Independent Spirit Awards

Personal style prevailed at the Independent Spirit Awards, the day before Hollywood's big night The Academy Awards.

Oscar Knock Offs

Did you fall in love with any of the Oscar looks this year? Do you want to emulate any of your favorite stars at a fraction of the price? Each big award show inspires a slew of imitators trying to copy the designs of the most popular dresses. Check out topbutton.com to view the site's favorite knock offs. Also edressme.com has a bunch of dresses fom this year's Academy Awards. It's amazing how quickly these imitations become available.

Academy Awards 2008 - Favorites

Marion Cotillard won the Oscar for best actress and she also won my pick for the best dressed female of the evening. Her Gaultier Paris Haute Couture mermaid gown was unlike any other on the carpet. She took a risk and looked spectacular. Maybe it's her innate french sense of style but she definitely stood out and is probably one of the few actresses to pull off such a look. Her hair was stunning, her makeup was flawless, the dress went great with her fair complexion. By far my favorite of the night because she took a risk and still looked elegant and glamorous.






Penelope Cruz was my second favorite look of the evening. I love that she is a fellow Spaniard but its undeniable that she looked gorgeous. Her Chanel Haute Couture gown fit her body perfectly and the feather detailing added drama to the dark color. The color choice was fantastic as were her Chopard earrings. Que viva España!










Cate Blanchet is always one of my favorites on the red carpet. She has an innate sense of style and knowledge of what looks great on her body. Her Dries Van Noten gown hugs her in all the right places. Have you seen a more stunning woman during pregnancy? I haven't. Many believed her necklace to be a part of her gown but it was in fact separate. Her earrings are a subtle touch as well. You can never expect what Cate will wear but you can expect her to always look amazing.








Javier Bardem was my favorite male of the evening for many reasons. The first, look at how incredibly handsome he looks in a suit. Secondly he won the Oscar for best supporting actor. Thirdly he is from Spain. Just the same he looked great on the red carpet in his Prada suit .

Academy Awards 2008 - Best Dressed

There were a lot of expecting mothers on the red carpet this year and how great did they all look!

Nicole Kidman looked absolutely stunning. Many people thought that her L'Wren Scott Necklace was over the top and I understand why they might think so, however I adored it. The necklace was elegantly paired with her Balenciaga black dress (that tried but didn't succeed in hiding her baby bump). Because the dress was neutral the jewels didn't feel excessive. Not to mention that Kidman's tall frame and long neck allows her to wear such a strong statement piece without it over powering her.

Rosamund Pike did get much attention on the gossip shows about her wearing Roland Mouret. She looked fresh and ready for spring with the beautiful yellow asymmetrical dress. Her makeup and hair were classy and elegant. She looked flawless.

Keri Russel made the right choice with this Nina Ricci gown. The gown creates curves on her otherwise petite stature. The color looks great on her and the H. Stern necklace was my favorite piece of jewelry from the evening.

Another actress hiding a baby bump. The empire waist Marchesa gown was a good choice to accentuate her new found curves. The purple complemented her dark olive skin tone. I was not a fan of her hair and the braid. A little too Little House On The Prairie.

Calista Flockhart looks great, and quite frankly healthier than her usual gaunt self, with her vintage Valentino gown. She looked different from everyone else on the runway and for that she made it onto my list.

How great does Helen Mirren look? Her custom Georges Chakra gown is beautiful. She was one of many women this year to wear red on the red carpet and I must say I think she was the one to do it right. The gown was age appropriate and like other gowns she's worn in the past, made her look younger. Her hair and makeup were natural and completed her overall look.

Diablo Cody has her own style that she audaciously showed on the red carpet. However as opposed to Tilda Swinton she portrayed her style in a way that was flattering for her. I agree the look may have been slightly unsuitable for the Oscars however it is unapologetically Diablo. I was also extremely happy to see her win the Best Original Screenplay. Three women were nominated this year.

Handsome and debonair, Josh Lucas rocked his Dolce & Gabbana suit on the red carpet. He looks handsome and put together without looking stuffy. He did go the traditional route but he still was able to impress.

Academy Awards 2008 - Not A Fan

Heidi Klum's fiery crimson dress definitely made a statement on the red carpet. I'm just not sure if it was a good one. People will probably be torn on this look because it is the Oscars and this is the ceremony to be dramatic. Maybe the dress combined with her huge bun turned me off. The long train and large collar seemed a bit much leaving her looking like she was wrapped up in fabric.










I know what you might be thinking. What is Cameron Diaz doing on this list? But my first reaction to Cameron on the red carpet was just plain blah. She didn't stand out on the carpet and the dress didn't do anything for her complexion. The look on a whole, her hair, makeup, and Christian Dior dress were boring, and she remained forgetable by the end of the night.










I hate to do it because I love Catherine Heigl, but I really did not like her dress, hair, or makeup. The Escada dress reminded me of a high school prom. Her hair and makeup looked to overdone. You can see in her closeups that it looks like her makeup was spray painted on. She was going for old Hollywood glamour but didn't nail it. She looked a little out dated.










Wrong color, wrong color, wrong color. I love big bold colors but this dandelion Roberto Cavalli dress did nothing for Kelly Preston. The dress is simple in structure and I feel she would have looked better in a different color.













Tilda Swinton is known for her quirky sense of style. I do respect her decision to dress to the beat of her own drum however this Lanvin dress is completely unflattering and not body conscious. It's dark and has a lot of fabric draped. She did a great job at hiding herself.












Looks like Daniel Day-Lewis forgot to look in the mirror before he left his home. I guess it doesn't matter much though. He won Best Actor.

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2/21 thru 2/26

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Penelope Cruz - Mango 2008 Spring Summer Collection

Finally the 2008 Spring Summer line that Penelope and Monica Cruz designed for Mango is out. Back in January I wrote in anticipation about the line and the advertisements that featured Penelope and her sister Monica. Now on the Mango website you can see the line and buy a few pieces.

The sisters kept it simple, using lots of black and white and simple cuts. Florals are also very prominent in their pieces and they are done very tastefully. Their style is simple and chic, similar to the way many women dress in Spain. In Spain women are chic and fashionable without looking like they are trying to hard. I remember as a young girl, my grandmother always stressing the importance of looking nice and dressing well, even when going to the supermarket. Thoughout the years the style has gotten more casual, as you can see many teens wearing sneakers and ripped jeans, acquiring a more punk aesthetic, however the Spanish elegance is still prevalent. I especially love the polka dot black dress and the floral off the shoulder dress seen below.

Valentino and Missoni Two Day Sample Sale

No date this Valentine's Day. No worries. Buy yourself some flowers and get over to the Valentino and Missoni Spring/ Summer 2008 sample sale.

Shop the Valentino and Missoni Spring/Summer 2008 sample sale for two days only! All women's merchandise will be discounted up to 70% off retail prices. Women's designers include: Valentino Roma, Valentino Red, Valentino Garavani, M- Missoni, Alexander McQueen, Moschino Jeans, Mikael Aghal, and more featuring evening/cocktail dresses, sportswear, handbags, belts and scarves.





2/13/2008- 2/14/2008
Wed 10:30am - 8pm
Thu 9am - 7pm
123 West 18th Street - The Metropolitan Pavilion
(between 6th & 7th Avenue)
4th Floor Gallery
New York, NY 10011



Cash/Charge

Street Style During NYC Fashion Week

If you haven't noticed it is cold in NYC. Street fashion shows lots of layering and mixing of colors with the standard neutrals in any warbrode. Dark black leggins or pantyhose are also a staple. Afterall they keep you warm and go great with everything. One of the reasons I love New York fashion is because of the edge

These two oversize coats . You can pair an oversize jacket with a dress, skirt, or leggings. Since the coats themselves are heavy and do not accentuate a woman's figure they are best paired with something girlie such as a skirt, dress etc.

Black is always a fashion staple in New York City. New York women can make a black ensemble more interesting by adding a touch of color with your shoes or a bag. I always like to pair a red scarf or shoes with my neutrals like the woman on the left.
The assymetry of the jackets above make an otherwise neutral color more interesting. The I especially love the collar and ruffled front of the military style jacket to the right.

Again we see an oversize coat that does not emphasize a waist, worn with a dress. The dress and frill on the top offset the severity of the coat.

Leather, leather, leather. Leather jackets, leather pants, leather bags. You can wear a fitted leather jacket with skinny or straight leg pants in order to achieve the urban chic look above.

The white crochet dress is beautiful and feminine. The black knee high boots will not only keep her warm, but also do not look overdone. You should avoid a heeled boot when wearing a dress in order to look more casual and less provocative. The flat boots work well with the dress.

Again another military style jacket paired with what looks like a long button down shirt and black leggings.

If you are going to wear lots of different pieces such as a short skirt, ankle boots, and jacket it is best to keep them a neutral color in order to avoid seeming overly done. Although the woman on the left could have benefited from a little color.

On the right, this woman pairs a bright scarf to contrast her black dress. Her red shoes clash with the bright magenta scarf but I still think her outfit works. Matching excessively can be boring.

Image Credit: Elle.com