Trend Spotting At The Academy Awards

Ruffles, Ruffles Everywhere

One of the most unexpected trends to rear its sometimes-ugly head last night was the abundance of ruffles. Now, I’m a sucker for romantic detailing so I was completely enamored with most of these voluminous looks, however, I realize that a lot of people out there are looking at actresses like Elizabeth Banks, Vera Farmiga, Diane Kruger and Zoe Saldana thinking, “what were they thinking!?” Especially controversial was Saldana’s purple Givenchy. While some are referring to it as “the purple people eater” I’m sort of head over heels for its full throttle glamour. I mean if you can’t wear it to the Oscars, where can you wear it? Make sure to tell us what you thought of the ruffle explosion below.

Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number

Yes, the Kodak Theatre was filled with youngsters last night—though I’ve yet to figure out why most of the teen sensations were invited—but it was the mature ladies that really epitomized the glamour of the evening. Meryl Streep (61), Kathryn Bigelow (58) and Helen Mirren (64) looked far from frumpy in their gorgeous gowns showing that you don’t need to be under thirty to rock the red carpet—especially Bigelow who was showing some Michelle Obamaesque arms! No matronly smocks or mother of the bride worthy dress and jacket combos for these incredible women. Chalk one up for maturity.

Pale Strapless Gown + No Necklace = Dreamy Red Carpet Perfection

Nude, blush and white gowns have been making a major comeback this awards show season and last night was no exception. Amanda Seyfried and Jennifer Lopez both opted for sculptural white Armani Prive gowns with crystal detailing (can you see they are from the same collection) while Anna Kendrick opted for a blush toned chiffon number by Elie Saab. It absolutely pains me to say this, but Miley Cyrus’ Jenny Packman gown was as close to red carpet perfection as I saw at The Oscars. While I don’t think the corseted top was particularly age-appropriate (she’s 17, folks) if I were to pick a dress from last night to call my own, this might be it. Interestingly, last night showed a major shift towards statement earrings and bracelets rather than necklaces—seriously no one had any neck adornment. Interesting trend, non? 

Not So Basic Black

Let’s be honest, a black dress can be dramatic, but it can also be quite boring. Not so on Carrey Mulligan, Tina Fey and Kristen Stewart. Mulligan has been proving herself to be quite the fledgling fashionista in the last few months, so no real surprise that her heavily embellished Prada dress with equally decadent accessories struck the perfect balance between classic and modern day cool. I felt like Tina Fey really stepped it up for the occasion with her heavily sequined, one-shouldered Michael Kors gown—though I will say it looked suspiciously like Kate Winslet’s dress from last year.  On anyone else, this strapless mermaid style Monique Lhuillier, would not have had as much impact. On Kristen Stewart, however, it was the perfect choice for the young starlets first Academy Awards outing. Sculpted, understated and glam this gown is the cherry on top of Stewart's recent style transformation. Now, if only they had taught her how to navigate the stairs in it last night would have been a complete success for KStew!

Let’s discuss: What did you think about the red carpet looks last night? Who hit it out of the park and who failed to launch in your books last night? What did you think about the no necklace trend? What about the abundance of ruffles and the elegant “mature” styles? Who wore your favourite look? Notice any other trends I didn’t touch upon? Sound off on all things Oscars below!

By: Meghan

Photo Credit: Splashnews