2013 Oscar Recap: The Tailors Steal the Show!

Seth MacFarlane's sense of humour isn't really my cup of tea.  Family Guy?  I can't watch it.  Ted?  Stopped it half way through.  Still...I kinda had high hopes that he'd find a way to be truly hilarious at the Oscars.  Was he?  Not even close.  But at least the only person he really offended was Chris Brown, and anyone willing to diss that guy to a billion people on live tv still gets props from me.

On to the fashion...I can't say I saw a bad dress.  Anne Hathaway's unnecessary nipple-exaggerators aside, I think everyone looked really lovely.  The thing that stood out to me the most - especially when looking back at previous award seasons - is how WELL everyone's dresses FIT.  Many people will gush about the designers, who certainly deserve much of the credit, but I think the true stars of this year's Oscar red carpet were the TAILORS.   Look at Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, Charlize Theron, Jessica Chastain...the list is endless really.  All those dresses fit PERFECTLY.  It's quite amazing to make such works of art hug every curve of a woman's body, but WOW did they ever!

If you have trouble imagining how important FIT is, just think back to Gwyneth Paltrow's pink Ralph Lauren dress when she won.  Whoever tailored that dress dramatically overestimated the size of her boobs.  I have no idea what happened there, but there was truly an opportunity for better tailoring.

Imagine how much better she would have looked if the neckline was just an inch higher, and the darting was better suited to her body.   The dress, the hair, the makeup was all stunning otherwise.  But when a tailoring mishap like that happens, it becomes the narrative - it takes over the discussion - and it overshadows the rest of the story. 

All we should have been talking about was how wonderful it was to see a young ingenue win an Oscar for a great performance.  What many people ended up talking about was the lack of ideal fit in her dress.  Case closed.

As for my pick for best dressed?  Zoe Saldana really wowed me.  The embellishment was risky in that it walks the line of being too much around the waist, but the unique colours, the fit, the scale on her frame - it was all gorgeous. 

Special mention goes to the excellent craftsmanship and artistry in Stacey Keilber's gown.  I'm a total sucker for anything with an art deco influence.  While it helps to have an accessory as hot as George Clooney, she rocked this look all on her own and truly stepped into the realm of the well-dressed.  Will anyone remember her days wrestling in the WWE after this?  Doubtful.  So lovely, elegant and classy.