A look at the Oscars red-carpet and everyone’s favourite shade of grey
By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor
I will admit, the majority of my own wardrobe consists of a plethora of black items—mostly because I like to accentuate my starving writer aesthetic by binge drinking coffee and looking as unfriendly as possible. This doesn’t change the fact that black is probably one of the most elegant colours you can come across for your formal wear needs. Unfortunately, as classic as black is, it is also extremely overdone when it comes to award shows—but there were a few standouts at the Oscars that chose to update their own basic black ensembles, turning them into modern magnificence.
The first lady that caught my eye was the ever lovely Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence seems to have her shit together, or at least her stylist does, because never have I seen her in anything that was less than perfect. The Oscars proved to be no different as she chose to strut her stuff in Dior. The dress itself is made from a very sheer black lace which accentuates the femininity of it, while the cut of the dress provides a more modern silhouette. That deep V neckline with the flowing tiered skirt speaks to a level of comfort that is absent from the more classic red carpet looks. Combining the black with the nude is a good way to break it up so it appears less harsh, but still sophisticated and sexy—like a modern Brigitte Bardot.
Next up was my surprise contender for the night, Kate Winslet. The shock here is that the dress itself isn’t revolutionary in terms of cut or colour. It’s beautiful and well-made, don’t get me wrong—but at the end of the night, it’s a simple strapless dress with a train. No, what matters here is the fabric. That gorgeous sheen that made that entire gown look like liquid wrapped around her body. Made by Ralph Lauren, this dress was definitely polarizing; people either loved it or hated it. I, for one, thought it was brilliant. To me, it is the perfect mix of futuristic fantasy meets Hollywood glamour. The fabric itself modernizes an otherwise boring black gown, something that a couple of us common folk should maybe take into consideration when we’re shopping for our next Little Black Dress.
For the gents, Jared Leto was an absolute standout. I appreciated the way he (or his stylist) attempted to modernize the classic black tux by going fully monochromatic with a few red accents. The piece-de-resistance was the flower. Moving the buttoneer from its regular position so that it took the place of his tie seems like such a simple concept. In fact, it’s often a frequent sight with women’s suits, and though it feminizes Leto’s look, it’s definitely not in a bad way. Leto himself is a slender man, so coupling the placement of the flower with his man-scruff and the clean lines of the suit makes the overall aesthetic very androgynous and versatile, much like the actor himself.
