[Look of the Week] Oscar Edition

Oh, Oscar night...when millions of dollars of gowns and jewels are on display for all us plebes to see, and they might talk about a movie or two. The whole affair is considered by some to be overly extravagant and pointless, but I, for one, thoroughly enjoy seeing what tricks these celebs pull out of their sartorial bags on what is arguably one of the biggest nights in fashion. Here are my favorites of the night.

Jessica Chastain

 
She looked like a straight up Hollywood movie star. This Armani Privé fit her like the best glove in the whole world. And the red lipstick was the cherry on top. Had she gone with a nude lip, or any other color lip for that matter, the whole look would have been bland. Kudos to you Chastain, for being a total bombshell.


Naomi Watts

What I love about this, and Chastain too, is that she is bringing the whole package. Everything about the way she looks is about as good as it gets for a human. Nothing is detracting from anything else; the hair, the dress, the makeup, and the jewelry are working together in perfect harmony. This dress is also Armani Privé, and Ms. Watts and Mr. Armani reportedly spent months collaborating on it. It paid off big time.


Stacy Keibler

Never did I think I would be putting Stacy Keibler on my Best Dressed list. But damn if girlfriend didn't BRING IT in this Naheem Khan gown. I had to show the back too, because it's just too fabulous not to.


Zoe Saldana
 

I love that Zoe takes risks. This Alexis Mabille dress could have been a disaster, but the ombré layering on the train and the flowery bodice are somehow working together to make it beautifully eye-catching. I maybe could have done without the belt and also changed her shoes, but she is pulling it off.


Nina Dobrev
 

And here we continue the trend of very little color. Nina didn't attend the Oscars ceremony, but I had to include this photo of her (also in Naheem Khan) at Elton John's after party. I adore a bold pattern on a fancy gown so this struck a cord with me. Her simple pony, smokey eye, and minimalistic jewels allow the gown to really shine.

Sidenote: As I was combing through all the red carpet photos from that night, I realized all my favorite gowns were essentially the same shape: nipped in at the natural waist, narrow at the knees, slight flare at the bottom. This is not an accident. This shape is so versatile, and, dare I say, the most flattering of any dress shape to a woman's natural curves. My #1 rule of dressing has always been and will most likely always be: cinch the waist. You won't regret it.

It's All About The Dress

Since I am practically attached at the hip with both Twitter and my Google Reader (a.k.a. the only reason I manage to at least scan 28 different blogs once every one to two days) I see a lot of photos of "fashion." But coming across a photo (runway, street style, editorial) of a beautiful woman in a fantastic dress always gets me.

Those tend to be some of the photos that stick with me most. I find myself wanting to go back and look at them time and time again. Usually I'll end up asking a friend, "Did you see that dress Gwenyth wore last night??" I guess the gowns just have more impact than, let's say...pants.

But I digress. Here are just a few of the gowns that have wowed me in recent memory.

Jason Wu Spring 2013 RTW

This is not a dress. This IS the starry night sky.

Blake Lively in Zuhair Murad

This happened over the summer. I might have been speechless. There is nothing about this that isn't perfect.

Allison Williams in Naheem Khan Spring 2013

The proof is in the puddin', people. You can indeed cover up 85-90% of your body and still look sexy as hell. And did you know that Allison here is the daughter of news anchor and personality, Brian Williams? I learned this today.

Jamie Beck in Rae Francis / Kelly Framel in White + Warren

There are technically two dresses here. But they are a package deal, in my humble opinion. Jamie and Kelly (two of my most favorite bloggers that just happen to be best friends) are here shown gallivanting around Paris in the rain looking just fabulous.  These girls are about the only two who could pull off coordinating or matching outfits. And they do it well too.

image via The Sartorialist

I know this isn't really a dress, but a shirt-skirt combo. I had to include it anyway because 1) It's the same concept and 2) I had a similar reaction the first time I saw this photo as I did the previous four photos. The woman in this photo is the epitome of comfort AND chic. ALL AT ONCE. From the ballet flats to the stretch of the skirt to the cut of her tank top, this is a woman who knows how to dress with practicality and style.

I believe the reason I am so enamored with this photo is that this is what I aim for my personal style to be. Because I know me. I know that I will complain if I am uncomfortable or cold. I will wish I put flats in my bag every time. So I love to witness someone perfect the art of balancing comfort and style.

I want to know about your favorite dress moments. Tell me in the comments!