I would like to thank my stylist for dressing me like a cracked out sparkler



Quicker than a speeding bullet it is over. The Oscars has come and gone. The biggest fashion moment in the year and there is no looking back. Some of the stars got it bang on trend, some of them fell by the wayside. Naturally I am putting a hold on the alphabet today to bring you the best and worst from the red carpet. So without further ado let the Joan Rivers firing squad commence:

Emma Stone (L) - FAVOURITE!!
Jane Seymour (R) - Too cruise ship

Michelle Williams (L) - Peplum great, everything
else too much
Natalie Portman (R) - Chic vintage

RED: Once again red was seen all over the red carpet this year and then also on the celebs wearing it....ha. Seriously though, this is a DIFFICULT look to pull off because of skin tone, hair colour and the fact you are stood on top of a river of the same colour. It's difficult to stand out when people can't tell what is the floor and what is your dress. But some of these lovely lasses managed to do just that. My absolute FAV was Emma Stone with a red floor length gown with large bow on her right shoulder. Those of you who are observant will say - "heh didn't Nicole Kidman wear this dress a few years ago to an award ceremony?" Well she wore a similar dress in a brighter red and the bow fell all the way to the ground. To be honest Emma Stone looks impecable in it - with her colouring - so I will not take this away from her. There are less flattering things than to wear the same dress as Nicole Kidman right?? Natalie Portman wore a vintage polka dot strapless Dior piece which the 60s housewife in me loves. I was so disappointed with Michelle Williams though - I didn't like her dress at all =( It was inbetween orange and red and just had too much going on - it looked a bit prom-esque. The only good thing was that she worked a peplum which, as I have told you before, is fabulous! Wasn't a fan of Colin Firth's wife Livia's dress - too shapeless, nor Jane Seymour who looked like she had stepped off a cruise ship... Leave red to the pros ladies. Both photos taken from http://style.uk.msn.com/fashion/oscars-2012-fashion-face-off

Rooney Mara - Love the train
on this - maybe a little
big in the body for her.
Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

Milla Jovovich - vintage
look with lips and hair
Elie Saab




WHITE: Monochrome and their separate counterparts are very in at the moment, so red wasn't the only block colour seen on the red carpet. Milla Jovovich and Rooney Mara did this look to perfection - ice white floor length gowns with dark hair and red lips - so vampish. They both looked stunnning with lots of pale white skin on show to add to the look. Gwyneth Paltrow went in the opposite direction and had lots of white fabric with little skin showing but looked gorgeous; it is all about style not how much you can glue gun onto a dress. Unfortunately Jennifer Lopez has once again decided to show everything she has got in a white and sheer striped dress. I don't like when people show too much at the Oscars - it is the grown up awards. I don't like it and you can't make me. White dress photos from http://www.entertainmentwise.com/photos/70510/3/Oscars-2012-Milla-Jovovich-Rooney-Mara-Gwyneth-Paltrow-Jennifer-Lopez-and-Cameron-Diaz-are-all-white


Gwyneth Paltrow - FAVOURITE She wore a long
white cape with this - note gold
shoes! Perfection! Tom Ford.

Jennifer Lopez - too low cut
too many cuts outs, too sheer
Not classy enough. Zuhair Murad

GOLD: Meryl, Meryl, Meryl how can you be so fabulous all the time???!!! She knows how to work it so much better than so many younger starlets. She wore a dark gold wrap dress - being swathed in gold fabric she looked delicious enough to eat. Meryl shows her body whilst being demure and fabulous - we don't want a lot of leg when you are over 40. Jessica Chastain also worked the gold trend (and the heavy embellishment trend) with an old romantic black and gold floor length dress. She looked just stunning and yet somehow understated. The low bodice made her body look longer and sleeker and the gold colouring really set off the colour of her hair. Ten out of ten Jessica. The lovely gf of George Clooney, Miss Stacey Keibler wore a Marchesa gown that left me a little deflated. If it had been straight to the floor it would have been delectable (the draping alone is out of this world) - but it had this huge rose thing on the waist which looked kind of cheap and a bit off balance on her small frame. She still looked beautiful but I wasn't taken with the dress - a first for me and Marchesa! Gold photographs taken from http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG9107454/Oscars-2012-fashion-red-carpet-trends.html

Meryl Streep (L) - Perfection in Lanvin, Stacey Keibler (M) in disappointing
Marchesa and Jessica Chastain (R) in gorgeous Alexander McQueen - FAVOURITE

PASTELS: The Oscars was a bit of a confirmation for me - loads of my A-O (not got all the way through the alphabet yet!) trends were worn. It makes a girl blush! Pastels were not left out. Part of me wasn't sure if pastels would be seen on the red carpet because they wouldn't be as dramatic as black, gold or red. Never to miss a challenge though some starlets worked the trend like the troopers they are. Some people are hating on Penelope Cruz's dress because it is old Hollywood looking - especially with the hair and jewels, but isn't that what we are striving for this year?? The prissy, princess trend is huge this summer, so I am all with classy Penelope! The colour looks beautiful against her skin and she is as always subtly stunning. I give her a high five. Berenice Bejo (the actress from The Artist) wore mint green which could of gone horrible wrong with her pale colouring, but luckily she looked dazzling. It was low cut but had full length sleeves so it in no way looked trashy. Photos for the rest of the piece taken from http://www.stylebistro.com/Best+Worst+Dressed+at+the+2012+Oscars/articles/YT9gegldw3F/

Berenice Bejo in Elie Saab
FAVOURITE



Penelope Cruz in Armani Prive

Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace
Boring

Anna Faris in DVF - Dislike

BLACK: It is not often I will say this - but the black dresses left me feeling bored. I am rather fed up of Angelina Jolie and her high split gowns in one colour....so the black velvet number did nothing for me. Equally didn't like Anna Faris in a boring DVF (also two things I thought wouldn't be in the same sentence). It was too old for her, too boxy for her and completely styled wrong with the harsh blonde bob. Im guessing it doesn't photograph well and looks better in real life....well I am hoping... Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids) did the same head to toe black sequins - one shoulder this time so easier on the eye - but I just feel this is a little last year. Also disappointed with Sandra Bullock's monochrome dress which look like it was shop bought from a prom shop.

BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES - I am talking Maya Rudolph in Johanna Johnson (custom made) and Kristen Wiig in J. Mendel. Both girls took it to the next level. I love nude colours on Kristen - and luckily so does she and she wears them a lot. The dark nail polish is so cute next to the dress. I also love the difference in the back and front of Maya's dress - great from every angle. The only thing that worries me is the high neck makes her look very chesty, but all in all very chic. She was also wearing a colour that a couple of other stars wore - grape purple. A nice change to the pastel purple.

Maya Rudolph in Johanna Johnson
Just peachy - I mean grapey

Kristen Wiig in J. Mendel
Nude sophistication



Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

Viola Davis in Vera Wang

THE HELP: My two main girls - Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were out, smiles in full force, looking chic. I LOVED what Octavia was wearing. I'm pretty sure that girl's smile would carry off even the ugliest of bin bags. Luckily she was wearing a white beaded cap sleeve Tadashi Shoji dress so no bin liner necessary. I wasn't a huge fan of the dress Viola was wearing but the cropped hair, jewellery and emerald colour are to die for - so I can forgive the dress. It is Vera Wang as well, it's not like she turned up in Forever 21...


So, there you have it - some great, some not so. But all will be remembered - except maybe you Jolie - yours all start to look the same after a while. Anyway, hope you liked this little style update, see you all tomorrow!
Becky xx

"Ask to borrow his wand, I will just die"

Oh emm gee guess who we saw in a bar last night??!!! That is right friends, Fred and George Weasley (or James and Oliver Phelps as they are really called) were out celebrating their birthday with a group in Vodka Revolution, Cheltenham. It was a very surreal moment when I nudged my friend and said "is that a Weasley brother behind us?" to which she did a very unconvincing sly look before deciding it was. Without their dyed ginger hair and now with different haircuts they aren't instantly recognisable as the famous twins: one has short spikey hair and one has a kind of Ben from A1 look going on - so they move about pretty unnoticed. They queued for 13 (a local club) which we thought cute - let's be honest with the money they make they could have just hired the place out and from what we saw generally seemed unpretentious and subtle in their movements. One was wearing a blue shirt with tie (shorter hair) - rather good looking guys in real life and the other was wearing a lumberjack red check shirt (longer hair); showing their personalities differ somewhat from each other and their HP characters. Naturally I made this my FB status last night and got a large amount of feedback, including the above quote from my best friend. I think it just shows that however famous you get, however many countries you travel to and whoever you meet along the way, you can't help wanting to be with those you grew up with on your birthday - those who saw you through the puppy fat, spotty, awkward teen years and made it through with you to the other side. Well we have to stay friends with them don't we, they know too much.... Happy Birthday Oliver and James Phelps for yesterday!!

O

Joggers - Topshop
£35

Fashion Trend: Off to the gym (in my heels!)... I know that was a stretch, but I seriously can't think of any fashion trend beginning with an O that isn't orange....no one cares for you orange. So instead I am putting in a trend that I wasn't sure where else to put: the new fancy sportwear trend. Basically for those of you who just thought Rihanna had gone even more insane and started wearing Addidas shorts with heels, she has not, she is the leader of the trend! All the stores are making casual luxe ranges where sportwear comes a little bit more fitted, in nicer fabric and with a more exciting colour than white. You then team with heels, big hair, big jewels etc and rock out with your...shuttlecock out. Tapered joggers, silk tees and cute caps are what we are talking about. So tell your gym instructor to shut up, for once you ARE going to run in heels. I am loving these Topshop Co-ord Jacquard Panther Joggers to be worn with skyscraper heels or fashion sneakers - surprisingly they are also very flattering on. http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=4608086&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208528&parent_categoryId=203984&pageSize=200

Oyster Card Case - Orla Kiely
£38

Fashion Item: Oyster Card Case - Orla Kiely. So you all know I am moving to London at the end of the week and the only thing (WAY more important than your house keys) that a Londoner cannot lose on a night out is their Oyster Card. Not only that, covers are as fashionable for your card as they are for your iPhone. Now I have found this GORGEOUS one which is by ORLA Kiely is cut OUT plastic and is in ORANGE (damn im good). It attaches to your handbag by a little chain, so you cannot lose it! Brightens up those oh so lovely journeys with your head in the armpit of the only man in London who thinks Dress Down Friday means Dont Wash Friday.



Kosslyn - Oliver Peoples

Store or Label: Oliver Peoples - This is a sunglass designer that I love but who often gets overlooked for the bigger and more commercial stars such as D&G and Ray Ban. The last few days have made us realise that summer is most definitely on the way and therefore we all need some new sunnies. Oliver Peoples do the most delicious kinds for men and women with the cutest and most colourful frames and lenses. They also do some really quirky ones, like their Gregory Peck pair, which will please the most hardcore of fashionistas. I am really into catseye sunglasses at the moment so have a hankering for their Kosslyn pair http://www.oliverpeoples.com/shop/women/sunglasses/kosslyn.html. They have a shape and style to fit everyone so check them out - they aren't cheap but they will last a lot longer than your Primark ones....and not every Tom, Dick and Sally will be wearing them.

Celebrity or Designer: Oscars - I am cheating a little bit here because I know this isnt a person - but it just so happens it is on tonight in America and today is my O day!! Coincidink!! This is the highlight of all the award shows - the night where the celebrities pull out all fashion stops to make sure they trump the other celebs in their categories. The Best Female reads like a Best Dressed as it is: Glenn Close, Viola Davis, Rooney Mara, Meryl Streep, Michelle Williams. The gowns will be decadent, the jewellery will be sparkling and the failures will be HUMONGOUS!! I cannot wait to see Joan Rivers face on Fashion Police tomorrow when some poor, unsuspecting movie star wears a last year Givenchy. I heard when she starts dissing what you are wearing it is like a ghost walking through your body... Anyway, im all about The Help stars winning and especially (and aptly) Octavia Spencer for her supporting role as Minnie. She is such a shy little thing on stage and I loved what she wore to the Baftas - she went all Sharon Stone and wore a white shirt with a black satin floor length skirt (note the colour choices - something of a metaphor seeing as the film is about the coming together of black and white). So good luck to all and I'll give you a head start if I see Joan coming....

Now, go fill those tummies with roasts and settle in for the Oscars - it's going to be a late night.
Becky xx