Oscar Roundup

I wanted so badly to have a clever word-play title for this but I'm dangerously under-caffinated and my wits have failed me. Anyhoo, I had a delightful Oscar evening at a fancy dress Oscar party with a bunch of other Yalies at which we all drank some amazing cocktails and bitched about fellow Yale student James Franco and his crap-tacular hosting skills (photos to come), yeah, we're catty like that in the Ivies (actually, I'm seriously not and as a Canadian, union-loving, universal-health care enthusiast, near-socialist I sort of hate being lumped in with the Ivy League crew). I hope you all had a similarly enjoyable evening and now onto the fashion!

Unless noted, all images are from style.com

Best Dressed

Sharon Stone in...(I actually don't know the designer) - she looks all kinds of witchy and fun and I love it

Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang - wow, just wow

Natalie Portman in Rodarte - I'm so so happy she showed up in Rodarte (the Mulleavy sisters of course costumed Black Swan) and I think this is just the best awards season dress she's had so far

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab - the color, the daring (somewhat boob-tastic) cut, the fit...it's just perfect

Michelle Williams in Chanel - I loved how demure and sparkly this was...and it was such an improvement over that Valentino daisy mess...

Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein - yowzas! Straight up sexy and I love that she did almost no jewelry and light makeup

Hilary Swank in Gucci - I don't know...I like things that sparkle and I totally think she's working this

Helena Bonham Carter in Colleen Atwood - you all know how much I adore Bon-Carter and this is no exception...especially since she wore the design of the gal who actually won for best costume and was super snarky to Ryan Seacrest on the E! pre-show when he asked about her usually wacky style and she was all like "well Ryan, tonight is really about film and not designers and fashion" (okay, so that's not an actual quote but same s**t different pile)...

Hailey Steinfeld in Marchesa - so pretty and age appropriate, loved it!

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy - I'll admit I was on the fence about this (it kind of looks like her breasts are hatching out of an Easter egg) but the architecture of the gown is perfect and, really, who else could pull this off?

Annette Bening in Naeem Khan - so shiny and sparkly and pretty

image credit: Getty images

Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive - of all Ms. Hathway's hosting gowns this was my favorite

Slightly Less Than Stellar

Reese Witherspoon in Armani Prive - she kind of looked like a Barbie...and I really love Barbie but I just could not get behind this

Melissa Leo in Marc Bouwer - wow, just wow

Marisa Tomei in Lily et Cie 1950 Charles James couture gown - this theoretically would be something I love (tulle! black! (I've actually since found out it's navy but same thing) satin!) but sadly no...it just doesn't fit her right and needs way better accessories

Jennifer Hudson in Versace - is it just me or is this doing odd things to her boobs?

Halle Berry in Marchesa - well, at least she showed up in actual clothes...

Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein - what in the what?

Amy Adams in L'Wren Scott - I loved this dress (sequins! navy! cap sleeves! sexy slit!), but seriously the necklace did it in

Florence Welch in vintage Valentino - I want to like this, I really do but (aside from the fact that she seems addicted to rocking this washed out lace shade at every event) with the hair and the ruffles it's all Little House on the Prairie meets some weird Oregon Trail-playing cult and I kind of wish that someone who is obviously SO creative would, you know, actually try to be creative sartorially

Cocktails?

Every February Yale has something called the Winter Ball which is basically an excuse for students to get all gussied up, pay $25 for a ticket, and hang out at the New Haven Lawn Club for an evening of overpriced drinks. I’ve avoided it for the last few years just because it was overpriced but this year I decided that I wanted an excuse to dress up and have fancy drinks so I hosted a cocktail party where each guest had to bring the materials to make one signature cocktail. Granted, a lot of people forgot about that part and, as a consequence, I wound up mostly sipping wine, but it was still great fun!

fancy a drink?

or maybe multiple drinks?

dress: ModCloth

jacket: H&M / shoes: F21

I'm a party queen!

all parties need an appropriately dressed fancy cat

Spring Trees

Of to campus for an afternoon in the library – I got my North American Conference on British Studies and my North Eastern Conference on British Studies panel proposals finished and also completed my application to be a Part Time Acting Instruction next year (I’ve designed a junior seminar on women, religion, politics, and society in early Modern England). Now if I could just make the fourth and fifth chapters of my dissertation somehow fit together to be one coherent chapter I could end February on a high note!

Cardigan: zara / shoes: converse / blouse: ann taylor / skirt: thrifted

And then it’s on to spring – and trees and moments in the shade, and not a moment too soon.

Favorite

Let’s call this sort on an ode to my favorite dress (surprise, surprise it’s leopard print) – belted with a cardigan, with a scarf, or paired with the wrap, this baby always looks chic. What’s your favorite item of clothing?

Colloquial

I was smart enough a few weeks ago to take some photos of New Haven all blanketed with ice covered snow…but not smart enough to actually get them off my camera until now. Whateves, I’m trying.











I also found these images from a week or so ago of an outfit I wore to attend the British Historical Studies Colloquium and the dinner following. I think the layered pearl necklace classes the whole thing up a bit and makes it perfect for an academic evening. Fellow academic readers, what’s you’re preferred colloquium style – a bit on the dressier side or jeans and a blouse (which I frequently rock at colloquia)?

skirt: gap / t-shirt: joe fresh / cardigan: thrifted

Meow

I’m riding out the last week of February in leopard style with a full skirt by Joe Fresh, a cropped cardigan with some embellishment by F21, and my Tudor rose necklace that I snatched up in London this summer. The one bright spot about the end of February for me is my anniversary (this year it’s 10 years of being together and 5 years of marriage so it’s a big one) – and this year I’m super excited about celebrating!

Is It March Yet?

I’m drowning in a sea of conference proposals and a proposal to teach a class next term (an undergraduate seminar) that I’m putting together…I’m so ready for this month to be over! How is everyone else’s February shaping up so far?

blouse: Next / necklace: Topshop / wedges: Shoe Warehouse

Slush, Faux Suede's Worst Nightmare

It’s been so snowy and icy and slushy (the temperature recently took an upswing and so there are puddles of melting snow everywhere) here that I haven’t really been able to get much wear out of these wedge, over the knee boots that I gifted for Christmas. I’ve only managed two wears so far. Boo.




I also need to invest in a new set of book ends soon and I found some beauties at Plastic Land. And a ton of other cute things...