Celebrity Looks for Less: Oscar-worthy

Just like after the the Golden Globes, commercial fashion designers scrambled to create dresses similar to some of those worn by the lovely ladies at the Oscars last week. Just in time for the upcoming prom-season, these ultra-affordable replicas are definitely red-carpet worthy.



One of my picks for best-dressed at the Academy Awards, Helen Mirren's Christian Lacroix gown was specially designed just for her, and probably cost thousands. You can get edressme New York's version for only $325.


Jessica Biel's fuschia belted number was so popular, it was copied not only by edressme New York and Faviana. Edressme New York's version can be pre-ordered for $320 to be shipped starting April 10.


As seen on Access Hollywood, Faviana also created replicas of Kate Winslet's and Rachel Weisz's dresses, as well as Reese Witherspoon's dress, another one of my picks. Edressme New York also created two replicas of Jennifer Hudson's dress, in both regular and plus-sizes.

Flashback

Penelope Cruz landed herself on many best dressed lists at the Oscars this year in a beautiful and elegant blush colored Atelier Versace dress with a fitted bodice and oversized mermaid train with ruffles. While I thought the dress, and the actress in it, looked amazing, I couldn't help but be reminded of a dress Sarah Jessica Parker wore in the series finale of Sex and the City in 2004, which was also Versace couture.

Penelope's 2007 Oscar gown

Is Versace becoming too predictable?

Carrie Bradshaw's 2004 farewell

Some more Oscar fashions for you...

Not all of the best dressed peeps were Oscar winners, or presenters, or even guests at the actual event. Post-Oscar parties are a big deal in Hollywood, and going means that you might not necessarily have the goods to win the coveted award, but you're hot enough to trot into the biggest parties of the year. Below are my VicPicks for best Oscar party dresses.

Madonna in Dolce and Gabbana at the Vanity Fair party

Ellen Pompeo in Alexander McQueen at the Vanity Fair party


Victoria Beckham in Azzedine Alaïaat the Elton John AIDS Foundation party

Oscar Fashion Report

The 79th Annual Academy Awards were last night, and though on the whole it was rather eventless, as no one streaked or made brash political statements, no one showed up wearing anything unbearable to look at, and the host, first-timer Ellen DeGeneres was funny yet classy and unassuming, the biggest thing was how long the show actually went on for. Coming in at roughly 3 hours and 50 minutes, perhaps its a good thing that there were no major fashion disasters, as having to look at one for that long might permanently burn bad fashion into our brain.

Among the trends, navy was a common color, as Maggie Gyllenhal in Proenza Schouler, Reese Witherspoon in Nina Ricci, Jody Foster in Vera Wang, Emily Bunt in Calvin Klein, and Ellen's girlfriend, Portia De Rossi in Zac Posen, all wore it. There were a lot of strapless dresses with mermaid trains, as well as the Grecian-inspired one shoulder look. American Idol loser/Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson was disappointing in a brown Oscar de la Renta with pockets (which, in my opinion, have no business doing anything on an evening gown). Nicole Kidman struck an always impressively statuesque pose in bright red Balenciaga, but her demure facial expressions are becoming more awkward with the more Botox she uses, and it makes me sad. Anne Hathaway, who recently compared herself to Lindsay Lohan , seemed to learn little from her experiences shooting The Devil Wears Prada, and wore an ill-fitting white brocade strapless Valentino dress with an obnoxiously oversized bow on the bodice. Cameron Diaz could have done better in her white off-the-shoulder Valentino number, but Kirsten Dunst looked dreadful in a confusing silver short-sleeved Chanel Couture dress with feathered bottom.

For my top picks, I actually am going to be on the uneventful side as well, as I enjoyed Nicole's daring red dress, and as blue is my favorite color, I have to say that I liked Reese's and Emily's dresses as well. While some had her on their worst dressed list, I actually liked Gwyneth Paltrow's brick colored short sleeve Zac Posen number, with side-swept stick-straight hair (similar to Nicole Kidman's). Additionally, I thought Kate Winslet's seafoam green Valentino number and Isla Fisher (aka, Borat's girlfriend) looked wonderful as a red-head in an emerald dress by Monique Lhuillier. Cate Blanchette, in a silver one-shouldered Armani Privé dress, kept to her word, and played dress up yet again in an elegant and tasteful way.

I'd like to also give special props to the, ahem, older women at the event, as I felt that both Diane Keaton, a presenter for Best Picture, and Helen Mirren in Christian Lacroix, a winner for Best Actress, looked stunningly beautiful--a coup for women in Hollywood who refuse to do anything but age gracefully! Bravo!


Addendum: When you can't find it out yourself, you just have to find the right People to ask. As per the question posted here, I put in a question at People.com and they answered:

I have been searching everywhere for this! I thought that Diane Keaton looked absolutely beautiful presenting Best Picture, particularly in light of her past fashion faux-pas on the red carpet, but what designer was she wearing this year? – Victoria, CT

Keaton, who copresented the award for Best Picture with Jack Nicholson, wore a belted, long-sleeved Ralph Lauren gown. She dressed up the basic black dress with a sparkly large pendant by Neil Lane Jewelry.