Jennifer Lawrence beat out Jessica Chastain to win Best Actress for her part in Silver Linings Playbook<\/em>; but I think Chastain edged Lawrence when it came to their respective garments. Jennifer Lawrence looks perfectly lovely, but in all truth I\u2019m not convinced that her dress complements her ideally: its roundness doesn\u2019t suit the roundness of her cheeks; nor do its three curves suitably adorn her hips. Perhaps the fault lies with the second curve, which comes in too much before moving into the skirt. Jessica Chastain, meanwhile, looks glamorous in an Armani dress which obviously complements her hair \u2013 though some commentators spoke and wrote as though this similarity of colour emerged only slowly, unapparent at first, then appearing as a sun through clouds.<\/p>\n Double-Breasted Dinner Jackets<\/strong><\/p>\n Both Hugh Jackman \u2013 pictured here with his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness \u2013 and Chris Pine wore six-button double-breasted dinner suits, both with buttons in a keystone pattern, Jackman\u2019s with a shawl collar and Pine\u2019s with peaked lapels. Both look good. There are a few issues, however, with Pine\u2019s outfit. Where Jackman has left his bottom-right button undone, creating a pleasant and relaxed diagonal when the jacket is in motion, Pine has left both bottom buttons unfastened; and though his jetted pockets are traditionally correct, their positioning aligned with the unbuttoned button holes together appear cluttered. More, Pine\u2019s trousers seem a little tight in the thighs, and taper too much into an excess of fabric round his feet. Jackman\u2019s trousers, on the other hand, break perfectly.<\/p>\n Pale Tones<\/strong><\/p>\n Apparently, so it has come to light, the dress Amanda Seyfried is pictured wearing above bore such similarities to the Valentino dress Anne Hathaway intended to wear to the ceremony that Hathaway ditched the Valentino fairly last minute, and went with the above Prada creation instead. This has caused all sorts of consternation, not least because Hathaway has been a long-time and much publicised wearer of Valentino.<\/p>\n Perhaps some things turn out for the best, for both ladies attended the Oscars wearing pale dresses, but in very different styles; and as both looked excellent, a victory was thereby obtained on behalf of variety. Anne Hathaway is supremely elegant in her pale pink dress, and I think all claims and concerns regarding its chest area were very much overplayed. Amanda Seyfried\u2019s dress seems to have divided opinion, some saying it washes her out; I disagree, and instead admire the neck and the shape.<\/p>\n Foregoing the Bow Tie<\/strong><\/p>\n Jean Dujardin was dressed impeccably last year, when he and The Artist<\/em> swept the awards. Much discussion in the build to this ceremony centred round concepts of sexism and xenophobia and the film Zero Dark Thirty<\/em>: were the Academy guilty of sexism in failing to nominate Kathryn Bigelow for best director; and did the depiction of torture in the film support the idea that America can disregard morals and laws in their pursuit of information? In all earnestness, one may wonder whether the real scandals of sexism and xenophobia do not involve instead Jean Dujardin, emblematic of male actors in Hollywood who do not speak an Anglicised or Americanised form of English, and are therefore marginalised, their talents wasted in lesser and infrequent roles; or else they\u2019re made light of, as Seth MacFarlene, this year\u2019s host, made cruel and unnecessary light of Dujardin.<\/p>\n As for his attire this time round, both he and Liev Schreiber, among others, wore plain silk ties rather than bow ties with their dinner suits. Indeed, the regular tie, usually tied in a four-in-hand-knot, is an increasingly common but nevertheless non-traditional substitute for a bow. It is non-traditional for a reason, for it is not an optimal solution to black tie. In theory, perhaps the higher buttoning point of Liev Schreiber\u2019s jacket should offset the incongruity of the long tie. In this comparison, however, I think Jean Dujardin comes off best. His jacket is better for being slightly fuller and longer; his trousers are a better length; and the single-button jacket at least emphasises that he is wearing a dinner jacket. Schreiber\u2019s dinner suit looks too much like a regular black suit.<\/p>\n Architectural Dresses<\/strong><\/p>\n I am not convinced that either of these dresses worked out for the individuals involved. Anne Hathaway\u2019s short haircut suits her well; but whilst I\u2019ve liked Charlize Theron particularly since Young Adult<\/em> a couple of years ago, her short hair is too severe, and doesn\u2019t have her looking her best. I don\u2019t see the logic to the top half of her outfit, or find flattering the way it protrudes from her waist. Kelly Rowland so nearly pulls her dress off, but not quite: viewed from the front, it is just a little too architectural and jutting at the top.<\/p>\n Award-Appropriate Attire<\/strong><\/p>\n All three of the producers who ascended the stage to receive Argo<\/em>\u2018s award for Best Picture look good. Ben Affleck\u2019s outfit is the most stimulating, comprising a fairly typical modern five-button waistcoat (without lapels, and, alas, Affleck has buttoned all of his waistcoat buttons), wing collar, and pleated shirt front. Grant Heslov\u2019s dinner jacket fits him well, and he offers a contrast in shirt studs. George Clooney went for a somewhat louche look, spending most if not all of the evening with his dinner jacket undone, and without a waist-covering underneath, instead displaying the satin waistband of his trousers.<\/p>\n I do wonder \u2013 taking the cases of Dujardin and Clooney, for instance \u2013 whether some men deliberately dress down when they appreciate that they are not to be the focus of an evening\u2019s attention. Dujardin\u2019s long tie and Clooney\u2019s casual appearance perhaps reflect the fact that the former was presenting rather than receiving an award this year, whilst the latter was keen to allow Affleck his moment.<\/p>\n It is interesting also to note the same three men\u2019s attires for the British Academy of Film and Television Awards. Argo<\/em> won Best Picture at the BAFTAs too, but all three men wore long silk ties for the ceremony. It may be that they hoped a more prestigious moment awaited them. Here, Heslov looks the best with his peaked lapels and well-cinched four-in-hand. Affleck\u2019s dinner jacket seems to pull a little, and his tie isn\u2019t tied effectively; whereas Clooney\u2019s combination of shawl collar and long tie doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n Silver and Black<\/strong><\/p>\n Halle Berry\u2019s Versace outfit is too strong in the shoulders, exacerbated by the thick stripes of the shoulder pieces. I much prefer Stacy Keibler\u2019s take on silver and black, with its high neckline, sweeping pattern and belted waist. The Younger Gentlemen<\/strong><\/p>\n The buttoning point of Joseph Gordon-Levitt\u2019s dinner jacket is too high, its quarters too closed, and he could possibly have used some padding around the shoulders. As it is, he is all hips. Eddie Redmayne\u2019s outfit is very fashion-forward: very slim fitting, with short jacket, and with slippers by Alexander McQueen. I don\u2019t like the slippers, and I think the dinner suit is too small throughout. Daniel Radcliffe\u2019s pockets display an interesting variety, jetted pocket on the right hip, flap pocket on the left; regardless, his suit fits him really well.<\/p>\n Bold Colours<\/strong><\/p>\n I will limit my thoughts here towards suggesting that all of these ladies wore bold colour well; and we should appreciate them for it at least until next year. An additional thought: the black diagonals on Reese Witherspoon\u2019s blue dress seem an almost overly and overtly simple device, but they function so effectively and suggestively to depict her waist.<\/p>\n Django Unconstrained by the Proprieties of Formal Evening Wear<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"ChastLaw1\"](\"http:\/\/culturedallroundman.files.wordpress.com\/2013\/02\/chastlaw1.jpg\")
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