Red Carpet Jewelry - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Yes, I know, we've already had lots of opinions out there in the interwebs on who wore what dress to the Oscars 2011 but I'd like to comment on the jewelry.

The Good

While not at all in love with Gwynneth's Calvin Klein gown, I did appreciate the fresh way that she bejewelled herself.

A little dangle earring, a ring on both hands and a gemstone brooch by Louis Vuitton worn at the hip

The look was pure elegance.

The Bad

What was Amy Adams stylist thinking when she put a platinum necklace with 15 carats of diamonds and a 33 carat emerald ...by Cartier no less (!)...on top of a L'Wren Scott sapphire blue beaded gown?

No really, what was she thinking?

That amazing necklace deserved a v-necked or strapless evening gown.

Worn this way that million dollar necklace looked like an after thought.

The Ugly
Sorry, but while I'm usually a big fan of SJP's red carpet looks, I don't know what was going on with all those bracelets. Even if they were vintage bracelets from Fred Leighton, they just looked like a mess.

On The Red Carpet - Vanity Fair's Krista Smith's Style

I don't know what you will be doing tonight, but I will be watching Vanity Fair's Krista Smith and Tim Gunn in their Oscar's Pre Show on ABC. 
(since I don't have TV at home this is going to take some maneuvering, but I will see this show)

From the Vanity Fair website
Oscars Fashion: Krista Smith Opts for Armani

Vanity Fair’s West Coast editor Krista Smith, who’ll co-host ABC’s Oscars pre-show on Sunday alongside Robin Roberts, Tim Gunn, and Maria Menounos, will wear Armani, complemented with Beladora jewels. The long navy gown and Art Deco–style jewelry were picked for their Old Hollywood feel, Smith says: “I will be doing my best to channel Rita Hayworth—although, considering she was one of the great beauties, it might be a stretch,” she laughs. “At least it will be my mindset!”

Channeling Rita Hayworth - not a bad idea except for the smoking

she was Hollywood glamour personified

so Krista will be wearing Armani and Art Deco Estate Jewelry (from you know where)
that's a whole lot of awesomeness.

unlike Wendy B and her fancy backless Zang Toi dress, the closest I'm ever going to get to Graydon and his Vanity Fair Oscar bash is loaning out a little Beladora bling.

Beladora On The Red Carpet or Shameless Self Promotion Saturday

Yes people I'm afraid that I must gasconade, rodomontade and grandstand a bit today about Beladora.*

First we had the beautiful Christina Hendricks sporting some lovely ladylike pearl and diamond dangle earrings and a South Sea pearl and diamond ring with her Christian Siriano frock at the Creative Emmy Awards.
She looked a-ma-zing in her Madame X inspired gown.

Then we had the queen of the red carpet, indeed the queen of all entertainment news, Mary Hart, wearing plenty of  Beladora bling for the Emmys.

Here are the earrings

Beladora Diamond Vine Earrings in 18K

Do you see the little clips on the outside vine of the earrings? Around the office we refer to these as the 'elfin earrings' because they can be worn hanging down from the ear as on Mary Hart, or attached up along the ear with the little clips, as we imagine the elf queen Galadriel would wear on her pointy elf ears in The Lord of The Rings.

Yes, we amuse ourselves with these details at work.

* (note my fine work with the thesaurus)

Plus Size Pulchritude On The Red Carpet

We all know that it's easy for a zero minus sized actress, like SJP or Anna Kendrick, to pull off a stunning red carpet look
and difficult for an actress of more substance to do the same,
but there was plenty of plus size pulchritude on the Academy Award red carpet this year. Queen Latifah looking shimmery in Badgley Mischka. She consistently looks outstanding in evening wear, she should be on every one's best dressed list. Who I wonder is her stylist?

Her pink sapphire and South Sea pearl earrings by Chopard were absolutely perfect in both color and scale.

Best Supporting Actress winner Mo'Nique, looked lovely in a Tadashi sapphire blue gown chosen because it was the same color as was worn by Hattie McDaniel when she won the break through Best Supporting Oscar for Gone With The Wind in 1939. Complementing the blue gown was her yellow diamond bracelet also from Chopard.

This year's break through actress, Gabourey Sidibe, looked nothing less than precious. If I had styled her outfit I would have put her in 3/4 sleeves, but hey I wasn't in charge. Obviously her overall look was a success because even the Fug Girls gave her a well played in this Marchesa sapphire gown and Lorraine Schwartz jewelry.

2010 Oscar Red Carpet - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

I don't have time today to see the red carpet looks from last night's Academy Awards, which I didn't bother to watch, but these three looks caught my eye. The Good - Anna Kendrick looked lovely in blush

The Bad - Tina Fey, who usually rocks the red carpet, looked like she didn't know what to do with that dress and decided to add a belt at the last minute.

The Ugly - Was Zoe Saldana trying out for a position on 'Dancing With The Stars" in her cha-cha-cha hem?

Hopefully tomorrow I will have the time to write a more in depth post on the red carpet looks and jewelry...there's just too much going on today to get to it.

The Suite Life - Academy And Other Awards

The suite life is going on all this week.
You probably know all about the suites but I'll just give you a couple of details.

Suites in the major Beverly Hills hotels, such as the Peninsula and Four Seasons, are set up for celebrities and their stylists to view everything that they could possibly need for the red carpet. You name it, gowns, handbags, jewelry, it's all there. By visiting the suites the stylists can pick and choose among an array of goods to be borrowed, or even gifted, for a celebrity. Hair stylists and beauty products also set up shop in the suites to showcase what they have to sell, so there might Dior cosmetics, Jimmy Choo shoes and DeBeers diamonds. This year Beladora was invited to participate in a major suite but respectfully declined.


Then...there are the gift suites...because god knows that Hollywood's elite need gifts!
This article from 2009 explains how these suites work
No sign of recession at pre-Oscar gift suites
Lavish spa vacations, diamond jewels, plastic surgery treatments and expensive watches are just some of the products available at gift suites set up in hotels for Academy Award nominees, presenters and selected VIPs.
There was no sign of a global economic crisis at GBK 'Circus of the Senses' gift suite where invited guests can receive "more than $35,000 in gifted luxury," according to the company.
Gavin Keilly, the head of GBK luxury lifestyle gift suites and special events company, admitted that some may see it as just the rich getting richer. But he said for companies promoting their products, it is great value.

So celebrities who make huge amounts of money for let's just say not that much hard work, get gifted all kinds of stuff, from cellphones to vacations.
Leslie Unger, director of communications for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, said it discontinued gift bags, which were reportedly worth up to $100,000, several years ago because of tax implications.




To avoid the tax implications, the trend now is to make the gift suites about "giving to charity" to mitigate the fact that it is all one big product promotion boondoggle....
Yeah...I'm so believing that it's so all about the ART.




By the time that the Academy Awards finally arrive in March I must admit that I have some measure of red carpet and award speech fatigue. Really, do I need to see Sean Penn win another Oscar?
But enough about those silly awards and let's talk about blog awards...specifically mine.

Metscan, that elegant equestrienne from Finland, with the YSL bags, the Valentino dresses and the two cute horses, has graciously awarded my humble BHB blog the sugar doll award. I probably don't deserve it for any special reason other than the fact that I've passed my 3 year blogoversary and this is my 1180'th post! Of course accepting an award means paying it forward, and I certainly will to 15 other bloggers as soon as I can catch up with what I'm working on at the office.
And if that wasn't enough already, that wilderness chic woman from Wales gave me the sunshine award. And pardon my french but wilderness my ass...you should see the country spread that she's living in...charmingly named The Old Rectory. You all know the term "shop your closet", well looking at the photos of her house makes me think of the term "vacation at your house". Seriously, who would ever want to leave a house with an orangery, a country view and an aga?
Once again, I will pay it forward soon...I promise. So much is going on here this week and next that I can't give my proper attention yet. But I will.

Last but certainly not least, a heartfelt THANK YOU to Metscan and Wildernesschic...and also to A Femme who reminded me that I was indeed remiss.

We're Voting For The Blue Dress

It's not even March yet and already there's a lot of activity for the Oscar's red carpet.
USA Today has a reader poll to choose the red carpet look for Entertainment Tonight's Mary Hart... and look what she's wearing with royal blue dress.
(There's a video on the USA Today page which doesn't seem to want to be embedded on BHB, but in it Mary hints that she wants to wear the royal blue)

So yep, we are voting for the blue.

2010 Grammys Red Carpet - The Good, The Bad and The Crazy

The Good: OK, I'm not crazy about this Prada dress but Nicole Kidman looks soooo happy
This is possibly the first photo that I've seen of her with a natural smile.

The Bad: This Stephane Roland gown is so unflattering on Beyonce. And what about those frightful earrings. She needs to fire her stylist.

The Crazy: Lady Gaga in Armani Prive looking totally awesome...but in an insane kind of way

Tell me these outfits aren't like Disney colliding with the Jetsons.
Brilliant.

Golden Globes - The Bling

The Golden Girl wearing vintage gold earrings.

Seriously...does this woman not have the most incredible genes

She's something like 75 years old and wearing a diamond dominatrix choker!

One online commenter called her a GILF!

Mariah should know better than to wear earrings that balance on her shoulders

I don't know what these are but I think that they are just wrong

I ADORE this vintage VCA piece but not with this dress or for this event

These earrings are competing with the neckline of this dress

These simple emerald and diamond dangle earrings are lovely

Hair ornaments...love them! and those Georgian diamond dangle earrings I would die for

Courtney Cox = Cougarlicious

In my opinion, this was the best jewelry look of the red carpet. These diamond and pearl tassel earrings fit her dress and her proportion perfectly.


Now here's the official run down of who wore what from National Jeweler

Sandra Bullock, who grabbed a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama for her role in The Blind Side, was hard to miss in her deep purple gown and jewelry that was no less dramatic. She wore Lorraine Schwartz's gray diamond earrings, weighing 40 carats, which she paired with a white and yellow diamond ring in blackened gold.

Vintage jewels were a popular choice this year. The Good Wife star Julianna Margulies, who won for best actress in a television drama, went for a timeless look in Fred Leighton's 19th century, pear-shaped diamond drop earrings. Also dipping into Leighton's vaults was A-lister Nicole Kidman who broke from the crowd in the brand's 19th century diamond bow brooch, plus platinum bracelets with diamonds and emeralds.

In its roundup of the most dramatic diamond looks, the Diamond Information Center called out the retro look worn by Carey Mulligan (a best actress nominee for the film An Education) who donned Fred Leighton jewelry, including 3.5-carat, pear-shaped, old-mine-cut diamond drop earrings; a 19th century diamond riviere necklace with 20 carats of diamonds, which she opted to wear in her hair; a 19th century, pear-shaped diamond crown ring; and a 19th century diamond swallow cuff bracelet.

Golden Globe best supporting actress winner Mo'Nique, who won for her star turn as the mother in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, and chose Everlon Diamond Knot Jewelry, including drop earrings and a pavé diamond circle link bracelet featuring 15 carats of diamonds.

Actress Marion Cotillard must have kept the jewelry security transportation team on its toes with her ensemble: She wore a pair of 53-carat, trillion-cut diamond bracelets, an Asscher-cut diamond bracelet, an emerald-cut diamond ring, and 12 carat trillion-cut diamond hair clips, all from Chopard.

Many actress went for modern diamond looks set in platinum, including Drew Barrymore, who won best actress in mini-series/motion picture for her role in HBO's Grey Gardens. She chose 20-carat diamond stud earrings and a diamond and moonstone ring, 80 carats total, by red-carpet regular Lorraine Schwartz.

Big Love actress Chloë Sevigny, who won for best supporting role in a TV series, broke the mostly white metal trend by wearing diamond and 18-karat yellow gold ear clips by Buccellati and the brand's marquis-shaped diamond ring.

Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, co-stars and supporting actress nominees for Up in the Air, also seemed to be dueling with diamonds: Farmiga opted for a diamond cuff bracelet and diamond flower earrings by Chanel, while Kendrick chose Cartier's "Triple Orchid" diamond drop earrings.

United States of Tara star Toni Collette was one of two actresses that wore one of designer Neil Lane's "million-dollar looks"--although for Collette, it was actually $1.5 million. The winner of the best actress in a television series award for her role in the Showtime series, Collette was aglow in Lane's diamond and platinum drop earrings, two wide diamond and platinum bracelets, and three colored diamond and platinum rings.

January Jones, nominated for best actress in a drama for her role in the award-winning Mad Men, wore a "one million dollar look," by Lane, which included two huge diamond and platinum bracelets, which she paired with a black gown and a black headband. Neil Lane also equipped Big Love actress

Ginnifer Goodwin, who has frequently scored points for her sense of style, with red-carpet jewelry. Accenting a vibrant blue dress, she chose Lane's big ruffle and diamond and platinum cuff, diamond and platinum ring and diamond and platinum chandelier earrings.

Screen newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, who starred in the movie Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, wore a green gown, and platinum jewels by Kwiat, including the brand's diamond "Legacy" necklace, its "American Beauty" diamond bracelets, and diamond studs, all of which totaled 100 carats of diamonds. Breaking from the diamond-centric looks were several actresses who donned colored stones.

Emily Blunt, a nominee for her role in the film The Young Victoria, wore blackened platinum and colored diamond bracelets and earrings totaling 30 carats by Lorraine Schwartz plus a platinum and diamond engagement ring by Neil Lane. (Blunt is engaged to John Krasinski, who stars in The Office.) Similarly, several actresses broke from the crowd with colorful vintage looks from Van Cleef and Arpels.

Julia Roberts, a best actress in a comedy nominee for her starring role in Duplicity, wore a black cocktail dress that she paired with a long, vintage necklace plucked from the vaults of Van Cleef and Arpels Private Collection. Dating back to 1972, the sautoir with statement pendant features 29 citrines surrounded by diamonds and is set in 18-karat yellow gold--a rare departure from the staggering quantity of platinum jewelry that prevailed on the red carpet. Although strapless gowns seemed to be everywhere,

Kristen Bell, a presenter at the show, was one of the few stars to accent her exposed neckline with a necklace. She wore Van Cleef and Arpels' "Folie de Pres" necklace of blue sapphires and diamonds, diamond cluster ear studs and a "Cosmos" diamond ring. Among the men, jeweled cuff links abounded.

As usual, Lorraine Schwartz and Neil Lane were the big jewelers on the red carpet

And what happened to the Beladora bling?

Well...the talent chose Chopard over Beladora

and that's the way these things go

I stepped into Chopard yesterday to see the necklace and bracelet, and they were indeed stunning

There is still the Oscars coming up....