahead.
2. Don’t let him out dress you.
For me, when I guy doesn’t wear a tie at the Oscars it becomes a Really. Big. Deal. The Oscars are a high stakes prom and you don’t want a man looking more dolled up than you! It’s stylish, it’s hot and all you have to do is wonder how to complement it. P.Diddy’s velvet and John Legend’s mocha suits are rare examples where ‘getting creative with the tux’ has worked but it’s down to the personality to pull it off so beware. For the single guy you could look no further for inspiration than singletons, Matt Stone & Trey Parker (of South Park fame), who arrived at the 2000 awards dressed in drag versions of J-Lo’s sheer green Versace & Gwyneth’s prissy pink gown much to the horror of the serious fashion press.
3. Be bold.
Who remembers what Kate Winslet or Scarlett Johansson wore last year (or any year for that matter)? No. Well, exactly. If I see another yawn-fest of strapless-neutral-coloured-floor-length-bodice-supported gowns this year I’ll scream. The good old days of swanning around like Bjork in THAT dress,
Uma’s milkmaid outfit in 2004 and, well, anything Cher wore seem to have gone (dressing like a circus performer for an important acting award was classic!).
Be glamorous & elegant but for goodness sake be inventive. A perfect example of this was Halle Berry’s graceful sheer embroidered top & deep red ball skirt she wore for her 2002 Oscar win. So, damn the fashion critics (they never agree anyway) and take risks because people remember you that way……and some of us have stayed up all night to watch you!
4. Dress your age
Sometimes the best fashion lessons come from the most unlikely sources. First off a 12 year-old, like say Abigail Breslin, who looked fab in her pretty pink princess dress because for her that was the point.
Then, put the same style pink prom dress on Gwyneth and – agh! – disaster but what do you expect from a woman who named her daughter Apple? Not a lot of judgement, that’s for sure. And, let’s take the 60-something British actress, Helen Mirren, but she goes against all the established rules for the oldies & bares her cleavage and arms and still looks sexy so what do I know!?
5. Let your outfit shine.
As we all know, an outfit is not just a dress – it’s the hair, the make-up & the jewels. Getting it wrong is all too easy and looking tacky with too much bling and boobs all over the place takes attention away from the dress and your face…but then again that might be the intention. Lol!
For the best examples that stuck to the rules (and which are my personal faves) look no further than Julia Roberts’ vintage Valentino, Audrey Hepburn’s gorgeous 1954 classic and Keira Knightley’s plumy Vera Wang and you can’t go wrong. What I wouldn’t give to spend the day dressing up in all the Oscar classics! Well, Theo King is making this a reality – Buy your Stars the most famous fashions in the world – Check instore for details. What are your favorites? Let us know your thoughts by pressing ‘comments’ at the top of this feature!


