The 2011 Academy Awards: Best Dressed

Award shows are all about the 3 G’s and no, I’m not talking about technology. I’m talking about the glitz, the glamour, and the gowns! Sure, the Oscars are technically about giving out awards, but I think I may enjoy the red carpet better than watching the actual show! The last couple of months have had no shortage of awards shows, but they were all a lead-up to the biggest night of them all: the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. I had been looking forward to the Oscars for awhile now, not only because I wanted to find out which films would win, but because it's the night celebs show off their very best on the red carpet. That means the gowns are more dramatic, the jewelry is more expensive and the hairstyles are even more sky-high then ever (aka, Reese's ponytail!).

Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed at all. Plus, I think anything would be a step up from the 2011 Grammy red carpet. Rodarte, Marchesa and Chanel were all in attendance and they all looked phenomenal (and so did the actresses wearing them!) While the designers varied, the trends were pretty noticeable. The carpet was flooded with sequins that left us dazzled, lace that showed just the right amount of skin and lots of nude and bright red dresses!  Last night’s Oscars marked the end of the award season, but before they roll up the red carpet, I need to crown the best-dressed ladies of the night!

Michelle Williams looked simply angelic in this form flattering, white beaded, short sleeved Chanel Haute Couture dress. She remains true to her vintage style in this gown which she pairs with Harry Winston diamond earrings and ring and Jimmy Choo pumps. Lovely is probably the best way I can describe her because when it comes to understated elegance, no one does it like Michelle Williams. 

Amy Adams is not usually known for being on the best dressed list, but she definitely deserves it this time! Amy wears double the sparkles in a glittering purple L'Wren Scott cap-sleeved gown, Salvatore Ferragamo shoes and $1,350,000 of Cartier diamond jewelry, including a bracelet and necklace, each containing more than 30 carats of emeralds (WOW!). Amy showed off every inch of her desirable frame, while its high neckline, and her elegant 1940s coiffure, kept the look on the sophisticated side of sexy. 

Cate Blanchett is always a fashion plate. While there is a lot of dispute over her dress, I think it was absolutely stunning! The actress walked the carpet in an elaborately beaded and pleated lilac Givenchy Haute Couture gown with Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry. This structured lilac Givenchy gown was a work of art. It was very detailed and highlighted two splashes of bright yellow on the collar. Her simple, sleek 'do is the perfect complement.

Mila Kunis didn't end up taking home the best supporting actress award, but it's ok, because she looked flawless in this gorgeous, flowing chiffon and lavender lace tiered Elie Saab Haute Couture dress. With a grosgrain ribbon waist and peekaboo detailing, which she pairs with Neil Lane diamonds and a pink clutch, Mila definitely tops this best dressed list, no if's and's or butt's about it! 

Best Dressed: Grammy's 2011

     As i watched The Grammy Awards Red Carpet, all i saw was disaster after disaster in terms of fashion. Apparently there was a competition over who could wear the most heinous dress. There were a few exceptions to the general heinous fashion choices though, most notably Selena Gomez, Jennifer Lopez and Leah Michelle.  But other then that select few, its was pitiful. Lets start off with my absolute fav of the night, Selena Gomez. Selena never really seems to disappoint does she? She is always on my best dressed list! Well anyways, Selena worked the trend of the night; metallic gold, wearing a J. Mendel Spring 2011 gown. She added a Judith Leiber embellished clutch and Lorraine Schwartz jewels. Selena looks age appropriate and fabulous! J-Lo is 41 years old, but damn, she still looks fierce as ever! Jennifer wore a long-sleeved Emilio Pucci mini with matching Christian Louboutins! Someone just tell me how many mirrors had to die to make this outfit? LOL, i still loved it though! Lea Michele once again proved she’s a pro when it comes to picking the right dress for red carpet events. This ruffled Emilio Pucci dress is sexy, demure and modern. Combining black lace with a thigh-high split, Christian Louboutin patent pumps, and Lorraine Schwartz jewels, Lea looks amazing! Thats my wrap up for the night, are there any other favorites of your’s that i am missing?

A few others i liked were:

Keri Hilson

Kathy Griffin

Jennifer Hudson

Nicole Kidman

Marc by Marc Jacobs Jelly Bracelets

Shut the front door. I hate that I don't hate these. Marc Jacobs created a set of five jelly bracelets, aka. Silly Bandz, and I want them. I want them right now. It's $15 for a set of 5. I mean, come on. That is perfect. I seriously hate Silly Bandz but Marc Jacobs' jelly bracelets have my heart. How he manages to make cheap look chic, I will never know.

A great pair of lace-up boots or booties can really add some edge to the most lady-like of outfits. Unlike sexy stilettos, boots have the ability to make any girl look like a bad ass with the masculinity of the leather and the lace-up structure of this style.  They are a great alternative to your regular heels and work for a brunch date or a day window shopping with your girl friends. (Not to mention boots are generally more comfortable for long-term wear compared to heels too!)
I like to wear my boots two different ways:  either with a sexy dress or skirt (like Taylor Momsen did here) or with rolled up boyfriend jeans or super skinny jeans (as seen here and here). If you’re feeling extra daring, try pairing fun little ankle socks with these boots too to add a bit of extra flair to your outfit.
Do you love leather lace-up boots?  Tell me your favorite styles and how you rock them today

Lets get nude!

Hey! Get your mind outta the gutter! This is no nudist blog, this is a fashion blog so clothing is obviously important! Although fashion’s purpose is usually to cover up, this trend is all about blending into your skin tone. If you don’t have a pair of nude heels i highly suggest you go invest in a pair right this second! Something that I adore about the nude shoe is that it can flatter your body in any outfit. Nude shoes elongate your legs, giving the illusion of not only more height, but skinnier legs if you have a heel on too! What nude shoes do, that any other color like black, red or blue don't do, is eliminate the line that breaks your foot from your leg. This creates one long line as opposed to 2 shorter lines. Get it? Best of all, the color goes with basically any outfit because it matches your skin!  Make sure when you are shopping for a nude shoe, you find one that blends best with your legs – its like foundation for your feet! If something doesn’t match perfectly, go lighter or darker! My favorite fashionista Blake Lively rocks the nude heel perfectly on the red carpet all the time! Your turn!

Must Have!

I have a new obsession with skinny cargo pants. They are just so chic and add a tougher edge to outfits than jeans. They absolutely go with everything and literally everyone has been wearing them. Any color is great really; army green, blue, or gray. As long as they look a little scuffed, you’ve got the style down. Is this love? Yes…yes I think so! I’ve tried them on many times but unfortunately, they don’t look good on me! Its pretty upsetting. What brands are your favorite though? Do tell!

Turbans!

     Accessories, accessories, accessories!! I cannot say it enough!  Since it is still quite cold outside and (days like these you wear a thick coat) some days the only thing people might see is your face and not your outfit.  So, you have to accessorize and one of the biggest ways you can do that is to wear a hair accessory!  Whether it is a headband or scarf, be creative and spruce up that drab winter day’s outfit.  Personally, I am a huge fan of turbans!  Jason Wu styled his spring collection with black or cobalt turbans, and many celebs have been spotted rocking them such as Mary-Kate Olsen, Kate Moss and Kourtney Karsdashian! Hop in on the craze, with any print or pattern! They are pretty inexpensive if you can find them at the right place, plus they add attitude and spunk to any outfit!

Who cares if you only wear ‘em a few times? At $25.80 these platform Floral Mary Janes can turn any outfit from run-of-the-mill to fashion forward with a simple print.

Dolce & Gabanna: Milan’s Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 Collection

Spring is near and Dolce & Gabanna’s  sheer lace Spring/Summer 2011 Collection is what’s “in”! Along with the floral fashion trend, leopard print, and romantic lace. Lace is sexy and feminine and can be worn to your advantage. Try to find your style due to the large variety of different patterns of lace and sizes.  You can wear lace without revealing so much skin to keep your modest by just adding something as simple as a tank top underneath, or be bold and go bare by wearing lingerie for a “sexy” look. Try not to abrade to many patterns of lace all at once because its unflattering! Play around with colors to suite yourself. Remember that lace doesn’t only have to be worn after 5 (Evening apparel).

I had a crazy day today, but of course I couldn’t keep myself from making more outfits!  I recently went shopping and bought a denim button up and was wondering what exactly I could wear it with and now that I started doing this again, I came up with a bunch of solutions! So, you know those days when you don’t feel like getting all dressed up nice and being casual, but don’t want to look like too much of a bum? Well that’s totally outfit number 1. The black jeans, white tank top, and converse totally go great with the denim shirt and are a little bit cuter than the oversized sweatshirt for lazy days. I  don’t exactly know what my inspiration was for the second outfit, but I think it’s cute. Tuck the shirt into the skirt, and throw the jacket over it, slip on some brown heeled boots and you have yourself one girly, grungy outfit. Lastly my obsession with blazers continues. The blazer is worn over the denim shirt, paired with tan trousers that you can either tuck in, or wear over and then I toped it off with tan lace up heels. I hope you guys liked my suggestions. Write in my ask and tell me what to make outfits with for tomorrow! :) The shirt is available at JCrew and you can get it here.

One Garment, Endless Outfits

 Hey guys! As the week continues my outfits are getting better and better… at least I think so. Anyways polyvore has become an obsession again (yikes). I spent like 3 hours last night making outfits and looking at all the clothes. How great would it be if polyvore was linked to my closet?  Like if I saved something to my items, it would show up on a hanger tomorrow. Well, since that’s not possible I guess I will have to settle for just pretending.  When I was making the first outfit, I hadn’t planned on using the blue blazer as the main garment. I was originally going to base every outfit on the light gray shirt. But as I was making the first outfit I realized that the blue blazer was really nice and a common thing in peoples closet, so why not show them outfits with clothes they might already have? So I went with that lead and ended up making 3 amazing outfits with the blazer. For the first one, I paired this light gray top with a striped skirt. The shirt is not meant to be tucked into the skirt, it’s meant to be worn over it. Then added the gorgeous blue blazer and topped the outfit off with these sheer net booties that I adore!  Second, I instantly fell in love with that pink lace trim top. I added the sand colored shorts, with a navy Moschino belt and nude heels.  Even though none of the garments directly match each other, they all flow nicely. And last, but certainly not least I made a really casual look that you can wear to school. White jeans, a black silky tank and a repetto shoe, similar to oxfords.  Which outfit is your favorite? The navy blazer can be purchased here.

One Garment, Endless Outfits

      So I had a lot of fun yesterday creating those outfits so I think i'm going to make it a regular thing and try to do it everyday. Today i chose this silk polka dot button down collared blouse. Though i've never touched it in person i can tell that the fabric is luxurious and it drew me to it. For the first outfit i got together i took the shirt, and added high wasted black denim shorts, tights, black lace up booties and a cross necklace. The second outfit is a bit more basic. I paired the blouse with emerald pants, threw a chestnut belt on it and paired it with tall chestnut leather boots. That outfit was my favorite, even though it was very simple. Lastly i combined the blouse with a black scarf, heels and basic dark wash jeans. Casual and sexy! This shirt is sold out but here is where you can find it. Hope you guys like my ideas! Should i continue to do these? Let me know what you think! Xoxo.