Shine OnStyle profile: Oscars best actress nominees
The red carpet at the Oscars is akin to the halftime show at the Super Bowl. It's not the main event, yet (not so) curiously, half the viewership drops off afterwards.
If everyone decided to wear a burlap sack to the Oscars, we’d still discuss it because celebrity style, whether you like it or not, is half the reason many of us tune in.
Of course we appreciate artistry, cinematography, costume design and all the little cogs that work to make an Oscar-worthy film but it’s extremely unlikely the “so who are you wearing tonight?” question will ever cease to be asked.
With the Academy Awards just around the corner, we can't help but get a little excited about the mind-blowing gowns we're almost guaranteed to see. In particular, we're curious about what the five best actress nominees will be wearing -- because goodness knows all eyes will be on them.
Each of these spectacular actresses have their own defining signature style and rarely do they disappoint. Here’s a quick look at their red carpet style profiles.
Reese Witherspoon
Don’t take her role in “Wild” as any indication of how Reese Witherspoon might look come Oscar night. The petite star's style has evolved dramatically since her “Legally Blonde” days, and she's traded in cutesy clothes for sleek and sophisticated looks. She has classic aesthetic, and always takes her shorter stature into consideration -- and she loves a pop of colour. A big dramatic gown could easily swallow her up, but impeccable tailoring ensures the dress never wears her.
If you pay close attention, you’ll notice the “Walk the Line” actress shies away from A-line ball gowns, opting for form fitting fishtail silhouettes or sleek tailored dresses that hit just above the knee. She tends to refrain from over-accessorizing as well, choosing small studs or understated drop earrings that allow the clothing to shine.
As for her allegiances to designers, Witherspoon doesn’t appear partial to anyone -- and we love that about her. She keeps us guessing by wearing everything from Roland Mouret to Calvin Klein to Balenciaga to Stella McCartney. She recently wore a white one shoulder Giorgio Armani gown to the SAG Awards, so we’re going to bet she won’t be repeating the same designer. Perhaps a custom gown from one of her favourites, Jason Wu?
Marion Cotillard
The French actress is nominated for “Two Days, One Night” and will undoubtedly be front and centre during the red carpet scrum. Like many French women, Cotillard possesses an effortless approach to style we can’t quite pin down. She’s not afraid to wear colour, bold patterns and quirky structural silhouettes, all while pulling it off with confidence and panache.
Cotillard has worn a variety of designers, including Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Bottega Venata and Preen but as the face of Lady Dior, she’s partial to the French fashion house. We wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Dior has already called dibs on her Oscar gown.
Julianne Moore
The perennial beauty has mastered the art of dressing age appropriately without sacrificing a shred of style or sex appeal. At age 54, Moore is a fixture on the red carpet, and is quite aware of how to play up her best assets.
It’s no coincidence the natural redhead favours jewel tones like emerald green, bright red and canary yellow. Rich, bright colours perfectly complement her fair complexion, green eyes and fiery red hair.
Moore just so happens to be good friends with designer Tom Ford, and she often turns to him to dress her for red carpets events. Most recently, she wore a stunning red column dress with a plunging neckline to the BAFTAs. We wouldn't be surprised if she shows up to the Academy Awards in a gorgeous number from Tom Ford, Givenchy or Chanel.
Rosamund Pike
The “Gone Girl” actress had the best of both worlds prior to becoming Amazing Amy. She enjoyed relative success in Hollywood while maintaining a degree of anonymity. Not anymore. She’s easily one of the actresses we’re most excited to see on the red carpet.
Pike’s affinity for British designers is apparent, and she's often spotted sporting U.K.-based designers like Erdem, Marios Schwab and Alexander McQueen. Pike enjoys a good dose of black and white, but that doesn’t mean she won’t happily wear a canary yellow dress. She wanes back and forth from feminine and flowy to form-fitting and tailored. When she was pregnant, Pike exhibited perfect maternity style, wearing a range of billowy and tent-style dresses that disguised her growing baby bump.
Felicity Jones
Up-and-coming actress Felicity Jones is nominated for her role in the Stephen Hawking biopic “The Theory of Everything.” The British actress possesses a Zooey Deschanel-like retro style and often chooses A-line silhouettes with full skirts and high necklines. Showing a lot of skin isn’t for everyone, and Jones proves that a demure sense of style can still land you on the best-dressed list.
Jones often appears in support of British designers like Alexander McQueen and Christopher Kane but one of her favourite red carpet designers is very clearly Christian Dior. Will she appear in Dior, Balenciaga or surprise us with something entirely unexpected?
Watch the video below to see how Hollywood's leading ladies prep for Oscars night.
