Getting a Dressing Down for Dressing Up

I’m pinning all my Oscar dress hopes on M.I.A. and Tilda Swinton. These are the only two people that can be trusted to not turn up in a blah, boring, safely-picked-by-a-stylist ensemble. And I don’t even know if they’re going to the Oscars. M.I.A.’s Paper Planes is on the nominated Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack but I’m not sure if that means she’ll get an invite and anyway, she’ll surely have had the baby by then. Tilda won Best Supporting Actress last year so I suppose she might be there to present an award (I have no idea how she escaped nomination this year when she was the best thing in the not very good but 13-times nominated Benjamin Button). If those two don't turn up, then I could settle for Marion Cotillard who seems to be able to find pretty yet interesting pieces to wear to award ceremonies. Last year's mermaid dress is a case in point.

Much has been made by bloggers and journalists of other actresses' safe (i.e. horribly dull) choices this awards season, but we only have ourselves to blame. We howled with laughter when Celine Dion wore that backwards jacket. We placed Gwyneth on all the worst dressed lists when she turned up in the Ralph Lauren meringue. And we berated Cher year after year. So now we must all take responsibility for the “classy” dresses that Anne Hathaway, Kate Winslet and Angelina Jolie are sure to parade down the red carpet in. Grazia is getting very excited about Freida Pinto’s awards look but I really can’t see what all the fuss is about – she just looks like a pretty girl going to a debs (albeit wearing couture).

Don’t get me wrong – I hated Celine, Gwyneth and Cher’s OFs like everybody else but right now I’m desperate for a bit of personality on the red carpet.

A nine-months pregnant M.I.A wearing House of Holland

Marion Cotillard in Jean Paul Gaultier