Oscar Round-Up: Futuristic Fab

Huffington Post

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards offered very few surprises in the way of award winners. However, some wonderfully unexpected surprises paraded down the red carpet!

Let's start with my personal, futuristic favorite Cate Blanchett. Her dress of choice, Givenchy Haute Couture, was unconventional, no doubt, but how can you not love the lavender and chartreuse color combination or that extravegant beadwork? Aside from her beautiful gown, Cate's hair and make-up were flawless. She looked like a glamazon dropped off by the Starship Enterprise. I love her confidence, daring and beauty!

Also feeling the Jane Jetson vibe was Gwyneth Paltrow. In my eyes, Gwyneth can do no wrong. Her custom made Calvin Klein metallic dream was just bold enough to catch my eye but not so avant-garde that it left me questioning her taste. LOVE her stick straight locks and glowing skin too! (Where does she spray tan?)

InStyle

Did she and Celine Dion call each other about their picks? Celine's absolutely fabulous Armani Prive number literally stunned me. I had to do a double take when I saw her and search out her photos on the web immediately. That necklace equaled perfection and her romantic waves softened the look to keep it glamorous instead of diva-ish. Can we also acknowledge that this chanteuse just had twins?! Ah-mazing.

Fab Sugar

Greatest gamine of the evening undoubtedly goes to Michelle Williams in her Chanel Couture gown. She has the elegant Twiggy vibe down pat and looked so effortless even while draped in thousands of paillettes and sequins. This look perfectly suited her.

Just Jared

I also unexpectedly fell in love with Hillary Swank's Gucci Premiere Couture. Of course, the feather thing has been done before but I really loved the extravegance of this dress against Hillary's simple, clean hair and make-up.

Just Jared

But enough about the neutrals (can be a little boring en masse!). We also saw some gorgeous colors on the red carpet. I got a tad tired of seeing the red on the red carpet, although I do think it is a classic choice and Anne Hathaway did it right by being escorted by Valentino in Archival Valentino. But several berry-hued dresses also graced us with their presence.

Just Jared

FINALLY Natalie Portman wore Rodarte!! We have been waiting for this ever since "Black Swan" received its full release. She looked beautiful and incredibly appropriate.

Just Jared

I also thought Natalie's counterpart Mila Kunis looked lovely. BUT I was worried about the bust line of her dress all evening. We're all so glad she didn't pull a Janet Jackson.

WireImage

I also have to say that Anne Hathaway was hilarious as the host. She could have anchored the entire show on her own without a problem. And can we talk about her wardrobe changes?! Might need an entire post dedicated to just that...

A Space of Neutral

Harper's Bazaar

Kate Bosworth's studding, er stunning, Burberry Prorsum look during London Fashion Week makes a serious case for spring's neutrals. The soft, sophisticated tones play down the aggressiveness of hard metal spikes, making tough girl chic more easily achievable. This flawless look has me scanning the sites for similar options, like this one from Doo.Ri...

Shopbop

The key to keeping khaki from feeling frumpy lies in the extras- artful pleating, unexpected fabrics choices and mixing in metal and chains leans more toward the direction of artful Bosworth and away from girl scout uniform. Check out these unexpected items from some of our favorite designers.

Tibi pants from Shopbop

McQ - Alexander McQueen shorts from Shopbop

Haute Hippie dress from Shopbop

Dalin Chase leather skirt from Shopbop

Invest wisely in neutrals and they'll last you years and years, taking you from season to season. Save on tough extras such as mixed metal necklaces or spiked heels inspired by J. Lo's Grammy Louboutins. The combination of practical and impractical makes for one stylish mix...no one will even notice you're wearing khaki.

Vaycay

City-Data

I'm heading to the mountains this weekend and all I can think about is how much fun I'm going to have with my high school besties! Last year, we were snowed in all weekend. This year promises to be a bit less complicated in regards to the weather, so we might actually leave the house instead of watching "The Holiday" four times. Not complaining, though, Jude Law kept us warm!

Sorel

But, I'm promising myself right now, this is the LAST TIME I'm going to wear puffy jackets, heavy sweaters, boots and wool socks. March marks the beginning of my personal boycott against overpowering winter clothes! Until then, I'll use Rag & Bone's alpine chic fall collection as my ultimate mountain getaway inspiration.

Harper's Bazaar

Rag & Bone

Happy long weekend!

Fashion Show Within the Fashion Show

Self Service UK

We all know that Fashion Week is all about parading the latest looks down the runway but distracting me from the catwalk coverage are all the lovely looks on the front rows, backstage and sidewalks!

Fashion Week seems to be the best time to flex your styling muscles. I've tried to take note of all the flawless looks as they've popped up over the last week. Whether in the venue or in the elements, these ladies have great style going on...

Mr. Newton

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

Harper's Bazaar

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more looks from London. Cheerio!

I Dream of Spring

Marc Jacobs Spring 2011 via Style.com

For the past week (an entire week! I can hardly believe it!), we've had the most beautiful weather I've ever seen during February. Normally this time of year at the beach is blustery and freezing, but every day since last weekend has been bright, sunny and WARM. Of course, all of this pleasant weather has springboarded me into spring. If I have to pull on boots or a puffy jacket one more time, I think I might freak out.

This year, I'm completely fascinated with the Marc Jacobs color palette- those deep berry tones, peaches and warm golden yellows are exactly what I'm looking for this year. Pairing them together adds drama and intrigue but also pulling on a khaki or ivory allows the brights to pop even more. Lucky for me, my sister snatched up this golden yellow silk J. Crew blouse for me, which found an unexpected pairing with my coraly-red peeptoe heels...Marc Jacobs, no less!

Let the commencement of spring wish listing begin! I've assessed my current wardrobe and still feel I have a few holes to fill. A previous post explored my J. Crew wish list, which covers the peachy blouse and red shorts, but I'd like to add these other bold choices to my list as well...

Tory Burch Crisscross Canvas Espadrilles from Nordstrom

Lilly Pulitzer Nadia Dress

Red Cotton Canvas Toms from Sonny B.- great for me to wear to work

With these brights, there must be balance. Hence the need for some neutral pieces, still equally as interesting but just not as loud...

3.1 Phillip Lim Burnout Tee from Net-a-Porter- cute with the J. Crew red shorts or underneath a khaki safari style dress

Tory Burch Julianne Wedge

Lilly Pulitzer Shauna Dress- would pair perfectly with the red Tory Burch espadrilles OR the camel Tory Burch wedges

And finally, one boho chic piece for good summertime measure...of course, I think I'll channel the uptown sophistication of one Anna Wintour rather than the hippie vibe.

Gryphon Tie Dye Leather Skirt from Shopbop

The Sartorialist

Have you started thinking about spring?? Fashion seems to celebrate loudly and proudly this year, rather than slump into understated and minimalist. Perhaps it's the new outlook on the economy? Either way, I'm more than ready for it!

Sultry Week of Fashion: New York Fashion Week

Since February 10, news of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has been blowing up the blogosphere. And from what I can tell, it's going to be one sultry fall!

From Style.com, I selected some of my favorite looks straight off the runway. The colors, when not neutrals, appear to be deep and bold. Designers either cut dresses and blouses very simply in solid colors or went over the top with sequins, mesh overlays or volume. A little bit of 70s dressing made an encore from spring but, for the most part, the designers focused on ladylike fashion- reviving the skirt and the hourglass silhouette. Tribal patterns and color blocking also reappeared from spring (great news if you are looking for year-round dressing investments) but, making yet another comeback one year later, fur and leather found themselves almost everywhere...

Derek Lam

Derek Lam

Lela Rose

Lela Rose

Jason Wu

Tibi

Monique Lhuillier

Michael Kors

Michael Kors

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Jenni Kayne

Derek Lam

Proenza Schouler

Truth be told, it's tough for me to get excited about fall right now. The weather this past week has been so gorgeous and spring apparel and shoes have begun creeping into stores. So many pieces are calling my name right now...but perhaps integrating some sunset hues or tribal patterns this spring will pay off come October...