If you’re a big film fan like me, the Oscars are a great cultural event. They feature some of the biggest stars in entertainment, there’s always funny jokes, interesting bits of social commentary, and above all else, the fashion is always eye-catching. There’s a reason, after all, that red carpet arrivals coverage is two full hours before the show! So, with the 2018 Oscars (the 90th) now well behind us, we thought we’d check out the looks and trends from the Oscars red carpet and how some of those stunning looks may translate to our own wardrobe choices for the rest of the year.
Looks and Trends from the Oscars Red Carpet
The Best Looks
Lupita Nyong’o – This rising star has a refreshing quality no matter what she shows up in, because she always seems so genuine and pleasant. At this year’s Oscars she joined some of her fellow Black Panther stars in showcasing at least a slight resemblance to the film’s aesthetic, wearing a gold and black, sparkling Atelier Versache dress with one bare shoulder. It complemented her spectacularly.
Margot Robbie – Robbie is one of the most stunning young stars in Hollywood, and has become a formidable actress. She was nominated for Best Actress for her work portraying Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, and certainly showed up looking like Academy royalty. A narrow, all-white Chanel gown with bare shoulders established a sort of Greek goddess vibe. By the way, if you haven’t seen I, Tonya you’re missing out as Robbie and Allison Janney were brilliant!
Saoirse Ronan – Her name may not be easy to pronounce, but this young actress starred in Lady Bird and also received a Best Actress nod. In fact, though Frances McDormand was the runaway favorite (and eventual winner for starring in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – my personal favorite of the year), Ronan was described as “the wild card” in the category, with the second-best odds and a serious resume to her credit even at a young age. She arrived with a look to match her growing prestige, sporting a pink Calvin Klein dress with a narrow cut, bow-like back, and trailing skirt.
Gal Gadot – The woman now most famous for playing Wonder Woman didn’t get a Best Actress nomination, but she still featured prominently throughout the awards. She even took part in one of host Jimmy Kimmel’s main skits with a visit to the movie theater across the street from the awards theater to surprise movie goers with candy and hot dogs. Frankly it’s difficult for this woman to look anything but stunning, but a sparkling silver Givenchy dress with metallic frays all down the skirt made her look shimmering and spectacular.
More Trends for 2018
Bare Shoulders – The off-the-shoulder top has been around for a year or two now as a popular trend. In fact it’s been prevalent enough that last summer we started to see some commentary as to why the trend should die! But if the ladies of the Oscars red carpet are any indication, bare shoulders are only going to heat up again as we approach the warmer seasons. Many if not most of the best looks involved one (as with Nyong’o) or both (as with Robbie, Ronan, and Gadot) shoulders showing.
White & Nude – Sometimes a given color stands out as much as any particular style, and that was definitely the case at the Oscars. While there’s of course a huge variety of dresses to look back on, whites and nudes were the talk of the red carpet. To name a few, Robbie, Laura Dern, and Dee Rees all did wonderfully with white (with Rees wearing a white-on-black tuxedo); and actresses like Allison Williams and Gina Rodriguez were stunning in nude.
Velvet Suits – We’re getting away from the ladies with this last one, but it was probably the most noticeable style trend at the Oscars, and bears mentioning if you like to keep an eye on what men are wearing. Numerous major actors, from Daniel Kaluuya to Armie Hammer, made bold statements in velvet suit jackets this year. It was a surprisingly fun trend, and one that likely will become more common during cooler months.
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Style Expert Alison Deyette is a TV + digital host and Los Angeles stylist who was recently named one of the top stylists in Los Angeles by Variety, WWD, Angeleno and Modern Luxury magazines. Alison has helped kick-start the new look of hundreds of women and men and worked with people of all sizes and shapes — from petite to tall, slender to plus-size. As a stylist and fashion director, Alison has styled and directed photo shoots all over the world with models, celebrities and real women for a variety of magazines, including: Mode, Good Housekeeping, People Style Watch, Woman’s Day, Ocean Drive, Real Beauty and Fitness. And she’s styled Oprah’s Weight Watchers commercials. She appears regularly on Good Morning America, TODAY, Access Hollywood, Access Hollywood Live, Wendy Williams, The Real, The View, Steve Harvey and is the Style Expert for KTLA’s Morning News. Alison is the host of the AOL series The Savings Experiment. She is a contributing fashion editor for Real Simple, Life & Style, In Touch and Closer Weekly. She was the host of Pocket the Difference, a co-host of TLC’s 10 Years Younger and TBS’ Movie and a Makeover and the weekly Style Contributor on Hallmark Channel’s Marie. She’s conducted countless celebrity interviews including Ryan Gosling, Jessica Chastain, Scarlett Johansson and Salma Hayek for TV and in print. Plus, she recently styled Oprah’s Weight Watcher’s commercials. And she’s hosted several web series that collectively have more than 100 million views.