Style-watch Mondays: the Oscars!

While I was getting ready to write this post about the 2009 Oscar Awards Ceremony, I thought to myself, "nothing really stood out this year." Most dresses were bland and blended in the setting. And we go downhill as we move towards hair-styles. Where was the glamour? The glitz? Good or bad, at least give me something to talk about?? :)

As it turns out, many share my opinion. I googled "Oscars 2009 fashion" and ran across spanking fresh articles that portray it bluntly as...disappointing. 

Still, after watching the Awards Ceremony meticulously, I can name one dress in particular that stood out to me: Marisa Tomei's Versace dress.

 To be honest, I didn't even know who Marisa Tomei is until I saw this dress. :) 

Well, she played the single-mom stripper in The Wrestler and she was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance (the Oscar, however, went to Penelope Cruz).  

Back to the dress now. The cut is really sophisticated and I love how the many creases (or folds) twist along in various directions, yet manage to come together and look seamless! Simply stunning! It makes me think of a twister, actually. Marisa's dress also embodies a very strong trend at this year's oscars: that fishtail you may have noticed on other dresses, such as Beyonce's (whose dress was terrible, by the way) and Vanessa Hudgens'. 

Marisa wore the white the best, in my opinion. (This is the best photo I could find of her dress, but the angle that would truly do her justice is exactly the opposite, where you could see all the fabulous twists!) Penelope Cruz's vintage Balmain was also a hit, but her hair ruined it for me. Sarah Jessica Parker wasn't bad in her Dior dress, but too bridal of a look. Angie looked good, but her look is getting really old: long locks, black dress--same old, same old. 

Anyway, this is all I've got. All that's worth mentioning. Almost everyone's hair disappointed me. I think simplicity is a great thing, but not at the Oscars...not when it comes to hair. It ended up translating into lazy, as far as I'm concerned. Either that, or...the recession has hit the stars, too, and they could no longer afford a hair-dresser. I could just see them twisting their locks in the bathroom with the hot iron. Yikes!

Best to end the note with Marisa Tomei's dress. After all, she wins my style-watch category for the week ;)

tribute

Before any discussion of dresses, glamor, fashion (or faux-pas), and dresses once again, I need to mention the one who stood out most to me during this year's Oscars Awards Ceremony.
Heath Ledger.
Not at all surprisingly, Heath won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar Award for his performance of the Joker in the Dark Knight. And no other man deserved this more. It is unfortunate when men as great as Heath have to leave us so early. But although Heath could not be on that podium to accept his award, and although his parents were on the stage where he should have been--where we all would have liked to see him--there was still that rare and strong emotion across the audience's eyes that only Heath could have provoked. The same feeling I experienced the first time I watched one of Keith's performances ("Ten Things I Hate About You") and the last time, too ("The Dark Knight"): a mixture of love, admiration, compassion, envy, enthusiasm, respect and euphoria. His humble attitude left me ever wondering...what's a girl to do with Heath...give him a big bear hug or seduce him?
Such was Heath: lovable, yet humble; seductive, yet serious; rebellious, yet devoted.
And to many of us, he still is. 

The Woodstock of our times

SASQUATCH and I go a long way back. Well, no, I haven't actually gone to the Sasquatch! Music Festival, ever, but I have fantasized about doing so for the longest I can remember. My desire got stronger and stronger since sophomore year of college, when my roommates went and I couldn't go. Mostly, it was because it's always been too expensive for me to go. Tickets cost about $160/person for the entire 3 days and a camping pass is at least $95. Then, you add the cost of  driving and food and other expenses over the three days and you can easily get close to $500, plus a second ticket for Dorel, close to $700. And it takes place at the end of May, close to when I'm always ready to leave for Romania. Since my trip to Romania is my biggest expense of the year --but also my most important trip--there is little left to choose. *sigh* 

BUT, I can dream. (besides, things can change over night...all we need is a big video/photo contract and....voila! we could both go!).

This image has always made me dream of Sasquatch. I would love to lay in a pool of people and tune out to the music; to drink with friends and float around, fly high and forget about all else; it looks as if all those people are sitting at the very top of the world. It's so beautiful! 

Plus, the indie bunch. Have you seen this year's line-up??

Saturday, May 23th

Kings of Leon / Yeah Yeah Yeahs / The Decemberists / Animal Collective / Bon Iver / M. Ward / Doves / Sun Kil Moon / The Gaslight Anthem / King Khan & The Shrines / Ra Ra Riot / Shearwater / Passion Pit / Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band / Vince Mira / Blind Pilot / Owl City / Arthur & Yu / Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele / Death Vessel / Hockey / James Pants / Todd Barry / Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! / People's Republic of Komedy

Sunday, May 24th

Jane's Addiction / Nine Inch Nails / TV On The Radio / of Montreal / The Avett Brothers / Calexico / M83 / The Airborne Toxic Event / The Walkmen / The Wrens / St. Vincent / The Dodos / John Vanderslice / The Submarines / Viva Voce / The Builders And The Butchers / AA Bondy / Fences / Point Juncture, WA / The Red Wine Boys / Zach Galifianakis / Deadmau5 / Natalie Portman's Shaved Head / People's Republic of Komedy / Devotchka

Monday, May 25th

Ben Harper and Relentless7 / Erykah Badu / Silversun Pickups / Fleet Foxes / Gogol Bordello / Santigold / Grizzly Bear / Explosions In The Sky / Girl Talk / Blitzen Trapper / The Knux / Monotonix / Bishop Allen / Black Moth Super Rainbow / Beach House / Mugison / The Dutchess And The Duke / School Of Seven Bells / Horse Feathers / The Pica Beats / Loch Lomond / BLK JKS / Demetri Martin / God's Pottery / Chromeo / Tobacco / People's Republic of Komedy

Did you wet your pants already? I did... :)

Bold Tuesdays

This Spring, as you leave behind your winter blacks and whites, don't just welcome the sun with color, but do so with INTENSE color! As tempting as those pastel colors might be (lime-green, pale-pink, pale-yellow, etc.), you can have more:

Try some clear-cut Green, Blue, and Red! Add Yellow and everything in-between, so long as it is an intense, definite color!

Don't just say, 'hello, Spring!' ...Flaunt those primary colors like you mean it! ;) 

Happy Spring, everyone!

PS: These lovely outfits are courtesy of BB Dakota --I'm a huge fan of their collections!

Style-watch Mondays

Season must-have's

First of all, *high-waist everything* (here's a basic idea from American Apparel). Seriously. Donate or set aside your low-waist items of clothing and make room for high-waist skirts, pants, overalls, dresses, shorts, etc. Any of your old tops will work perfectly covered by a high-waist skirt or pair of pants.

*On a budget?* Simply create the idea of "high-waist" by accessorizing with a belt tightened around the highest point of your waist, rather than around your hips. Or, wear a skirt that you already have in your wardrobe tightened around your high-waist, rather than your low-waist.

*Not for your body-type?* If you don't think you have the body for high-waist skinny pants and also don't want to look like chubby Jessica Simpson in them, you can never go wrong with a skirt. Skirts and dresses are good for all body-types.


Second of all, *vests* = the easiest and most fun way to accesorize and add character to an
otherwise-plain look. Vests are not only trendy right now, they can also make you look sophisticated easily, as if you actually spent time putting your wardrobe together. If you are worried about your budget and don't want to spend a lot on being up-to-date with fashion, vests will get you there. For example, they go perfectly with skinny, high-waist jeans, a long top, and either flats or pumps.

Now, in no particular order:

*Pumps* Very fun shoes that add height to any petite silhouette (like me). I love pumps because they can be fun, serious or sexy, depending on how you choose to wear them.

*Scrunched skirts* If you'd like to try something fun this season, consider getting a high-waist skirt in its scrunched version. Sure, you're thinking this isn't the sexiest outfit. Sexy, maybe not. Feminine? Yes. Fun? Most definitely. It's a nice, alternative office look, if nothing else.

*Belts* No explanation needed here. Any fashionista must have a belt by this point. Belts are good on dresses, skirts, pants, shirts, coats, sweaters, jackets, raincoats...you name it! They complement that high-waist look I just mentioned.
*On a budget?* Try using an old scarf or tie in place of a belt. If you have tops you are getting ready to throw away, consider cutting out a strip and using it in place of a belt.

*Scarves* Silk or wool, cotton or lycra, print or plain, scarves are a definite statement of who you are. Have fun picking one out and letting it show one or two of your true colors.