Red Carpet Review: 5 Best Looks From the 2015 Academy Awards

As anyone who has an infatuation with the entertainment industry knows, the Academy Awards are the cinematic Super Bowl. Not only is it a night to celebrate critically-acclaimed movies and create pop culture moments (here's to you, John Travolta), this awards show is undeniably known for showcasing the fiercest celebrity fashion looks. However, this year's red carpet faced a sartorial lull. With fashion month in full swing, the most ensembles felt basic in comparison to the high-octane shows that are spamming every fashion fanatic's Instagram feed. Luckily, there were some get-ups that satiated the otherwise starved carpet. Check out the five best looks from last night's red carpet.

Emma Stone in Elie Saab: From dressy trousers to a stylish suit jacket paired with a sheer skirt, the nominee has been rocking gender-bender threads at this year's major award shows. Sporting a beaded Elie Saab dress is nothing new-- in fact, it feels as if every A-Lister has worn a similar outfit at some point in her career. However, the opened back and up-to-there slit adds a sultry flair to an otherwise conservative silhouette. What makes this look worthy of a spot on most best-dressed lists is the way Stone's stylist put this ensemble together. The matching glitzy bracelets and the dramatic wavy hair makes this outfit feel fresh and youthful. Cool girl Emma strikes again!

Juliane Moore in Custom Chanel: It's no secret that the Still Alice star would take home the treasured statuette at last night's ceremony. After years of nominated performances, it was irrefutable that this was Moore's year. Enter the perfect Oscar dress: shimmery, modern and ridden of any "basic" connotations thanks to the floral detailing along the neckline, hips and train. As most young girls dream of the perfect wedding dress, it's easy to imagine that aspiring actresses lose sleep over what they would wear to accept their Academy Award. "It has to be timeless, but something that will also get me a spot on most best dressed lists," they probably say. "My makeup has to be fresh and though I want to wear Cartier or Fred Leighton, I can't be dripping in diamonds--it'll take focus away from my Oscar." This outfit is everything an award-winning actress should wear. The slicked back updo and scarce (yet decadent) jewels complete a truly timeless look.

Keira Knightley in Valentino Haute Couture: If the 2015 awards season had superlatives, The Imitation Game star would definitely win "most ethereal pregnant woman on the red carpet." With her milkmaid disaster from the Golden Globes as an exception, the expectant mother's outfits consistently offered an admirable ease and comfort without looking too maternity. This Valentino Haute Couture dress was whimsy enough to fulfill Knightley's effortless aesthetic, yet formal enough to be Oscar-appropriate. Equally spot-on was the actress's beauty regime: her waves were coiffed to perfection and the fuss-free makeup perfectly complemented the dress.  Brava!

Rosamund Pike in Givenchy: As a relative red carpet rookie, try saying that five times fast, the Gone Girl star is exciting to watch. Though she doesn't receive as much praise as sartorial stars such as Lupita Nyong'o, Pike is taking risks by sporting balloonish silhouettes, touchable textures and the occasional pop of color. Opting for monochromatic is a sure-fire way grab the attention of style savants; however, sporting a completely red look on the red carpet is dicey. Can we say too much red? But with a textured dress, thin-strapped shoes and a subtly pink pout, the nominee successfully avoided a major faux pas. On the contrary, Pike gives a conventional red carpet gown a trendy twist.

Margot Robbie in Saint Laurent: In the fashion world, chic and sexy are rarely used in one sentence. However, thanks to the good graces of the Focus star, Robbie's outfit is in fact both chic and sexy. Her secret? Pairing a plunging neckline with ultra-stylish add-ons. While the delicately draped neckline turns up the sex appeal in a sophisticated manner, the matte red lip and stunning Van Cleef and Arpels necklace are everything a fashion nerd dreams of. Without this power combo, the dress would look like a slutty Stevie Nicks outfit and the add-ons would be Man Repeller-worthy. Together, the pieces are kind of amazing and create a sartorial force to be reckoned with. Many critics compare Robbie's look to a reinvented Michelle Pfeiffer, but this budding actress is in a league of her own.

Which red carpet looks did you love? Sound off below!

Photos courtesy of Refinery29

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The Style Files: Your Past Times Consisted of the Strange and Twisted and Derranged

Every now and then, for no particular reason, you just need a "get angry" song. No, I'm not angry; however, I do really like this song. "Crying Lightning " by The Arctic Monkeys is really catchy and makes me want to start a riot...what? Well, here it is. 

STYLE SPIRATION.

I cannot tell you how many trailers I've seen for I Don't Know How She Does It. It kind of scares me because I feel like this will become my life. But it's also made me think about Sarah Jessica Parker  not as Carrie Bradshaw but as her own person. And let me tell you, she's quite fashionable on her own. I think the reason I like her style is because she never dresses "on trend," she's her own person and she keeps fashion unique and sophisticated.

At a Screening Revolver. I think I like this because it's so weird and casual. The messy knot is the perfect counterpart to al of the leather and fur. She looks super glam, yet effortless. Layering is super chic and I love the all black ensemble. The bag could go, but I love the look! (Photo Cred)

At the 2004 Tony Awards in Dior. Ultimate princess moment. The dress is so regal, yet the mid-calf hemline makes this dress sophisticated instead of sweet sixteen-ish. The classic updo and the black shoes make this look vintage chic, which I'm obsessed with. (Photo Cred)

Rocking some Giambattista Valli at the 2006 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Gala: This is the perfect example that you can be classy and chic. The silhouette of the red dress is versatile, yet timeless. What really gives this outfit the "wow" factor is that awesome bag. Multi-colored  AND printed? Perfection. This look is both attainable and enviable, which I love.  (Photo Cred)

THE WEEKLY.

• Keira Knightley at the premiere of A Dangerous Method (Valentino): First of all, this dress is incredible: I love it with a passion of a thousand suns. Anywho, I'm dying over this styling. The simple updo makes this look approachable and the beautiful berry lip? The perfect amount of drama. There's really not much explaining I can do: this look is just amazing.
• Lea Michele at Jason Wu Spring 2012 RTW (Jason Wu): Lea Michele really bothers me; however, this looks is phenomenal. She did retro chic super well: the black and white combination was flawless. Also, I love her TWO pops of color. The red lip, combined with the soft waves, was gorgeous and the green clutch was fantastic. STYLING DO: When accessorizing with green and red, place them far apart from each other so  the colors truly complement each other and it's not "cheesy Christmas."

This week is super exciting because I'm going BACK to New York for Tibi and a very special interview!

xx

The Weekly: Spooktacular Fashions

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! I do believe that Halloween has to be up there on an aspiring fashionista's list of favorite holidays! You  get to dress up...and who doesn't love dressing up?! Nobody. While I'd love to have my weekly based on Halloween costumes, I think I'll save that for later this week. But you can take a look at my fail of a pumpkin for now!

It was supposed to be a winking pumpkin, right?!

ANYWAYS! 

There were a lot of awesome costumes that I saw during this weekend: a plethora of Ke$has looking fabulous, one of my friends was  Antoine Dodson, lax bros (my roommie's personal fave).

I was personally PETRIFIED of this full on bunny costume:

Photo Cred: http://www.fancydress99.co.uk/f-3/1013783/White-Bunny-Costume.jpg

Some top trends for costumes were "Risky Business Girls", nerds, and a plethora of other short skirt wearing outfits. I was a BALLER-ina one night and a mod/hippie/Edie Sedgwick/ London's sixties girl the other night, while my boyfriend was a Chilean Miner...yes...a Chilean Miner. My roommie was a cowgirl/ school-girl. Some of my other friends were hippies, Katy Perry, Pocahontas, police cops, pumpkins, greek goddesses, fairies, etc. All in all, it was a splendid weekend! 

NOW ONTO THE WEEKLY! 

• Demi Moore at the GQ Gentleman's Ball (Balmain): Love this Balmain!  I always am a fan of Balmain's interesting silhouettes and shapes (although some of them get a bit repetitive). Black and gold is such a chic color combination: it jazzes up what could potentially be gothic dress. Demi tends to wear a lot of black so the gold accents really helps it be a little bit out of her comfort zone. The tortoise clutch also gives it a little more ooomph: black would be too boring and gold would be too predictable. Tying it all together with some black heels and Ashton on her arm makes it a perfect outfit! 
• Keira Knightley at the Last Night Premiere (Valentino): I don't think I'd love this dress as much if Keira wasn't the one wearing it. But she does something to fashion that is so unexplainable but she, and whatever she's wearing, is always so effortless and beautiful. I loved all of the three dimensional aspects to this dress: I feel like she frequently wears simplistic outfits, but the semi- avant garde quality of this Valentino is refreshing! I do wish, however, she wore bright colors more frequently. Her paleness would make an awesome contrast with a cobalt blue or something. 

xx

Weekly Looks: A Fierce Feminity

There's nothing really new and fashion forward to report for this Weekly. OH... I did order a new necklace which I'm SUPER excited about! It should (hopefully) be arriving soon...like tomorrow. So instead, here's a nice picture of Boston!

Artsy, right?

For this Weekly, the looks are really girly. I think the theme of this week, in my life, is GIRLY. Just all of the colors, silhouettes, and patterns are so fierce and girly. So anyways...onto the looks!

• Keira Knightley at "Never Let Me Go" Premiere (Chanel): A dream of mine is to be covered in pearls. Drenched in pearls. Keira Knightley, I'm so jealous of you. She looked absolutely  SPECTACULAR. From far away, this dress could be considered "boring". BUT THE DETAIL?! Incredible. The knee hem is so classy and the strong black heel is uber chic. What I love about Keira Knightley is how she always know to dress in an eclectic and interesting way.
• Eva Mendes at  LA Philharmonic (Dior): In my mind, this dress is the epitome of whimsy bohemian. This pink looks SO amazing with her skin complexion and the silhouette is so princess-esque. But the bronze and silver beading gave it a bit more spice and prevents it from being too girly. As much as I love little cocktail dresses, I respect Eva Mendes for wearing a gown: it exudes class.
• Rachel Bilson at the Roberto Cavalli 40th Anniversary Party (Roberto Cavalli): This dress is so Cavalli and it looked amazing on her! I love leopard, always, and this silhouette worked so well with the print. It was genius to match the dress with the red clutch. It reminded me so much of Christian Louboutin AND Lipstick Jungle in one. So wonderful.

xx