Llittle Golden Men, Little Golden Women

Okay, so the Oscars happened. I enjoyed them, but I think that had more to do with the bottle of wine I drank and the jaw-dropping amounts of delicious Mexican food (prepared by my usual Oscar-watching buddy, my friend Steve) that I stuffed down my gullet than the actual entertainment value of the event. There were more strapless dresses than at a bridal convention, and the ones that weren't strapless were mostly one-shoulder, it seemed. There was a really surprising number of white dresses. It's been noted in a few places that the one-shoulder and the white can be chalked up to the "Michelle Obama effect," because of the white, one-shouldered Jason Wu dress she wore to the inaugural balls. Mebbe. I dunno. It makes a certain amount of sense, and also illustrates the group-think that tends to happen in both the entertainment and fashion worlds. I for one like both white and one-shoulder dresses, but it start to feel pretty repetitive, especially the one shoulder thing. So let's get down to it.

Best Actress winner Kate Winslet, a deeply beautiful woman under any circumstances, in a gown I did not like. And what's even more heartbreaking than the wasted opportunity? This gown is YSL. Oh, Stefano. What were you thinking? It's too stiffly constructed through the bodice, the one-shoulder thing was already making me yawn, and all that lace whatnot going on didn't save it from looking matronly. Also, if you have skin like this, wearing a non-color like gray is criminal. We've seen how stunning Winslet looks in red, or bright blue, or even mint green -- but gray? Bleah.

Marisa Tomei in Versace. Holy cats. This dress was really, really stunning. Someone on tv called it pearl gray, but it looked to me like a slightly opalescent, pale, pale lilac. Whatever it was, it was gorgeous. The bodice was -- ::sigh:: -- one-shoulder, but the cut of it was actually interesting. The seaming and tailoring was truly perfect, and that skirt... Dear god, that skirt! All those hundreds of pleats!! Oh, that's pretty. So, so pretty. It's definitely a red carpet, award-show dress, not necessarily a fashionista dress, but it's just breathtaking.

Anne Hathaway in Armani Privé. Everyone's talking about this dress, and when they showed the close-up it really did make me gasp, but I think the detail was lost on camera and I feel the sum is somehow less than a total of its parts. But those iridescent paillettes and beading are truly stunning. The silhouette is not particularly interesting and the whole effect is a little bridal, to my eye, but it's pretty. But I like her better in color, too.

Angelina Jolie was in a nice black (strapless) dress, but this outfit was not about the dress. It was about those UNBELIEVABLE emeralds. Good googly-moogly. There was a great big one on her finger, too, and those things actually glowed. They looked like they had LED lights embedded in them. Buddy Steve wasn't crazy about them, he said, "They distract from the rest of the outfit." I said, "That's kind of the point. They are the outfit." Because with jewels like that, who needs clothes, really?


Speaking of good jewels...

Dayum. Amy Adams' dress was Carolina Herrera and it was nice & all, but that collar -- spectacular. That is right in my wheelhouse, that little number right there is. Wow.

Dear god. Miley Cyrus has apparently been raiding the costume storehouse at Disneyland. Seriously. This looks like the dress they thought about putting on Glinda the Good Witch and then thought, "Eh. No. Too much." It's so heavily encrusted with beading it looks like it's made of plastic. God, that's awful. Poor thing. She's probably only going to be famous for a few more years, the least they could do is give her better clothes while she is.

Hottie McHotterson and his wife. (Wife until he meets me, that is.) I'm such a huge fan of Robert Downey, Jr. and here he does me proud. He shaved, he washed his hair, he put on a perfectly fitted suit and just look at him! Cleans up pretty good, doesn't he? Mrroowwwrrrr.

On the other hand....

Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is apparently so filled with indie cred he has to wear a hat to keep the top of his head from blowing off. Seriously, this pisses me off. The guy took the trouble to wear a suit (although I've got a bone to pick with him over that black shirt), his girlfriend has a nice dress on, he's at the Oscars. So what is up with that hat? It seems unlikely his big ol' head was cold -- my research tells me it was about 70° in LA yesterday around red carpet time. Is that his way of saying, "I'm too cool to take any of this seriously. Check me out -- I thumb my nose at convention by wearing a hat." But if you're so coolio, Mr. Anti-Establishment, if you're so above all this? Just don't show up. Don't insult me with lame slacker headwear.

::big, fat, wet raspberry at his stupid watch cap::

Here's a palette-cleanser. Meryl Streep is a crapshoot at awards shows. Sometimes she's like a walking retirement home, but here she got it really right. I would like -- guess what -- a better color, but the softness of it works on her, and she looks just lovely. What. Gorgeous. Shoulders. And those earrings looked like very beautiful antique cameos -- haven't found a good photo of them yet.

Oh, for pete's... Tight and ugly, as usual. Tight & ugly. Tugly. Look there -- Beyoncé has just inspired an entire new word to describe bad fashion! Tugly! This is from House of Dereon, the Knowleses' "fashion" label. I like when someone breaks with red carpet tradition and wears a print, but this is gaudy and awful. And, as the fabulous Plumcake says, "Beyoncé, honey, it's okay to go up a size." (That's not all Plummy has to say -- you should check out that link and read her hilarious critique of Oscars fashions.)


Here. I'll end on an up note.

Tina Fey looked AMAZING in this dress. Miss Thing has a very hot body, the perfect bust for this neckline and I was SO excited to see her in a dress that wasn't black. This picture doesn't actually do her justice. She looked amazing. Also, she (along with my future husband Steve Martin) was very, very funny.

Pooped now. I'll get some more Oscar stuff up tomorrow. And then it's back to Fashion Week -- London is in full swing already. I've accepted my behind-itude and I'll just keep plugging away until you're sick of me.

Photos: Style.com

Random Goodies

I'm beginning to feel a little oppressed, I have to tell you. And I'm approximately one-third of the way through just New York's fashion week. It's becoming a bit of a blur. Herewith, some odds & ends I really liked from collections I didn't love enough to do full posts on. There will be more like this.

Victoria Beckham, believe it or not. It's a small collection filled with a surprising number of good dresses. Most of them, as you could guess, are pretty body-conscious, but not nearly as tarty as one might expect. And this just knocked me dead. Style Spy neeeeeeeeds this dress. (Also, she needs an occasion to wear it and an accompanying, gorgeous, snappily-dressed bit of preferably French male arm candy to go with it. Ya know, while we're wishing.) This would be a great little red carpet num-bah, don't you think? We'll see if it pops up in LA on Sunday.

Matthew Williamson, the Prince of Prints. This is dizzying, I absolutely ADORE it.

I thought this whole collection was pretty great -- he does a wonderful job here of taking his Ibiza/St. Bart's eternal summer party girl thing into a winter wardrobe. It's bright & cheery & very, very Williamson.

Bryan Bradley at Tuleh underwhelmed me this time, but I do lurve this jacket.

I still cannot resist a good shirtdress, and I do love fuchsia. I so wish they'd get their act together at Halston, but they just can't seem to -- this collection was equal parts wonderful and awful. The line is apparently being designed by committee at this point, and it looks it. It's such a shame, because the legacy of Halston is one of the best chapters in our classic American sportswear history -- Halston is the touchstone for Michael Kors and everyone else who aspires to that great, louche, sexy version of cool that Americans do better than anyone else when they're bringing their A-game. They just haven't landed the right designer to resuscitate the label yet. If Marc Jacobs weren't already a human three-ring circus I'd nominate him, but I think he's got enough fish in his kettle.

Tibi (designed by Amy Smilovic) is a reliable, well-done, bridge-level line whose prints & colors I usually really like and this collection was no exception. I'm choosing to ignore the giant black Q-tip hat. Best not to think about it too much.



Sometimes I can't explain it, sometimes I just love it.

Thakoon

This is one of those times. Just go with it, okay?

Someone called Bibhu Mohapatra. His debut collection after 8 years with Gilles Mendel at J. Mendel, which is not too shabby a credit on the ol' CV, if you ask me. Isn't that great? Love all the different parts & how they come together to make such a great silhouette. It's recognizably feminine, but not at all trite. Great work. I'm intrigued.

Yigal Azrouel, leaving his jersey draping behind for a bit and really hitting it. Fantastic sheath dress. I am a sucker for a good white dress, as we know.


::pant, pant:: Every season before Fashion Week I vow that I'm going to do a lot more coverage and every season I get about a week in and realize that it is Not. Humanly. Possible. To cover all this stuff. Good googly-moogly, there is SO MUCH of it. But I keep hammering away, so stick with me.


Photos: style.com

Ol' Reliable

I'm inconsistent. But you know what Emerson said about consistency, and so I feel okay about it.

How am I inconsistent? I'll tell ya. I prattle on here quite a little bit about how I look for innovation in fashion design, how I like to see the envelope pushed, how bored I get by the same old same old, and how I'd rather someone shock or dismay me than make me yawn.

And yet.

I love Michael Kors. I mean really, really love him. But I don't think even the most charitable among us could call him a fashion innovator. Kors creates, season after season, excellent, reliable, recognizable, slick (in a good way), sleek, sexy, accessible, easy-to-understand American sportswear. And he does it at several price points, so it's often quite affordable. There's a Michael Kors store here in Austin and I don't think I've ever walked through there without seeing at least a few things that made me think, "That would be a great long-term addition to any woman's wardrobe." (Okay, maybe I don't string that sentence together in my head, but I assure you that's what the grunting noise & approving nod translate to.) There are always pieces that are recognizable as being from a specific season based on color palette or pattern, but there are not often things that are one-season toss-aways. You don't have to spend a mint to acquire something from Michael Kors, but you don't have to feel bad if you do. You're going to have it for years. (Also, his sizing is generously American. Michael Kors makes me feel skinny!)

You'd have this for years:

provided, of course, that you didn't wear it to rags in the first six months.

Yes. The hat is silly. I'll bet it's toasty warm, though. And I'll bet that jacket is double-faced wool and softsoftsoft. That's a fantastic piece. You could put that over a cocktail dress or a pair of jeans and it would look wonderful either way.

Tattersall trench coat. Impossible to argue with. Forever. And that great big thing around her neck?

Waaaaaant.


There was a whole bunch of sexy-yet-wearable suits:

This season has been all about the shoulder -- so many interesting sleeve treatments, and here's another one.

Again with the sleeves. Wonderful!

The other shoulder treatment Kors was very into was getting rid of one of them -- all kinds of one-shouldered numbers.

It's almost a shame that dress has only one shoulder because the sleeve is so great.

Herringbone-printed silk. So pretty.

What's chic-er than that?

I adore this. This is my favorite kind of cocktail dressing -- the super-special skirt and the easy sweater over it. Dreamy.


More tattersall:

I'm such a sucker for fabrics used in unexpected ways and this dress is so adorable. A strapless dress even a flat-chested gal could wear.

Oh, look at the seaming on that! To die.

The show, as you're probably noticing, was almost exclusively neutrals -- black, gray, tan. There were few good hits of color, like this juicy little tangerine number

Oh, delicious. That would certainly brighten up a winter day. Bright being the key word -- this is actually a toned-down version of the orange that made an appearance in other places, and there was this

Hot! Pink! Little cozycozy and neon yellow was also featured

That is not my favorite yellow by a long shot, but I find the coat appealing for its relentless cheerfulness. And I really do like the pink poncho/cape thing above it, that's wonderfully sportif. I would do without the matching hat, I think, but I would applaud anyone else who went for it.

There were also some very, very good shoes in this show.

I actually have a several-years old Kors shoe that's along the lines of the one above.


This is my go-to bad girl shoe. They're good, aren't they? I like wearing them with something really classic & tailored, they shake things up a bit. Hmmm. I'm getting ideas for a really great ensemble with these shoes, inspired by this collection...

I could go on & on about this show, I could show you dozens more photos (including some great men's wear), but you really should just go check it out for yourself.


Photos: style.com

New Shopportunities!

I have a couple of new affiliates I'm really excited about.

First off, if you're serious about lingerie, then you know about Agent Provocateur

If you don't know about Agent Provocateur and you like lingerie, click that link, my friend. These people are not kidding around.

The above... er... graphic (heh-heh) is available as an e-card, so if Little You has a birthday or anniversary coming up, you can remind your significant other of what you might like to receive in a way that's sure to be a lot more warmly received than your average e-mail reminder. And no kidding, they have what may be the sexiest nursing bra ever there -- dadgummit, it's leopard-print!! Woo-hoo!

Agent Provocateur is an English company, but they do ship to the US, and they have a returns center here, so you don't have to worry about getting stuck with something that doesn't fit.

My other new affiliate:

These people must have eleventy-million pairs of shoes in their warehouse, including a bunch of Royal Elastics, which gets me all excited. "What are Royal Elastics?" you ask? Only some of the coolest shoes on the planet.

If you want a good runaround shoe that's comfortable, practical, extremely cool-looking, and very, very reasonably priced, you want some Royal Elastics. And before you get all, "Ew, those are funny-looking," let me tell you that my mother (who is 65 and in no danger of being mistaken for Carine Roitfeld, if you know what I mean) has a pair similar to these and she loveloveloves these shoes to the point where I think I might have to bury her in them someday. And every single time she wears them, people compliment her on her nifty shoes. Plus not all of them look like this -- some are more straighforwardly sneaker-ish, and some are little ballet flats, and some are slides -- but all of them are cool. Go check 'em out.

Full disclosure: if you click on a link for one of my affiliates from this blog and you buy something, I get a (tiny) cut. (Even just going & looking around does a little good.) So of course I would really love it if you did that, because sadly, Style Spy does not get paid by the well-chosen word around here. But lest you think I'm a complete whore in this matter, I am choosy about who I take on as affiliates. I only sign on with folks who have merch that A) I think will appeal to my readers and B) I consider high-enough quality that I'm not embarrassed to recommend them to you. In that vein, if you do order from any of my affiliates, I'd sure like to hear about your experiences with them, because if someone has crappy customer service I want no part of them, and if they have great CS I want to tell everyone about it. Only the best for my readers!

PS... do read that New York Magazine article on Roitfeld that I linked to above. It is extremely amusing.

Go Figure

Huh.

This:

is by Narciso Rodriguez.

I honestly don't quite know what to make of that. It's like some sort of Space Cow costume. I don't really get it. Especially given that in the same collection, we find the following:

PERFECT coat. Oh, god, that makes me weak in the knees.

GORGEOUS dress -- that blue is, indeed, electric.

A jacket I would lie to my mama for. (I never lie to my mama. I may judiciously omit, but I don't lie.)

And this dress, which is both gorgeous and aspirational (as in, I can only aspire to have the body you need to wear this).

But then we have the Giant Human Beetle:

(I find this vaguely creepy -- it looks like the underside of a big bug to me. Yech.)

I don't get it. I won't pretend to. Maybe Narciso is just bored. Maybe he was high. Maybe he has a cute design assistant with cockeyed ideas who he's trying to get into bed. I dunno. I don't make the fashion news, I just report it...


Photos: style.com