Learning from Oscar

 
This year's Oscars returned to the glamorous event I've always enjoyed, albeit with some touches of sly humor by host Jimmy Kimmel. Sometimes only the faux pas make an Oscar telecast fun, but this one moved along well and made me appreciate movies all the more.

Often I don't understand the brouhaha over Oscar dressing, as I wouldn't wear some of those get-ups to a dog fight. Last night stylists (for the most part) channeled elegance. We can learn from that. We can even learn from the few red carpet faux pas.

Both Gail Gadot and Allison Williams laid on the sparkles, albeit in a restrained manner. Gail's pendant necklace perfectly solved the cleavage issue. Without it that neckline might have been too severely bare. Allison's dress could have gone matronly, but was restrained just enough.

I also loved Nicole Kidman and Saoirse Roanan's big bows, but those might be don't-try-this-at-home moments.

And Oscar winner Allison Janney looked regal in her long crimson gown. It walked beautifully too. It was a vibrant shade of red; in black it might have been a little too wicked-witch-in-"Snow White."

 
Greta Gerwig knew she was going to get a lot of screen time, and she dressed as Oscar's best date in a golden shade of yellow.

Alas, Selma Hayek was a lesson in needed restraint. I wanted to rip those chains off (at the very least). That tiered lavender cupcake was definitely one of the night's missteps.

The best fashion takeaway from the Oscars was Emma Stone's silk two-piece pantsuit. I'm not sure about the pink bow belt, but that outfit proved how much you can do with a pair of black silk pants and a nice jacket. She stood out because she didn't shout.