A Bit of Oscars Fashion

DH and I spent Sunday night watching a movie - but nothing that would have been awarded an Academy Award. We watched "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although we did catch little bits and pieces of the Oscars afterward, we generally managed to avoid it, which made me happy. I buried my nose in my latest book, and glanced up at the screen occasionally. I did look through a lot of fashion this morning, however, and chose a small number of outfits to share with you. 

I was pleased to see that the trend of transparent or translucent dresses at events didn't seem to carry through heavily into the Oscars. It looked like a return to glitz and glam and I was happy to see it. Clothing wasn't conservative, it was classic. There's an important difference there. Styling was reasonable, jewelry was bling, and political statements, although present, were minimal. I chose a small sampling of Red Carpet clothes to share with you. 

Chadwick Bowman was resplendent in
embroidered Givenchy. The broad lapels
were highly embellished, the cut was
classic, and the ensemble well put together. 

Jane Fonda looked fantastic in this structured and
sculpted white gown by Balmain. There were a
number of older award winners who were celebrated
throughout the evening and they pretty much
looked amazing. I can dream of looking this
good at her age. 

Lupita Nyong'o looked spectacular in this
dress of molten metallic fabric. It suited her
beautifully. I was't able to find out the name
of the designer, and I looked hard, but
I really adored the dress. 

There were a lot of gowns inspired by old
Hollywood, including this stunner worn
by Molly Sims. The design, by Naeeman
Khan, was beautifully draped and the
fabric was total glam. 

Only Nicole Kidman could pull off a giant
bow around her hips, but on her it worked.
The dress, by Armani Prive, hugged her
figure in all the right places. 

I only chose five outfits to show you. but websites abound with the fashion of the night. Color seemed to be common and across the spectrum with some wonderful bright yellow gowns among them - a color I don't see at formal events often. I was delighted to see that this year's fashions truly played homage to Old Hollywood and the 90-year tradition that are the Academy Awards. I guess I should probably at least read the list of the winners. 

I'm in the middle of a Winter Storm Watch, and I'm divided on whether to drive out for my chiropractic appointment, or whether to blow off the appointment and go to the gym that's closer to home. Right now, closer to home is sounding really good. Stay warm, stay safe, and have a great Monday. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Art and Gowns

Sunday was a bit lazy for me, I slept in and then we wandered to Dick Blick's so that DH could price out tubes of watercolor paints. I rarely walk out of there with nothing, and didn't this time either, but we didn't buy very much at all. After a quick stop for lunch I set up my sketchpad when I got back home and continued working on the illustrations for CB's Big Bang story. I got the inkwork done on one panel, the cartoons chosen and positioned for the rest of them, and I can continue on the transfer and inking tonight. The artwork allowed me to do other things while watching Oscar's dresses and trappings. So here are dresses that I enjoyed (or not).

First off, I have to say that the vocals at the Oscars were fabulous. Jennifer Hudson, Adele, Barbara Streisand and Shirley Bassey all kicked it out of the park. Fabulous job, ladies! I wanted to see Adele singing the song from Skyfall, so I ended up watching quite a bit of the show despite the fact that I really didn't care about who won the awards. Bravo for Brave, though. I loved that movie so I was pretty happy about that. So...here are the dresses...

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence was stunning in pale pink lace and tiers. She wore the dress well.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain - several commentators said that she was channeling Jessica Rabbit. If so, it wasn't a bad choice. The diagonal beadwork rows along the skirt made it a slimming and interesting look and her red lips pulled her out of beige obscurity. Lovely.

Jennifer Hudson

OK, I adored Jennifer Hudson's look. She looks so spectacular since she's lost her weight. She's one of the two current spokespeople for Weight Watchers and I've got to tell you, if I can get results like hers I'll think about joining WW again. Fabulous voice, fabulous look!

Halle Berry

OMG Halle Berry - I've admired her for years and again she didn't disappoint. The dress had echoes of the 1930's coming through in the metallics and the shoulders, but with contemporary styling and her amazing figure. Well done, Halle. 

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron is a stunning lady and with her short hair here (clipped for a movie role and now growing back out) she owned the carpet. The firm V in the bodice and the overlap at the waistline brought visual interest to what could easily have been just one more white gown. Add the diamond bracelets and she was exceptional.

Then there were two dresses that I didn't like at all...

Ann Hathaway

Ann Hathaway apparently changed her mind about what dress to wear less than four hours before the event. This was the wrong choice. Wearing this along with that Tiffany necklace was a bad decision. She's adorable and won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, but the dress? No.

Jennifer Garner

I loved the color of Jennifer Garner's dress. It looked fabulous from the front and her hair was perfect for it. But what was up with the back? What tulle patch did she back into? This dress would have been fabulous with half of the supporting backside, but it was way over the top with it. Nobody needs that kind of additional caboose, not even someone as slender as Ms Garner. Bad choice!

So there you have it - my positives and negatives for the night. Honorable mention would include Adele - lovely long black spangled dress that suited her beautifully, Sally Field in a soft red dress with train - really lovely on this wonderful and talented A-list actress, and Michele Obama - a surprise as she broadcasted from the White House. A beautifully appropriate gown on the First Lady.