Dressed up to the Nines

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I. BLOODY. LOVE. DRESSES. Which is why, when awards season comes around each year, I get quite excited. As I've STILL NOT managed to accomplish my goal of being an actual Disney princess; wearing gowns, attending balls, befriending adorable talking animals and leaving shoes all over the bloody place, the closest I'm likely to ever get to those gorgeous princess dresses is by obsessively browsing through the red carpet images on IMDb and madly pawing at the screen crying "WHY CAN'T IT BE ME?!" Anyway, now that I've branded that disturbing image into your minds for the rest of the day, let's get on with it, shall we?

So it was the Golden Globes last week and aside from the fact that the dresses were excellent as usual, the celebrities have disappointed me. Not because of their lack of effort, oh no, if anything they've made too much effort. Because this year, practically everyone was wearing custom-made gowns! They're not satisfied with just picking a dress from a recent Couture collection, oh no, they've got to have them specially made for them. As if Vera Wang doesn't have enough to do.

"Why is this such a big deal, Franki?" you may ask.

Well my little daisies, I'll tell you. Every year, when awards season swings around, I sit in my pyjamas, go through all the red carpet photos, pick out my favourite dresses, find out who designed them and then track down a photo of the dresses when they were originally shown on the catwalks. It's just something I like doing, ok? I think it's interesting.

If a dress has been custom-made, however, I can't do this, because it was never shown on the catwalk. Some people are so selfish. Of my seven favourite dresses, only one was actually first shown on the catwalk. Not happy. If the celebs decide to pull the same crap at the Oscars, I'll be writing a very strongly-worded letter to the Academy...

Rooney Mara in Nina Ricci (Pre-Fall 2012). Still kind of channeling the stark palette of her Lisbeth Salander character, I love how this is both quite revealing but still understated. She's kept it edgy with very minimal hair and makeup and no jewels at all - this look is all about the dress. Glad she steered away from the elbow-length gloves as I think they look like overkill in the original photo.

Zooey Deschanel in custom-bloody-Prada. I think this is a very unusual choice for the red carpet and for Zooey herself, but she looks gorgeous nonetheless. It's miles away from her usual quirky-girl style, though she has kept her signature hairstyle the same. Love the unexpected pop of acid green (acid green on the red carpet - who'da thunk?) and the high neckline. Lovely lovely lovely.

Reese Witherspoon in Zac Posen. I can't help but love Reese; she always looks so cute and smiley. I've read some reviews slating this look, saying that it looks like she's not made much effort with her hair and the fit of the dress looks weird, but personally I like that she's kept her hair quite laid back and I think the shape of the dress is cool, although it does look like the fishtail could do with having a bit more structure to it... it's gone kind of floppy. Either way, she's gone for a kind of modern all-American girl/blonde bombshell type thing and I think it's fabulous.

Michelle Williams in Jason Wu. It's interesting that, having recently played the ultimate screen-siren, Marilyn Monroe, Michelle wasn't tempted to emulate her look on the red carpet. A lot of celebs go all in for that old-Hollywood glamour when it comes to awards season, but Michelle has jumped straight back into her signature style - pixie crop and unusual gown. While it would have been nice to see her really upping the glamour - we know she can pull it off as she looked stunning as Marilyn - I guess she's found a style that she likes and is sticking to it. I think this Jason Wu gown could look absolutely horrendous on the wrong person, but Michelle makes it look chic and elegant.

Heidi Klum in Calvin Klein. I'll be completely honest here, I'm going to take all the credit for this one. If you've red my previous red carpet posts, you'll know that for the past couple of years, I've been trying to show Heidi that her recent efforts have been way off. Obviously, she's been paying attention to my words of wisdom because she's really looking gorgeous here. Understated hair and makeup, simple but elegant dress and beautiful jewels. Well done, Heidi, well done.

Emma Stone in Lanvin. Some redheads don't like to wear certain colours for fear they'll clash with their hair, but Emma is clearly willing to take risks and they've really paid off here. This Grecian-style Lanvin number (with an EAGLE belt) is super sexy and fashion-forward. It's a very different look to the one she went for last year - she's really upped the sex appeal this time around - smouldering eyes, plunging neckline, thigh split - you go Glen Coco Emma!

Charlize Theron in Dior Couture. Oh beautiful, beautiful Charlize. You're just so... beautiful! Despite the fact that this has an uber-low neckline and massive thigh split, it's still feminine, pretty and elegant. I don't think you can ever go wrong with Dior; it's just the perfect red carpet label. Love the hair, love the rosey complexion, LOVE THIS!

So who do you think looked the best? And I have missed anyone out? Can't wait for the Oscars!

I am 24 going on 30

So, last month (31st August, to be precise) it was my 24th birthday. Yep, I'm properly in my mid-twenties now - I can't pretend to be on the cusp anymore, let's face it, it's all downhill from here. Anyway, I finally got around to making a haul video of all the lovely goodies I got. (Not that I'm materialistic or anything...)

I realised, after I'd finished filming, that I didn't mention the present my boyfriend got me. This is not because his present was rubbish or weird or anything, it's because I am foolish and forgetful at times. You see, everything I talked about in the video was a physical thing I had in front of me, whereas his present wasn't. He took me to see The Sound of Music in Manchester and because I am foolish I didn't think to keep the tickets or buy a program as proof. Anyway, it was marvellous, I'd really recommend it to any musical fans out there. Verity Rushworth (who used to play Donna Windsor in Emmerdale) was absolutely brilliant as Maria and Jason Donovan was supposed to be playing Captain Von Trapp, but we saw the undertsudy because he was ill. Fab show though... "the hills are ALIIIIIIIIIIVE with the sound of music!" Thanks Joe!

Oh sweet baby Jesus...

Opulence Corset Ballet Dress, £165 Rare

I have no need or occasion to ever wear this dress, nor do I have £165 with which to buy it, but by golly, it is a beauty so I just had to share it.

As I've already mentioned about seven million times, I'm a big fan of anything tutu/ballet/tulle related so this really is just perfection to me. I'M IN LOVE.

In other news, despite my promises to the contrary, I went a bit AWOL again for the past couple of weeks. This was mainly to do with a musical theatre cabaret I was rehearsing for, which took up a lot of my free time. We performed the show last week, so it's all over and done with now, (SOB!) but our director, has been uploading some footage onto Youtube so I thought I'd share one of the videos. I know I'm always going on about how I don't like to put too much of *me* on this blog, but I'll make an exception for this because musical theatre is good for the soul, plus it's always entertaining watching my attempts at even the most basic of dance routines... (just in case you're not sure, I'm the third person to sing at the beginning)

Also, I figured that this song was kind of appropriate to post on the blog, as it very loosely connects to the beauty genre by referring to washing your hair. Just keeping it on topic, guys!

Happy Easter for tomorrow - please try not to overdose on chocolate...

Dresses to kill

Jeepers creepers, where has the time gone? I can't believe it's been two weeks since I last blogged, this is massively unacceptable, sorry! Regular posting will commence from this point onwards, pinkie promise.

If you've not already bought yourself a copy of th April issue of Glamour, I suggest you get to it quickly, because not only can you get one of TEN awesome Clinique freebies (I've got two - the Dramatically Different Moisturiser and the 7 Day Scrub Cream - both of which are awesome), it's also their tenth anniversary edition so the magazine is packed full of competitions, offers and marvellous features galore.

One of my favourite features in the April issue is this shoot featuring Jameela Jamil (from T4) modelling a selection of dresses, which Glamour have helped to create as part of a collaboration with ten high street stores. Jameela looks beautiful as always (I WANT her hair) and I'm loving how each dress has been styled so differently. What's also cool is that each of the stores involved in the collaboration are offering special discounts and competitions for Glamour readers (see the magazine for full details). I've picked out a few of my favourite dresses below.

Lara Fit and Flare Dress £169, Reiss

Lace Prom Dress £59.99 (reduced to £44.99 online), New Look

Shelby's Summer Belted Dress, £125 French Connection

How gorgeous is this?! I particularly love how it's been styled too - they've taken such a simple, elegant dress and really toughened it up with the bowler hat and trainers. It's also available as a maxi dress, which is equally as pretty.

RSC Grace Dress, £49.90, Mango

Which is your favourite? And have you bought the new Glamour? What Clinique freebie did you get?!?!

JOY JOY JOY

I know that I can be a bit rubbish with money because there's always some new cosmetic that I 'need' or I just suddenly decide that I 'have to' take a little weekend trip to London or HMV is having a sale that I 'should' really make the most of (in case of some kind of future DVD drought). And maybe, if I was better at saving up, I'd be able to treat myself to slightly more expensive clothing (usually, I tend to stick to sales and cheap stores like H&M and New Look). But to be honest, even if I do have the money to spend, I'm really reluctant to part with much more than £40 for any item from a high street store (unless it's something super fancy, or something very important, like a coat) because I do think they can be stupidly overpriced and generally, for the quality you get, it's just not worth it. Possibly my most commonly used phrase while shopping is,

"£45 for a skirt?! I could make this!"

which is, of course, ridiculous, because I literally can't make anything.

Anyway, this weekend, I was in London, visiting friends, flitting about Islington and generally being fabulous and Londony, when Tash and I decided to have a little look in JOY.

In case you don't know, there are many pretty things in JOY; lots of quirky dresses and cool jewellery and interesting home accessories and silly games like they have in Urban Outfitters. I'm a big fan of JOY, but I rarely get the chance to shop there because they opened a store in Liverpool for like a month and then for some reason it closed down mysteriously. It's all very upsetting, actually.

So we're looking in JOY and I'm specifically looking for an evening dress for a party I'm going to this weekend. Sadly, I didn't really find any fabulous evening dresses, but I did find this;

Louche Sophie Heart Button Dress - JOY

I don't think the picture fully does it justice, but you have to understand this dress is truly ADORABLE and the fit was perfect and it's so pink and I don't even wear that much pink but I'm trying to integrate it more into my wardrobe and LOOK AT ALL THE HEARTS! This dress is the very definition of JOY! Except, not really, because then I looked at the price tag and it was £49. I know £49 doesn't sound like much when you love something, and I do love this dress, but it's the principle of the thing. This dress is 100% viscose.

"£49 for a dress made of viscose?! I could make this!"

SHUT UP FRANKI!

So I didn't buy it. And now I am sad. The dress that filled me with such joy has now left me feeling sad and empty.

I think the moral of this story is very clear;

I should start saving my money a dressmaking course.

What do you think, people? Is the dress too expensive? Am I being silly? Would you pay £49 for a dress made of viscose? What even is viscose? I NEED ANSWERS!

"Her hands are never cold, she's got Bette Davis eyes..."

Ok, ok, you've got me. I admit it:

I have not seen Avatar.

I have also not seen The Hurt Locker, An Education, Up, Precious, Inglourious Basterds or any of the other big, important films of this year. I have, however, seen Valentine's Day. And The Princess and the Frog (which was amazing. I love Ray). Clearly I have my film-related priorities very much in order.

And while I think it's great that Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director (seriously, the Oscars have been going since 1929, how can it have taken 80 years for a woman to win? Does this mean the Academy are very sexist or that women just aren't very good movie directors? Answers on a postcard), I simply can not comment on any of the other awards as I have no opinion on the majority of films nominated.

So all I will say is, congratulations to the winners, commiserations to the losers, but really you are all winners in my eyes. Except, not really because I don't know who most of you are.

Anyway, none of that matters because here at the little curly girl, we deal in fashion, not films (if you want film-talk, go here, but not until you've read this post, ok?) and you know what there was plenty of at the Academy Awards? Dresses! Lovely, lovely dresses.

I thought, just to make things vaguely more interesting, I'd show you my favourite gowns of the night, alongside the original catwalk version, because two pretty pictures are better than one, aren't they? Yes. Yes they are.

First up, in one of my absolute favourite gowns pretty much EVER, was Diane Kruger;

This is Chanel Couture from the Fall 09 collection and I think it's just exquisite. She looks like a vase, but a really, really gorgeous vase. Just look at the shape! And the ruffles! And look at the back! (on a side note, how FIERCE is Sasha P in the first photo?!) Perfection, honestly, I LOVE it. And to think, I really wasn't keen on her Golden Globes dress at all, well done for turning it around Diane, very well done.

Also in Chanel and also one of my absolute favourites was SJP;

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful! And so elegant! Thankfully she chose not to team it with the crazy big hair from the Spring Couture show, (but I still do love that crazy big hair...) opting instead for a soft, slightly messy updo, extreme smokey eyes and glowing skin.

Elie Saab was also a popular choice for the red carpet with both Anna Kendrick and Rachel McAdams sporting floaty, feminine frocks from the Spring 2010 Couture collection;

I think it's interesting how, on Anna, this dress looks so demure, but on the catwalk, with slightly different styling, it's actually really sexy.

The floral print on this gown is lovely, it reminds me of watercolours. I'm also a big fan of Rachel's earrings - you know I loves me a pair of oversized earrings!

Two more actresses wearing the same designer were Jennifer Lopez and Amanda Seyfried, who both stepped out in strapless Armani Prive Couture;

I like how Jennifer's gone for a gown that not only hugs her curves, but also creates its own curves!

The combination of the silvery white gown and Amanda's pale skin make her look like the Childlike Empress from The Neverending Story, which is interesting, because in the film, the Empress' proper name is Moonchild and this Armani Prive collection was all about the moon! (Is it just me, or do these gowns look a bit like they're made from bubble wrap?)

Also doing the classic strapless thing was Cameron Diaz in Oscar de la Renta;

Am I the only one who finds it funny that she wore Oscar to the Oscars? Hahaha madness! Cameron went for a good old fashioned dose of glamour with her super sparkly dress and tumbling blonde curls. I also think it's quite impressive that she's technically wearing a dress from the future as this was literally just seen on the Fall 2010 catwalk. She's wearing Fall 2010 in March 2010! Cameron Diaz has a time machine! (I'm sure celebs get to wear stuff in advance all the time, it's just the first time I've ever actually picked up on it before).

Finally, my award for best dressed of the night goes to Carey Mulligan in Prada;

I couldn't find a shot of this on the catwalk (I trawled through LOADS of images too) so I can't work out if it's some kind of crazy one-off or I've just missed it. If anyone does know which collection this is from, please tell me!

This is fab for so many reasons; firstly Carey actually looks her age in it (so many young actresses end up aging themselves about 10 years when they get dressed up for big events) because it's so fun and quirky, secondly the bottom is a really weird shape but it still works and thirdly, all those embellishments are tiny little scissors and forks and spoons!!! Tiny metal things! For tiny metal people! I heard that after Sunday night, Carey donated this dress to the Borrowers. She is their queen now.

I'm going to end with a picture of Jake Gyllenhaal (wearing Burberry) because he's handsome;

That's all for now.

(all images from style.com)

(tea)spoonful of sugar...

Two years ago, when I was still at university and suffering from a particularly desperate cashflow situation, I entered a competition to win £250 to spend at Warehouse. It was fairly straightforward - you just had to make a list of your top five 'must-have' items from the website and then the lovely people from Warehouse picked their favourite list. Amazingly, I won! It was all quite exciting, especially because I literally had no money to spend on clothes at that time and it meant that I could actually buy a coat to see me through the winter months. Had I not won that competition, readers, I'd probably have died of hypothermia. Really.

Anyway, last week, ASOS were running the same sort of competition, except you had to pick three items and the prize was £1000 to spend on the site. Yep, £1000. That's a whole bunch of clothes. Even though I didn't actually come across the comp until the last minute and there was already A LOT of entries (understandably), I figured I'd give it a go. I mean, who doesn't want to win £1000 to spend on ASOS? In fact, who doesn't want to win £1000 to spend anywhere? I'd probably have entered if the prize was £1000 to spend at Millet's.

The thing is, picking three 'must-have' items from ASOS is really quite difficult because there are literally hundreds of beautiful things to choose from. And of course, because it was a competition I wanted my list to be unique. I spent a long time clicking through lots of different dresses, shoes, jackets, tops etc etc and in the end I went for three items that (I think) were suitably fabulous but not too obvious. The winner was supposed to be announced on Friday but I just looked on the ASOS Facebook group and it said the winner would be announced next week so I'm keeping everything crossed! Seriously, ONE THOUSAND POUNDS!!!

If you're interested, here are the three items I chose;

I'm loving maxi dresses at the moment so I went for this gorgeous printed one by Aqua Couture;

I wanted a pair of fabulous shoes on my list, and I thought these Carvela bondage-inspired platforms were really striking;

The final item I chose was this bejewelled bandeau bodice (hello alliteration!) by One Teaspoon;

I love this!!!

I remember when ASOS was first launched (back in 2000 when I was a wee 12 year old!); ASOS, in case you don't know (though I'm sure you do) stands for 'As Seen On Screen' and the whole concept behind the site was that it sold clothing 'in the style' of celebrities, so basically, things that you've 'seen on screen' and want to copy. Now, ten years later, while you can still buy celeb-inspired stuff, the site is no longer all about copying celebrities as ASOS stocks countless brands, both designer and high street, which are stylish in their own right and not just because Ashley Olsen was seen wearing them.

I've mentioned before that I don't often buy clothes online, for the simple reason that my size varies depending on where I shop and I can't be bothered with the hassle of sending stuff back if it doesn't fit. Because of this, I don't really visit ASOS very often, however, after spending a bit of time there for the competition last week, I'm definitely reconsidering! In addition to all the well-known labels you can find on the site, such as French Connection and Oasis, ASOS also stocks loads of independent and new designers which I doubt I'd have come across otherwise.

One of the labels that caught my attention was Australian brand One Teaspoon, which I noticed while I was weeping over the bandeau top above. I think the clothes are similar to the stuff you get at All Saints, although slightly more toned-down. The collection on ASOS features a selection of cute tee-shirts, tops and a couple of dresses; all quite simple but with a casual, urban feel to them. While it's not cheap (some of the tee-shirts are £40 and that bandeau top is £120!), I reckon that if I did have that kind of money I would definitely be spending it on this brand, as all the pieces are so unique but wearable. Here's a few more of my favourite items from the brand;

Beaded Tie Dye Maxi Dress, £70

Lace Bodice, £55

Sergeant Pepper Oversized Tee, £45

Studded Leather Waistcoat, £190

What do you think? Worth the money?

(all images from ASOS, click product names to go to their page on the site)

Oi! Carey! NOOOOOOOOO!!!!

So yesterday I posted some of my favourite gowns from Sunday night's Golden Globes - the red carpet was a veritable Pick 'n' Mix of style, glamour and lovely, lovely sparkly things. But at any Pick 'n' Mix stand, there's always one type of sweet that nobody wants to pick from because, well, it tastes like crap and nobody wants a foam banana or a liquorice allsort when they can have cola bottles, giant strawberries and midget jems instead, do they? No, of course they bloody don't. But the thing is, they're still there and we still have to look at them and go "bleurgh I hate liquorice!" And that's the point I'm making. Exactly. So here, in all their finery, I present to you, the liquorice allsorts of the Golden Globes.

First off is Helen of Troy, aka Diane Kruger, in Christian Lacroix. Actually, the more I look at this dress, the more I don't think it's that bad... it's just so pink. And I like pink. But that much pink? Combined with the frilly neckline? She just looks a bit like a raspberry ripple sundae, that's all. But then maybe that's the look she was going for?

Jayma Mays in Badgley Mischka

Oh Emma Pilsbury from "Glee", I wish you weren't on my list, I really do, because you're as cute as an extremely cute button. But when you decided to swamp yourself in the spider web fabric you bought at Halloween, you dug your own grave.

For as long as I can remember, Nicole Kidman has terrified me. There's something about her eyes that makes me certain that behind that placid smile, she's plotting to take over the world. As much as I love "Moulin Rouge!" I just can't forget that she is very probably an evil genius. Anyway, all that aside, I hate this Nina Ricci dress, it looks like a a nightie. And not even a very nice nightie. A nightie made by a mad person with a penchant for horrible nighties. Plus, she seems to have gotten even tinier (if that's possible), so she actually looks like a child wearing a nightie made by a mad person. Believe it or not, however, Nicole made Vogue's Top 10 Best Dressed at the Golden Globes list, so maybe it's me who's mad... (I highly doubt it)

Another one I wish wasn't on the list, because normally Penelope Cruz is one of my favourites on the red carpet. But this Armani Prive gown has a bit too much going on; while I actually kind of like the fishtail skirt and the stripey bodice, the cut of the lacey neckline and the sleeves are so aging on her! You know that older woman relative you only see at family parties who wears too much foundation and still styles her hair like it's the 80s? Yeah. Penelope reminds of a hispanic version of her...

Heidi Klum in Roberto Cavalli

Do you ever get the feeling Heidi Klum is actually a bit mad? Maybe the knowledge that she's a super-hot Victoria's Secret model has gone to her head so much, that she just thinks she can wear whatever the hell she wants these days. Well I've got news for you Heidi, it is never ok to walk the red carpet dressed as an extra from The Little Mermaid on Broadway. Ever.

Oh Julia, you're not on my list because this dress is hideous, oh no, it's vintage YSL, it could never be hideous. But when you're on the red carpet and everyone around you is wearing couture gowns, and Heidi Klum is running around singing "Part of Your World", don't you feel just a little bit under-dressed? You're better than this, Julia, you know you are. Food for thought.

Like Heidi Klum, Mariah is another one of those mad celebrities who's never really adhered to normal fashion decorum. But this is a Herve Leger dress. Herve Leger dresses are known for being extreme bodycon to the max. So it's usually a good idea to only go for this look if you're one of those petite, liliputian-type people with small but perfectly formed ummm assets. Otherwise, the result is positively pornographic. Alright Mariah, we can see your Golden Globes, now put them away, PLEASE!

The return of The Little Curly Girl...

Hold on to your hats, kids, because I'm back, ready to take on 2010 and all of its sartorial delights with gusto, panache and a hell of a lot of curly hair!

Hang on Franki, you can't just burst in here, acting like nothing's happened, expecting us to welcome you back with open arms, you've been gone for six months, where the chocolate-covered-spider-monkeys have you been?!

...ah, right, yes, I see your disapproving looks there... well the thing is, it's a long story and quite frankly I don't have the time to tell it and you probably don't have the time to listen, but needless to say I was doing lots of important stuff, you know, saving lives, rescuing kittens, teaching small, misguided children valuable life lessons and just generally being brilliant.

And there was an unfortunate situation with a goose.

But I'm not allowed to talk about that for legal reasons. Anyway, Beanie Baby Council, I'm back now, and I promise I will more than make it up to you, for I have so much to talk about on this here thing you crazy kids like to call a 'blog'!

Alright, alright, we are appeased, for now. But no more tomfoolery, we're watching you.

You know, the great thing about toys is that they're quick to forgive and they don't ask too many questions. And, you know, they're not actually alive so I can pretty much make them do and say whatever I want.

See?

Now that that's all over and done with, I figured I'd kick off my return to the blogosphere with a good old-fashioned dose of red carpet glamour. Last night was the 67th Annual Golden Globes, which saw Drew Barrymore pick up a Best Actress award for "Grey Gardens", while "Glee" (the best TV show EVER... fact) scooped the award for Best Comedy TV Series (rightly so). However, here at The Little Curly Girl HQ (otherwise known as my bedroom), we are WAY more interested in who WORE what rather than who WON what. In my eyes it should be called the Golden Globe Haute Couture Fashion Show of Dreams and Simultaneous Horror. As always with these events, some celebs got it very, very right, while others, sadly (for them, amusing for me) got it so desperately wrong. I've put together a few lists to sum up the night;

First off, let's take a look at the good stuff;

As you may already know, I'm a sucker for ruffles and frills and layers etc and the red carpet had no shortage of them, with Emily Blunt looking gorgeous in this amazing soft pink Dolce & Gabbana gown. Jennifer Morrison (from "Ugly Betty") also looked amazing, although I've read mixed reviews of her Luis Antonio gown. Whatever, I think it's fabulous. Ruffles galore! "Mad Men's" Christina Hendricks channelled her inner Hollywood bombshell, wearing an amazing, peach-coloured, figure-hugging Christian Siriano number, seriously I love her; it's so refreshing to see an actress who actually looks like a real person. (albeit a ridiculously hot one...) Also going for a nude/peach colour was Drew Barrymore in a bejewelled Atelier Versace design - this is another one that's made both the best and worst dressed lists today. Maybe the big sparkly cluster things on the shoulder and hip might have put people off this one, but they probably just fear that which they don't understand, the fools. Drew is HOT. End of.

Flying the flag for simple but sexy black was Courteney Cox Arquette who wore a Victoria Beckham design. I know, I know, what kind of freak buys anything that Mantis Face has put her name to, but as much as I hate to say it, it's a good dress. Plus Courteney is a fittie - I love her elegant hair and makeup, plus, see the arm holding up her umbrella? That's David Arquette! Cute! Courteney's FRIEND Jennifer Aniston (get it? Friend?! Hahaha!) also wore black, but she went for an uber sexy Valentino dress, with a cool asymmetric neckline and cheeky thigh high split. Team Jennifer forever.

Also opting for black but going for all-out drama was "Glee's" Lea Michele in an Oscar de la Renta gown that I'd imagine you would never ever want to take off once you'd put it on (well I wouldn't; I'd live in that dress, people would call me "the girl in the Oscar de la Renta dress" and then years later, they'd call me "the girl in the Oscar de la Renta rags") This was my favourite of the night, but then I love "Glee", I've loved Lea since she was in "Spring Awakening" and I love de la Renta, so really, it's no contest.

Adding a bit of colour to the night was Cameron Diaz, wearing Alexander McQueen. Love the colour, love the shape (slightly padded shoulders - yes indeedy!), love the minimal accessories. Gold star for Cameron!
Marion Cotillard also went for a bold colour choice in a deep green Dior gown. I think green is one of the hardest colours to pull off, but Miss Cotillard wore it well - love the little cheeky flash of lace too (that's not an accident, I think it's part of the dress as that's exactly how it looked on the catwalks). I have a bit of a girl-crush on Marion Cotillard; she is so incredibly beautiful and adorable and lovely! Watch this New York Times interview with her if you don't believe me.

Last on my good list is Avatar's Zoe Saldana in Louis Vuitton. This is genius - such an unusual colour choice but I think it really works. Some people might think the skirt is a bit weird, but I like that 'raggedy' look (I'm not sure it's correct to describe a Vuitton gown as looking 'raggedy' but you know what I mean, don't you???). Plus Zoe's makeup looks so fresh and beautiful; she clearly understands the concept of less is more. I like how she's become a bit of a Sci-Fi starlet; first Star Trek, now Avatar. It's funny to think that once, many moons ago, she was the bitchy one in that awful Britney Spears movie, "Crossroads"...

Anyway my little pumpkins, that's all for now - come back tomorrow for more Golden Globes shenanigans when we take a look at those who got it a bit wrong, those who got it VERY wrong and those who shouldn't have bothered leaving the house...

LBD... easy as 1,2,3

From left to right - Miranda Kerr (in THAT Jil Sander dress), Rachel Bilson, Leighton Meester, Christina Hendricks and Jessica Alba

So I spent a bit of time last week in London "on business"...kind of, not really, but it sounds cool, right? I also got to hang out with some of my favourite people and one in particular, let's call her "Molly", inspired this post. She was raving about a new black shift dress which, bought on a whim when she needed something smart to wear, had proven to be one of the most versatile items in her wardrobe.

Now, I'm pretty sure that every fashion-conscious lady on this side of the galaxy is well aware that a little black dress is a staple piece in any wardrobe. If you weren't aware of that, don't worry, I won't judge you. But my friend Molly is very, very right; the beauty of a really good LBD is that it's versatile. As long as you've got one of those de-fluffer things (because fluff on black stands out a mile) a black dress can be worn in about 24501 different ways. (I've got research to back up this figure...) Whether it's with a cardigan and some flats for daytime or a pair of heels and a clutch bag for the evening, a black dress (or two) is definitely something worth having in your wardrobe.

Of course, the other good thing about a black dress is the instant chic factor it gives you on a night out. The epitome of effortless glamour, a simple LBD automatically makes you look a million dollars without you having to really try at all; think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany's - black shift, heels, maybe some jewellery - badabing badaboom... did I really just say that? Think I may need to be more of an old-style New York mafia boss, less 21st century Scouse mentallist to really pull that off, but let's not worry too much about my random outbursts of hitman-speak and get back to the lovely clothes, yes?

Oh Audrey...

Anyway, I've often heard talk of the "perfect" LBD; it's probably a different style and shape for every person, but somewhere out there, there is a dress with the ability to make you look bloody fantastic as soon as you put it on. The fun comes with trying to find it. And with fashion designers doing more and more clever things with tailoring, hemlines, fabric, embroidery and everything else, there is no better time to go out and find the perfect LBD.

I started browsing through a few fashion sites thinking I'd get a handful of photos to post but I found so many amazing dresses I got a bit carried away. Enjoy the pics and let me know which one is your favourite! I'm loving the amazing chain detail on that Sheri Bodell dress in the picture below and the gorgeous strapless Nathan Jenden one in the third picture.

Alexander Wang, Sheri Bodell and T-Bags

Alice + Olivia, Vera Wang Lavender Label and Diane Von Furstenberg

STRAPLESS

Clockwise from top left - Miu Miu, ACNE, Luella, Paul & Joe Sister, Chloe and Nathan Jenden

Preen, Giambattista Valli, Catherine Malandrino and of course, Herve Ledger

High Street

Clockwise from left - Warehouse, Topshop, Miss Selfridge, H&M, Karen Millen and French Connection

The Prints and the Pauper.

It's Saturday night and I'm at home listening to my parents and their friends getting drunk downstairs. I know, I know - what kind of lame-ass 21 year old am I?! This is the first Saturday night I've had in ages where I've not been in work so really, I should be dancing like a lunatic somewhere to make up for all the nights out I've missed of late. But you know what? I'm tired ok? I've been busy doing all kinds of crazy things this week so just give it a rest and let me boring, yeah?

Anyway, one of my favourite people in the world came to visit me yesterday and apart from a minor mishap involving an exploding bottle of chilli sauce and my H&M oversized shirt/dress thing (which was washed to within an inch of its life when I got home), it was a lovely day. Being the good friend that I am, I showed her the joys of Liverpool shopping. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending how you look at it) both of us were feeling thrifty so we didn't spend a great deal, but I did still manage to snap up some nifty little bits and pieces.

Owl brooch - £4.50 from an amazing vintage jewellery shop in Grand Central, Collection 2000 Glam Crystals eyeliner - £2.70 from Boots, dress - £14.99 from H&M and sunglasses £4.99 also H&M

The dress was really just something I was trying on, I'd actually intended to buy a different dress but it's such a lovely, "flippy" (as my mum called it) shape that I changed my mind. My sister (very sensibly) pointed out that it'd go well with a leather jacket so now I feel like I need a shrunken leather jacket, I think it's important for my personal well-being that I get one soon. The sunglasses were too good a bargain not to buy; I only ever wear bug-eye sunglasses coz I've got a massive head and other sunnies don't look right on me (aviators make me look like John Lennon for some reason).

Can anyone explain why, when I turn the flash off on my camera, the photos go really blurry? Why is that? Why? I was trying to take a photo without the flash so that the brooch and the eyeliner didn't go all reflecty but it just didn't happen. Harrumph. I am in love with the little owl though. The price label called it a "Tweet-twoo brooch" - how ca-yoot is that?!

If you were to take a little look-see into my wardrobe, the first thing you'd notice, as well as the disturbingly massive collection of knitwear I own, would probably be just how many of my clothes are covered in prints and patterns, obviously my new dress is a good example of this. My other most recent purchase, another dress, this time from French Connection via ASOS is also all about the pattern;

Dress - £24, French Connection (ASOS Sale)

Ignore my hair in the photo as best you can, I was between styles (not quite curly because I hadn't scrunched it after washing but not smooth enough to be straight - the Little Curly Girl's eternal dilemma...). Anyway, the dress was a kind of random impulse buy; I generally don't buy online because I'm never sure what size I am and can't be bothered with all the faff of returning things if they don't fit, but I figured since French Connection sizes are pretty consistent and a smock dress is basically a sack with sleeves, (a very nice sack, but a sack nonetheless) I'd take a risk. I bloody love it so it was a risk well-taken. It's very flouncy, and flounciness is pretty much something I always want in a dress, plus I don't usually wear long sleeves so it makes a good change. The drop-waisted shape and the dense black and white print really remind me of these two pieces from the Anna Sui Fall RTW show;

( photos from style.com)

So now I'm thinking I need a cameo brooch (back to the amazing vintage jewellery shop go I), a pair of fringed boots, some lacy tights and, of course, a crazy feathered hat. But then, don't we all need a crazy feathered hat?