OSCARS 2023

I have to say that this year’s Oscar was the best in a long, long time. Except of course last year when it was so terrible, it was dope.  (Did I use that word correctly?)  How could anyone top the slap heard round the world?  Well, Jimmy Kimmel could, of course  He did a great job – funny, ironic, even a bit respectful.  It was the acceptance speeches that were a two-breaster as my late mother and aunt would say when something was so overly emotional, you had to grab your chest with both hands.  (I suppose that was the meaning?)  Almost every winner had me in tears!  From the first on.  Towards the end, I was a little tired of one movie winning everything especially when I hate that movie!!!

I thought I would never stop sobbing at the winning documentary about Navalny, the Soviet opposition leader who was poisoned and languishes in solitary confinement in a Russian gulag.  Ben finally wandered in and asked “are you still crying?” 

By the way, did anyone miss Will Smith?  As the last winner of the Best Actor award, normally he would be there presenting that award to the next winner of it.  Thankfully, he was asked to stay home.

But in the end,  the fashion was unparalleled tonight!   I had trouble finding just one or two best dressed, the list overflowed.   I had heard the red carpet would be beige and I thought they meant the dress theme would be bland, but they meant the carpet itself was beige.  And, so were the dresses.  It was a sea of beige or champagne and silverish sequins.  But, in my opinion, the most outstanding Oscar dresses were the hugely overexaggerated ones.

And so without further ado, the Oscars by Cote de Texas (because she really knows fashion.  Her favorite designer is Hanes, known for his sweat pants, hoodies and underwear  (available only at Amazon.)

BEST & WORST OF CHAMPANGE AND SEQUINS:

I’ve never seen such a large collection of champagne & sequined dresses.  Many looked like liquid gold shimmering down over beautiful bodies.

I absolutely loved Jamie Lee Curtis’ look.  Dolce and Gabbana.  She wins one of the best champagne dresses look.  She was perfect.

Lauren Ridloff looked wonderful in her champagne.

Andrea Riseborough, nominee. I absolutely love this dress, but it’s not a good color on her at all. 

Rooney Mara.  I love her style  I wonder – did she decide not to hem the dress?  Either way – I love the hemline and the dress but she does look a tad washed out.  She has absolutely the most resting bitch face of anyone.  You never see her crack a smile!!

Alexander McQueen on the runway.  The hem is higher, differently styled as are the shoulders.  I do like the runway hair and jewelry more than Mara’s though.

Ana de Armas in Louis Vuitton.  Absolutely gorgeous.  Stunning.  The best champagne dress by far.    Later Louis Vuitton will win a worst dress award for the night.  (Hint…Mark Sikes totally disagreed with me.  So, I must be wrong!!)

Another view.    I would have added diamonds around the neck.

Not quite champagne but silvery sequins.  Kate Hudson shined but the sleeves took away from the look – or so I thought!

After she removed the cape, the dress seemed more ordinary, more Kate’s usual sleeveless style.  So, I take back my earlier opinion that the sleeves were too much.  They actually made the dress.

 

Jessica Chastain in Gucci.  It could have been better but the black train absolutely ruins the dress and no,  I will not change my opinion.  

What IS that train????  And what a shame because Jessica looks gorgeous – her hair  and her makeup never looked better.  Flawless.  Her red lips are by Charlotte Tilbury.  That train???!!!!

Zoe Saldana.  I always think she is Zoe Kravitz but they look nothing alike! 

This dress looked even worse on screen.  Like a nightgown.  She looked gorgeous, though.

Eva Longoria.  The worst, champagne dress.  The proportions were all wrong.  The dress made her body look weird, but she has a beautiful body.  Terrible silhouette.  Too busy.  And I didn’t like her hair either.  Just b.a.d.

Ariana DeBose in Atelier Versace.  Not sure why exactly, but I really didn’t like this one either.  Again, it was just too busy.

WHITE DRESSES:

Sofia Carson looked gorgeous in white.  I might have named her one of the best dressed but I think the bodice was too long and ruined the lines of the dress.  But that is really nit picking because she really looked pretty!

They can’t be real, can they?  Stunning!

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Another white dress, Mindy Kaling.  More about this dress later.

BLACK HAIR:

There has been a move away from braids for women of color.  The new hair designs have been very sculptural and very different – very interesting.  Tonight I saw two prominent actresses wearing this new look.  I predict next year, there will be even more.

Halle Bailey in Dolce Gabbana.  Her dress is darling, just like she is.

But it was her hair that was the stunner.  It was braided into a large bun.  Just gorgeous, as was her jewelry.  And what a voice!

Danai Gurira’s hair was unparalleled.  Hard to figure out how it was styled, but this is an example of the more sculptural hair styles being shown.  Besides her hair – her dress is so pretty, sophisticated.

 

Danai Gurira – I did feel sorry for the people sitting behind her because she probably blocked their view a bit.

HIGH 40’s STYLE PLATFORM SHOES:

Ruth E. Carter – she won an Oscar for Costume design.  She wore the high platform pink shoes to match her pink lining.

 

Mary Zophres.  Not a fan of the dress, but there are those shoes again.

Two more!

BEST LOOKING COUPLE:

David Byrne and friend.  I don’t even know her name (neither did the web sites) but they look so amazing.  So hip, so international, so chic.  He has really aged well.

 

WORST DRESSED MEN:

Harvey Guillen in Christian Siriano.   Of course!  Siriano.  He needs to be barred from the red carpet.  The worst designer out there.  He was on E TV bragging about his designs tonight.   This was an long overcoat – with a pair of pants.

 

Ludwig Goransson – I might have liked this without the pigtails.  Together, it was just way too silly.

 

BEST DRESSED MEN:

There were so many great looking men!!!  I tried to find some that went over the line and really stood out.

Harry Shum Jr.   Wow.  A deconstructed Picasso styled tux.

 

Seth Rogan – cute couple.  Kimmel was so funny talking about Seth tonight.

But wow!  When did Seth get so…handsome?  And stylish?  I love his tux!

Jonathan Majors was another standout.  It was a modern version of something Abe Lincoln might have worn.  I love the long coat, the tie, the short pants, the shoes. 

 

Paul Mescal in Gucci.  He really has been a sight on the runway this season.  Love his rose with the ivory coat and white shirt.  Wide pants.

 

 

Paul Dano was another standout.  Too bad he is not really attractive though.  LOL.  But, he is a wonderful actor.

 

Brian Tyree Henry.  This really caught my eye in the audience when the camera showed Brian on the screen.  Love the watch chain.  That’s another accessory men should bring back.

 

Ram Charan.  OMG.  OMG.  Does he not look gorgeous????!!!!

 

Austin Butler in Saint Laurent.  Austin just stole the show.  Sad that Elvis did not win anything.  I loved his performance.  

 

THE WORST:

Marlee Matlin.  The feathers were overwhelming.  She looked like Queen Victoria in a mourning dress.  BUT, her hair, her face, her makeup looked so cute – why did her stylist let her wear this monstrosity. 

Elizabeth Olsen in Givenchy.  Hate the sheer overlay at the feet and train.  Too long.  She should have cut the dress off at the sheer fabric.

Jennifer Connelly.  Vuitton.  I think this is horrid. That breastplate looks terrible.  PLUS there is a smaller one on the back!  I just think it would be beautiful without that breastplate or if the diamonds were just a line at the breast line.

Her make up and hair were just too severe with this dress.  It was almost as if she was wearing armor.

Molly Sims in Georges Chakra Couture.  Who is Georges Chakra?  Those feathers.  Feathers are so last year.  Terrible stylist.

Sigourney Weaver in Givenchy.  Ben shouted out to me – “Wow.  She looks great!”  The dress is poorly fitted.  It looks like it cost $100 and she bought it at Penneys.  Just not up to Oscar standards. 

Elizabeth Banks.  What is this fiasco?  She actually tripped over the long hem and train.  And at the After Party, it looked like she was wearing the same dress but without the white. 

After party.  Ok I see now.  She just took off the white skirt and added a black one. 

Girl needs a new stylist.  ASAP.

Jessie Buckley.  It doesn’t get much worse than this.

I spoke too soon.  Melissa McCarthy in another Siriano.  He was bragging about this one on E all night.  She’s so adorable looking – why would he put her in this?

Michelle Yeoh in Dior Haute Couture.  More feathers.  Best Actress.  Everyone knew she would win – again, this is not Oscar worthy.

 

 

Sandra Oh.   No words.

Honestly, do you think she looked in the mirror and said – I love this!  I love this color on me!  This is gorgeous!

I hate to even admit this – but this is one of my favorite designers.  Giambattista Villa.

Salma Hayek Pinault in Gucci.   A lot of people loved this.  It IS pretty, but maybe for New Years Eve, not the Oscars.

Cate Blanchett in Louis Vuitton.  NEVER, NEVER did I ever think that Cate Blanchett would make my Worst Dressed list.  That just does not happen.   This is not the worst of the night.  Far from it.  BUT, it’s the worst of Cate’s award show looks.   Really, I’m in shock.  She never misses.

 

 

TEMS.  This might be the worst of the night.  Not sure who TEMS is exactly, but she wore a bridal veil and nothing else to the Oscars.

Here she is blocking the view of everyone sitting behind her.  Probably six people behind her could not see a thing except for a bridal veil.

Lesley Paterson.  A screenwriter.  WTF???  Those shoes!!!!!!  The legs!!!  The colors!!!   This ties with the bridal veil for the worst of Oscars 2023.

 

BEAUTIFUL – ALMOST BEST DRESSED, BUT…

Allison Williams

I love this designer.  Giambatistta Villa.  Just not the row of feathers at the hem.  Why add them?  I’m so over feathers!!

This could have been a contenda.

 

Mindy Kaling.  She made this Vera Wang dress to her specs.  The dress was black with a sheer inset.  She ordered white, with open bodice, and gloves.  Yet. In what may be a first, a couture dress was worn by two people!

Ruby Bell wore the original Vera Wang without the gloves or peplum.  How could this happen?  Someone needs to sue!

On the show, Mindy changed to the original black version with the black sleeves.  OK. But is it cute to wear it twice?   Well Elizabeth Banks did.

Rihanna in brown leather and sheer Alaia.

Nicole Kidman in Armani Prive.   Two roses are too much, but what a stunning dress!

 

More.

 

 

Janelle Monae in Vera Wang.  Almost Best, but the top is ill fitting. Still, I love this look and the choker.

 

 

Halle Berry.  Another pretty one.  Another tall platform shoes.  But look close, the shoes don’t fit and her little toe is almost hanging out.  Later, at the after party – she was visibly limping.

Besides the toe fiasco, I LOVE her hair!!!!  She looks gorgeous.

BEST DRESSED

With her Mia Farrow hair and luminous skin, red lip, and diamond necklace – she was one of the best dressed of the night.  Perfection.

Emily Blunt.  More perfection.  So chic.  A column of white with pink chandelier earrings.  No hair.

Maybe her best look ever.

Lady Gaga in Atelier Versace.  Gaga has never looked so sophisticated.  It was a gasp moment when she walked in.  She stunned.

 

Gigi Hadid wore the dress on the runway a few days ago and Gaga snatched it up. 

So many last minute decisions about what to wear.  You would think they would have the dress picked out for months.

 

 

From the back, the dress was daring!  To say the least. 

When she sang for the show, all her makeup was removed and her face was completely naked.   Just like her tushy.   Actually, just like in A Star Is Born.

FAN BINGBING.  Gorgeous.  Over dramatic cape with silver sequins keeping the dress looking new and fresh.

The earrings.  Her hair and makeup were perfect.  Just beautiful old Hollywood glam.

Best Dressed, Second Place.

Florence Pugh in Valentino.  She is runner up Best Dressed.  Over tall platform 40s shoes.  Shorts under the exaggerated cape.

Her hair is so punk, like her jewelry.  The bow is a killer.

Runner Up Best Dressed.  Hard decision though not to put her in first place.

Florence is an incredible actress.  She’s starred in some quiet indie films that I’ve really enjoyed.   I love her fashion sense too – here are a few of her other looks from the awards circuit:

Cannes.

Valentino’s show this year.

Best Dressed:

 

Cara Delevingne in Elie Saab and Stuart Weitzman Shoes.  I literally stopped breathing when she walked up to the carpet.  Now if only she had painted her toes. 

 

 

This is a grown up version of Florence’s dress.  THIS is an Oscar dress. Black tulle lining.

  Bla

That necklace.  That eye make up.

One more time.   Cara just knocks it out of the park when she tries.  No one can beat her.

I didn’t have time to go full out on the after parties, but a few people stood out:

Gigi with blonde hair like Veronica Lake.  Stunning.  Chic.  Gorgeous.

A huge surprise was Sharon Stone.  I think she looks Oscar worthy here.

 

Heidi Klum.  What ever happened to her?

Even the shoes are horrid.

Lisa Rinna.  A deconstructed Gaultier. Wow.  How ugly can you get?

Ozempic, me?  Nah.

Sienna Miller – she even has the Ozempic face now.  It’s enough Sienna. 

Kyle Richards had a huge weight loss due to cutting out carbs and sugar.  She swears she didn’t take Ozempic.

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My favorite of the night!  Nancy Pelosi and her still injured husband Paul. 

So cute!

Nancy is wearing – Giambattista Villa!!!!  Darling!!!