So the Oscars were last night. And of course, I was watching. But I have a bit of a confession to make. I wasn’t watching for the dresses – at least, not really.
Yes, I am a stylist . Yes, I love fashion. And yes, I love seeing how the stars pull it all together. But to be honest, all the “who is she wearing” stuff is kinda lame to me. Unless you’re in the market to really buy some hot-off-the-runway Lagerfeld loveliness {and if you are, kudos for you and psst, call me anytime to style you!}, it’s pointless to get all catty over it.
I kinda have a “What’s in it for me” mentality to the Oscars. Or more aptly, “What’s in it for my brides.”
That said – I’m going to resist the temptation to ogle over all the confectionery goodness the stars swathed themselves in. {I get it. You get it. They look good/bad/better than you expected. Riveting}. Instead I’ll share what I dissected from the big night – and what I will be sharing with our current bridal styling clients as a means of inspiration for their wedding day look.
Numero uno reason I watch the Oscars- hair. The Oscars {and awards season in general} is the absolute best place to look for wedding day tress inspiration. Case in point? Try Googling “Wedding Day Hair.” Oy vey. You may as well have Googled “Nineties Prom” or “Disney Princesses.” I’m not trying to be mean, but tiaras and tight curls do not a wedding day hairstyle make. {Ever}. However, hail Oscar! Since celebs entrust in some of the hottest hair stylists all over the world to make sure their tresses stay trend-right to their gowns, Oscar hair is noteworthy to say the least. My biggest takeaway from last night’s performances in hairstyles? The glam-pony. J’adore.
I wish I had better photos to show you, but since this is but a wee blog I cannot splurge on the Getty Images detail shots… However, as Oscar footage rolls out this AM, take note of Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman’s high-pony hair. Ponytails are pretty utilitarian, but paired with some height in the front, extensions in the back {a la Reese} and a bit of curl {a la Nicole}, they are just as glamorous as any tried and true updo. They are also a little mid-century modern {which I always adore}, and oodles more posh than the side pony we’ve been seeing for a few seasons. I love this trend and think it’s totally wedding-worthy.
My Oscar Raison d’être Number 2: Beholding the bling. What? You mean you won’t be accessorizing for your wedding day a la Amy Adams with $1.35 million worth of diamond and emerald Cartier bling? No matter. Even if you are not renting your own designer baubles from companies such as Astarr {check them out, BTW}, that’s not to say the Oscars won’t show the very best in jewelry trends.
While Oscar-watching for my brides, I personally look for shape rather than designer. I was totally smitten by Natalie Portman’s beaded tassel earrings {love this look for the romantic bride}, Amy’s heirloom pieces {an estate sale knock off would do the vintage bride just fine} and The Insider host Lara Spencer’s geometric turquoise teardrops for a beach wedding.
My Oscar bridal style tip three: Don’t think wedding. Think rehearsal dinner. Anyone can compile all the white dresses from Oscar night, slap them online, and tell you they are the next hot wedding dress trends. But unless they were at bridal market seeing those same silhouettes sashay down the runway, that’s probs not the case. {Or at least not right away. Bridal trends follow quite slowly after runway}.
Instead of thinking about your wedding day, train your brain to think rehearsal dinner. What red carpet embellishments and dress accents are being repeated on Oscar night? What eras are being evoked? What looks inspire something you can pull together from a one-stop shop to Barneys? Answer: Pure, clean, geometric sixties-style via Michelle Williams and Cate Blanchett. 
Michelle and Cate may be wearing gowns, but their looks transcend perfectly to a bride’s rehearsal dinner attire. Both begin with a covered shoulder, beaded sixtes-esque embellishments, and clean, pure make up with white highlights to finish the look. Why does this work for your rehearsal dinner? Because I can easily think of about five contemporary cocktail dress designers whose DNA mimics this trend at the $300-$500 dress pricepoint at your local Saks or Barneys {Trina Turk, Milly, Shoshanna, DVF – i.e. shameless plug to my Revolve shop here }. The overall vibe is refined, a bit buttoned, and nostalgic, which is always such a perfect day before the big day look. I’ve already added these to mood boards for two rehearsal dinner bridal styling clients – and I totally think you should follow suit! 
Final Oscar 2011 takeaway: Take note of color trends. Now, I already admitted I wasn’t going to collage one color and call it a trend {“Oh look, three people out of the thousands in attendance wore red- it must be a trend!” Um, no}. But here’s some food for thought – What are some red carpet color families that circle back to the multi-colored bridesmaid dress trend?
We all know plums are hot for bridesmaids, but how about having your girls wear shades of purples and blues? Take a peek at how gorgeous this looks when a plum dress palette is injected with some jewel tones on the bluer side of the color wheel. I think it’s remarkably elegant and seasonless. 
Hope you’ve enjoyed my little wedding stylist musings… Of course, I’m anxious to hear your thoughts too! How are you using last night’s Oscar inspiration to develop your wedding day look?
xx,
To learn more about Merci New York’s wedding fashion styling services, visit www.wordpress.com or call our offices at 646.368.1941 to set up a complimentary consultation.
Photo credits: Cate Blanchett, Lucy Nicholson/Reuters; Michelle Williams, Steve Granitz/WireImage; Hailee Steinfeld, Steve Granitz/Wire Image; Amy Adams, Matt Sayles/AP; Lara Spencer, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansen, Marisa Tomei, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images.
