The Oscars! Our favourite time of the year for red carpet watching. Here’s the verdict on the frocks from last night. Let us know who you liked best.

What: The Oscars 2012

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She: Emma Stone
Wears:  A red Giambattista Valli Haute Couture halter neck, and a silver Louis Vuitton clutch and Brian Atwood shoes
Verdict: I love how Emma always gets it so right. Gorgeous!

She: Angelina Jolie
Wears: velvet Atelier Versace gown with a high slit, worn with simple Salvatore Ferragamo peep-toes and $2.5 million worth of Neil Lane jewels.
Verdict: Angelina always goes for black. This was predictable (velvet, slit) but she looks great.

She:  Michelle Williams
Wears: peplum Louis Vuitton frock, accessorized with a light pink Bottega Veneta clutch, 30-carat Fred Leighton for Forevermark choker and 19th century Fred Leighton bow brooch at her waist.
Verdict: Normally love what Michelle wears but not this. The colour, the peplum, no!

She: Natalie Portman
Wears: Dior Haute Couture gown with a twist (by way of subtle polka dots) and megawatt gems by Harry Winston.
Verdict: No. I don’t like this look on Natalie. Polka dots were a risk too far.

She: Jessica Chastain
Wears:  Alexander McQueen bustier gown, worn with $2 million worth of Harry Winston yellow diamonds and Brian Atwood heels.
Verdict: Love this look. My second favourite of the night after Gwyneth.

She: Jennifer Lopez
Wears: Metallic Zuhair Murad gown, a mirrored Salvatore Ferragamo clutch and Jimmy Choo sandals.
Verdict:  We can see that you’ve a smoking body JLo, this dress shows off your curves but maybe too much.

She: Rose Byrne
Wears: Vivienne Westwood gown, Chanel Fine Jewellery and Jimmy Choo platforms.
Verdict:  Major style cred for the bangs rose, but the dress looks ill fitting, there’s something up with it.

She: Octavia Spencer
Wears: elegant in a draped pale-gold beaded Tadashi Shoji boat neck gown, which she pairs with Jimmy Choo shoes, a Judith Leiber clutch and Neil Lane jewels.
Verdict: A winning look, this dress is magnificent on Octavia.

She: Cameron Diaz
Wears:  metallic gown with nearly $1 million worth of Tiffany & Co. jewels, plus Salvatore Ferragamo pumps.
Verdict: Love the way that Cameron looks curvy here, not sure about the colour on her.

She: Penelope Cruz
Wears:  A custom made lavender Giorgio Armani gown, the perfect palette for a whopping 114 carats of Chopard diamonds.
Verdict: No, no no Penelope, what were you thinking? Colour or neckline doesn’t suit you – I see what you were going for with the hair and earrings which, with another dress, would’ve worked.

She: Kristin Wiig
Wears: a tan J. Mendel gown and beachy hair, plus a Judith Leiber clutch and Neil Lane gems
Verdict: I didn’t recognise Kristin here, did she do something to her face. Love the dress though the colour doesn’t suit her.

She: Sandra Bullock
Wears: an embellished, black-and-white Marchesa.
Sandra always goes for Marchesa, it suits her figure and I like the embellishment but this dress is a little “meh”.

She: Shailene Woodley
Wears: The Descendants star says she’s “obsessed” with her Valentino Couture gown, adding.
Verdict: Really like this seventies look on Shailene – it’s youthful and suits her.

She: Gwyneth Paltrow
Wears: A white caped Tom Ford ensemble
Verdict: Favourite outfit of the night! LOVE what Gwennie has achieved here. The asymmetrical lines in her cape and hair gives a sleek honed and toned silhouette

She: Rooney Mara
Wears: A flowing white Givenchy gown
Verdict: As usual, I love her hair and pale skinned look and she carries this dress off but really needs to eat something, she’s too thin!

Find out the secrets to how some of the stars got their glow on: Oscars Beauty

Pictured left to right: Amy Huberman, Laura Whitmore and Diana Bunici pictured on the red carpet at the 9th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards at the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) on Saturday 11th of February 2012.

Such excitement in the WhatSheWears.ie camp as the Irish Oscars got underway this evening  – the 9th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards took place at the Convention Centre in Dublin. See the awards and red carpet arrivals on RTE1 @ 9.40pm.

Here are the photos from the red carpet. Who is your best dressed?

My pick goes to Laura Whitmore for the ladies who rocked a Belle & Bunty gown (Amy H wore a dress by this label to the IFTAS in 2010) and Chris O’Dowd in the male style stakes.

Other looks I loved were Dawn Porter (Chris O’Dowd’s partner) for her orginal choice of dress and cool fringe and Amy Huberman for her vintage inspired dress choice (reminds me of a vintage style Madonna wore on the red carpet last year – see a pic of it here). It is designed by Dawn Fitzgerald Atelier in Powerscourt Town Centre, who also designed Roz Purcell’s IFTA dress.

Raw star Ruth Negga wore Joanne Hynes to the IFTAS while Jennifer Maguire wore Claire O’Connor (available at Project 51).  Antonia Campbell Hughes wore Simone Rocha, Emma Waldron wore Umit Kutluk and Aoibhinn Garrihy wore Matt Doody .

To view the gallery, click on the photo and scroll to next photo by hitting the arrow to the right.

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The party season is fast approaching and now’s the time to start looking for red carpet party dress inspiration.

If the British Fashion Awards were anything to go by, this year it’s all about LBD’s with a twist, either in dramatic floor-skimming lengths or with quirky touches like mesh panelling. Bold metallic finishes are also a popular choice and an unusual alternative to all the gold and silver sequins on the high street.

Our past style crush, Tali Lennox wore this gorgeous gold column gown by Mulberry. We hunted down a very similar style in French Connection for a fraction of the price at €234 (£165). For a slightly slinkier version, we also came across this cocktail version on Asos.com by TFNC for €60.53 (£45).

French Connection gold dress

From the moment Stella sent her spot mesh dresses down the autumn/winter 11 catwalk, a waiting list commenced. Now thankfully the high street has brought us its own interpretations of this season’s most iconic dress.

The real version was donned by Kate Hudson but this Warehouse number for €80.70 (£60) and this one-sleeved version from Boohoo.com €25 (£20) are perfect for looking beautiful on a budget. To go for something a little different, this other Asos find features mesh circle sequin embellishments instead €51.11 (£38).

Boohoo mesh dress

Model of the moment Georgia May Jagger certainly looked stunning in her Julian Macdonald dress that dripped with sequins but we fell in love with this more understated version in French Connection. Even better as it’s currently on sale for €176 instead of €226 (£120 instead of £160).

French Connection

Alexa Chung wore her ‘Most Stylish’ crown well in a truly inimitable Christopher Kane cocktail dress—who himself swooped the newly introduced gong for New Establishment Designer.

A fitting finale to a festive British style fest, and plenty of ideas for your Christmas party outfit we hope.

– Gillian Brett

A recent aimless amble through Temple Bar proved to be quite fated when I stumbled across the brand new boutique Public Beware.

Sitting next door to the adorable Joy of Cha, ‘Public Beware’ is lit up in jagged bulbs that instantly suggest All Saints with a twist. Lured in by a mixture of curiosity and desire over the cutely dressed mannequins, I was very pleased with what I discovered inside.

Public Beware screams unique, which is refreshing amid all the conveyor belt trends on the high street. Funky leggings, interesting knits and intricately detailed coats are the shop’s highlights, plus I foresee the galaxy print shirts (€67) and scarves going down an absolute storm.

Holding my breath for the inevitable sanctimonious price tag, to my utter delight (and disbelief) everything is very reasonably priced: coats come in the €110-€150 region and leggings are a steal at €21. It also has a very interesting brand ethos with a ‘one size fits all’ policy plus all their price tags are from recycled paper.

Eager to find out more, I discovered proprietor Edel O’Connor first stumbled across the shop in a similarly serendipitous manner in London’s style hub Brick Lane.
She loved the brand so much, she brought a franchise to Dublin. The London store began life as a humble t-shirt brand and has since grown to become a fully stocked boutique with a global cult following.

It promises unique attire at affordable prices—Edel vows to match the sterling equivalent from the London flagship.

I left Public Beware eager to spread the word to friends, family and anyone who loves fashion—not before I parted with a well-invested €58 for a gorgeous fringed poncho.

Public Beware, 9 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. http://www.publicbeware.co.uk/

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Prices:
•         Nude leggings, they are €21 and are also available in black.
•         Waterfall tweed coat and its €110
•         Grey polka dot blazer price €93,
•         Black coat and its €147,
•         Black batwing coat and its €135,
•         Grey faux fur poncho/ coat and its €117.
-    Gillian Brett

Pictured L to R: Fearne Cotton, Annalynne McCord and Elle McPhearson

If you buy one thing this month, make it a jumpsuit.

The advantages are numerous: comfort, elegance, flattering to all shapes and sizes and they work well in every imaginable colour and fabric.

Specifically speaking this season, the jumpsuit has taken on looser proportions as slinky silks and slouchy satins dominated the autumn/winter runways. No doubt influenced by the Seventies trend that shaped summer styling with wide brim hats and flared silhouettes, relaxed tailoring looks set to stay a little longer.

Perfect for a laidback take on evening wear, the jumpsuit will become your best friend for the party season. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to have supermodel pins to pull off this trend. Those with a slimmer upper half can create symmetry with a halter neck or décolleté style that flatters the arms and chest while palazzo pants disguise hips and thighs.

See Hakaan for inspiration and try this purple River Island number from their Christmas collection (arriving in stores soon). Or, for those who prefer to show off dainty ankles while covering an ample chest or arms, the cargo-style sleeved jumpsuits at Sonia Rykiel are the perfect solution.

Don’t be afraid to choose bold colours like Fearne Cotton (pictured, who’s sporting a vintage style). Boyish figures like can create a waist with Michael Kors-esque belted jumpsuits. Or go for two tone, like Annalynne McCord (pictured), with her gorgeous Alice & Olivia number.

For those going for the wow-factor, seek out something similar to Chanel’s sequin boiler suit or Elle McPherson’s bright, lime green jumpsuit. Essential additions are a knockout necklace, thin leather belt, oversized clutch and sky-high heels.

Style tip: Add a wide obi style corsage belt to your jumpsuit to add a touch of Marc Jacobs or make your own with some silk or satin material.

Here are  some more of our favourite jumpsuits:

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Jennifer Rothwell wide leg catsuit €195, Project 51

Joseph Ribkoff Jumpsuit – The Secret Sell Off - €65

Mona Jumpsuit – Monsoon – €210/£135

Red baby silk frill jumpsuit – Dorothy Perkins – €62/£50

Belted Jumpsuit – Oasis – €94/£75

– Gillian Brett

While hats are admittedly the most common accessory of the colder months, that doesn’t mean they should be considered boring. This season hat trends are more inspiring than ever with fedoras, turbans and floppy 70s style hats all making a strong statement.

Wide Brim Hat

Floppy hats  are back, or so says Alber Elbaz who topped of his elegant autumn/winter 2011 Lanvin collection with chic, oversized hats. The final outing for John Galliano at Dior was also punctuated with colourful wide brim hats.

They are a romantic, ultra feminine accessory that they will certainly catch everyone’s attention. A powerful progeny of the seventies revival, these hats have the versatility to complement free spirited the Bohemian look or a more Upper East Side style, as shown by boho chic Vanessa Hudgens and the ever-refined Kim Kardashian.

To shop the look, check out Marc by Marc Jacobs rabbit hat at Netaporter (€290) or for a more budget friendly buy, try Asos (€32.05 ).

Style tip: Get the polished look by teaming the hat with a pair of large oversized sunglasses or for a boho take on the look, wear a maxi dress with your wide brimmed hat.

Fedora

For a fun take on the androgyny trend, go for a fedora. Frida Giannini’s favourite headwear, if her Gucci runway was anything to go by, this hat was also spotted on the Emilio Pucci runway and comes in a range of styles and finishes from straw to felt.

Fedoras are the perfect fusion of vintage elegance, masculine tailoring and street style urbanity. Fresh off her New York Fashion Week success, Victoria Beckham was spotted in a smart fedora teamed with a slick leather Mac (pictured).

For a more casual take on the trend, channel model of the moment Rosie Huntington-Whiteley who wore her fedora recently with a nude jumper and khaki jeans.

Style tip: Recreate Rosie´s look with this black fedora from Ted Baker and cosy knit from Massimo Dutti.

Turban

Turbans are probably the most surprising comeback and certainly a look for the more adventurous. The style elite at fashion week have been customising theirs by adding pearls, diamonds, and chains or taking unusual fabrics and wrapping around their head to fashion a completely unique style.

For a more understated look, choose a wool turban a la Kylie Minogue (pictured) or go for a head band style to pare it back further. Team your turban with loose draping for an authentic Eastern spin on your ensemble.

Style Tip: Take a leaf out of Miriam Gonzalez  book and wear a turban is a fashion forward take on a hat at a wedding – she certainly stood out in the style stakes at the Royal Wedding.

 -Gillian Brett

As you soak up the last few days of summer, now’s the time to start contemplating what exciting new trends you’ll be investing in this autumn. One look that’s repeatedly caught our eye on the catwalk is the Wild West trend, often referred to as Navajo (taking its name from a native South Western American tribe).

Tasselled ponchos, Navajo prints, beaded moccasins and fringed boots are top of the checklist, but to save you wandering into Halloween costume territory, follow our style tips on how to get this look right.

The Cowboys

For autumn/winter 2011, Proenza Schouler took us on a road trip to Santa Fe to be as inspired as they were by Native American culture. The duo picked up some authentic blankets along the way and hit the computer to alter, pixilate and explode their patterns into their own digital designs.

While the designers took these psychedelic prints and clashed them against one another, in real life one geometric pattern too many and people will need 3D glasses just to look at you!

How to get the look

Your best bet is to do like Blake Lively in a poncho and jeans and take a single Native American style article of clothing and pair it with your own wardrobe staples (remember denim is also a key material here).  Add a few indigenous accessories and you’re good to go.

Remember also that with heavier fabrics like chunky knits and ponchos, proportion is essential; balance them with a shorter hemline or tailoring to keep the look clean.

The Indians

2011 is the year of the fringe. No designer knew this more than Isabel Marant, whose Navajo-inspired autumn collection is punctuated by miles and miles of fringing. Her fringe-trimmed over the knee leather boots, for example, are a ‘shoe-in’ as autumn’s It footwear.

Bulky Navajo knits skimmed the thigh above these boots and legs were then covered by tight jeans, dyed with pinto pony markings.  Marant’s models also wore huge ponchos, bulky blazers and oversized puffa jackets in grey wool and felt with big hoods.

How to get the look

Accessorize with authenticity –bolo ties and Navajo hand-crafted jewellery are great ways to add subtle accents of the look to your outfit (think Vanessa Hudgens at Coachella festival).

If you’d only like to dip into the trend, make like Minka Kelly (pictured below) with a western print scarf.  Electronic Sheep is our go-to resource for funky wool scarves that will make a statement without being too try hard trendy.

Get the look for less

While the catwalk is great for giving us inspiration – it’s out of reach for most. Luckily H&M, the hero of the highstreet, has some great staples and accessories to perfect your Wild West look. They’ve got lots of ponchos (€19.99) – our favourite being this white fringed one (pictured, 2) which seriously channels the Isabel Marant catwalk look.

This gorgeous brown, fringe-trimmed top (pictured, 1) can be worn with skinny jeans, over tea dresses or a long maxi – it’s real find at £24.99/€30.00

Also, this very versatile feather accessory (pictured, 3) can be worn in your hair, around waists, as necklaces or fashion with a scarf to create a customised halter top. £3.99/€5.00.

The result? The Navajo trend sorted for autumn winter 2011.

- Gillian Brett

Some other Navajo looks to inspire you

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Pictured left to right: Mila Kunis, Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett

Finally, the finest red carpet evening of them all, awards season culminates with The Oscars, which took place last night at the Kodak Theatre in L.A.

Here’s what the Hollywood starlets wore on the red carpet. Our best dressed awards go to Mila Kunis and Michelle Williams.

What: The Oscars co-presenter alongside James Franco

She: Anne Hathaway

Wears: Valentino dress and Roger Vivier heels

What: Ever daring with her fashion choices

She: Cate Blanchett

Wears:  A couture creation from Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci

What: The actor sang live on stage last night and admitted that she always likes to calm her nerves with a drink of Guinness

She: Gwyneth Paltrow

Wears: Metallic silver Calvin Klein

What: Presenting the award for Best Actor

She: Sandra Bullock

Wears: A red strapless Vera Wang dress with a matching clutch

What: Best supporting actress nominee

She: Hailee Steinfeld

Wears: Marchesa

What: Renowned for her sustainable take on fashion

She: Livia Firth

Wears: a 100 percent recycled dress from Gary Harvey

What: Happily posing alongside her musician husband Keith Urban

She: Nicole Kidman

Wears: Dior

What: Best actress nominee for her role in Blue Valentine

She: Michelle Williams

Wears: Chanel

What: Nude and sparkly

She: Mandy Moore

Wears: Monique Lhuillier.

Tune in to watch the whole Oscars ceremony for yourself tonight on RTE Two at 9pm.

Who’s dress did you like on the red carpet?

The Oscars 2011 Photo Gallery

The 8th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards took place tonight at the National Conference Centre.

Here’s a rundown of some of the red carpet style.

Grainne Seoige

Grainne wore a silver Joanne Hynes couture dress. The Vintage style dress is a one off and hand sewn. Her bag is by Deborah Veale and her jewels are Anouska jewellery, from Brown Thomas

Grainne’s shoes are metallic grey Nando Muzzi peep toes from Cocobelle shoe boutique.

Styled by Ingrid Hoey.

Marcella Plunkett

The “Raw” actress wore a Black swan inspired black dress with cream sash by Eilis Boyle dress, which you can buy in Bow Boutique.

Her bag is a vintage Wendy’s Wardrobe bag, and her earrings are Mo Muse, both from Bow Boutique.

Marcella’s shoes are black sequin D&G shoes from Cocobelle, Royal Hibernian way, Dublin 2.

Styled by Ingrid Hoey, Butterfly Style.

Amy Huberman

Everyone’s eyes are on Amy Huberman’s IFTAS dress.

Amy wore a one off, custom made creation by Irish designer Matt Doody. You’ll find Matt Doody at Powerscourt Townhouse Centre in Dublin 2.

Although it looks like a one piece, the gown is actually a corset and skirt; the grey silk corset is boned and the skirt is made up of ballet pink netting and organza silk.

Amy’s wore Anouska jewellery (you can buy Anouska at Brown Thomas); black diamond drop earrings and a black diamond bangle.

Her shoes and clutch, although not visible in the picture, are from Cocobelle, Royal Hibernian way, Dublin 2.

Styled by Ingrid Hoey of Butterfly Style.

Karen Koster

Karen wore the Distorted Neon Textures print Long Dress (€325) from the Karen Millen SS11 collection, she is the face of the brand in Ireland afterall.

Aine Moriarty

In much the same way that Chopard dress many an actor on Hollywood’s red carpet, Aine was kitted out in Boodles diamonds tonight. She wore the Three Row Waterfall bracelet and the Raindance Castle necklace.

Joely Richardson

Another actor to wear Boodles diamonds tonight is Joley Richardson, who wore Boodles Raindance Spiderweb earrings.

Our Best Dressed award goes to Kathryn Thomas, who wore a white v neckled glittering dress by Marion Murphy-Cooney, an Irish designer based in Nenagh, Co.Tipperary.

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Best Dressed 2010

Image credits: IFTA

Check out all the pictures in the gallery below.

It’s red carpet season once more and with plenty of up dos and long wavy locks on show, there’s plenty of hair style envy about.  Take “Conviction” actress Hilary Swank as a case in point. How did she get to show her Screen Actors Guild Awards look?

It’s all down to MoroccanOil – an argan oil‐infused styling, finishing and conditioning products for the hair loved with sustainable credential to boot (it’s harvested under a free trade program, which supports thousands of families in the Southwest region of Morocco).

Voted one of InStyle magazine’s Best Beauty Buys 2010, Moroccanoil Treatment (€38) is hot on every beauty editor’s obsession list and popular amongst curly babes and those wanting to achieve the wavy look alike.

It’s great for prepping your hair before blow drying (throw a euro-sized dollop on your damp hair to tame frizz), but it’s also a superb post styling product too  – and in Hilary Swank’s case,  for making curls look a little more polished.

Hilary’s hair was designed by leading Hollywood stylist, Robert Vetica, who was inspired by the sensual, flowing lines of her nude Versace dress and the hairstyles of iconic 60’s Hollywood siren and Bond girl, Ursula Andress.

To create the red carpet look, Vetica shared his tips with us:

“I started by blow‐drying Hilary’s hair using Moroccanoil Treatment to instantly condition, bring any dry ends back to life and make her hair easier to style. The argan oil‐infused formula also gave the hair a brilliant, natural‐looking shine.

After the hair was dried, I did a full head set by curling 1” by 1” sections of hair, starting at the nape of the neck, then pinned each to the head. These were real, full base curls, not spiral curls. I continued section by section until I reached the crown, and then finished the sides and top of the head.  It almost had the look of a 60’s hot roller set.

I gave the set a good spray of Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray (€24) and let it sit for 20 minutes, to insure an even longer‐lasting set. I then gave it a good brushing and applied a small amount of Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream (€28) for added body.

Finally, I gave hair a good backcombing at the root and sprayed again. I brushed out most of the backcombing except at the crown, and ran my fingers through the hair to loosen it up. I backcombed a bit more at the crown, gave it another quick spray and lightly brushed over the top to smooth and finish.”

Moroccanoil is stocked in fine salons across Ireland.  For stockists, call 061 212 028.

Photo credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images

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For pics of the 2011 SAG Awards, see our Facebook page.