School has its hands around my neck, this week, but I’m making time for everybody’s FAVORITE post of the year (note: claims can not be substantiated)!  Instead of a general survey of the many outfits, though, I’m just going to share the ones I preferred.  Why waste my valuable time on negatives, eh?

Natalie Portman:

Seems to be common for prior winners to come back looking better than they did before.  Of course, she’s also not pregnant, so that always helps .  I actually liked how almost-informal it is… save for that giant freaking necklace.  Classy, all around, though.

Rose Byrne:

Speaking of classy.. my.  Sequins can either be lovely or cheap, and I think a big part of that is color choice.  Here they’re understated, and the hang of the dress obviously compliments its wearer very well.  I don’t love the shoes, but who notices the shoes .

Jessica Chastain:

I adore this woman, and can’t help but smile whenever I see her.  I promise, though, this isn’t just a “Babes Mark Likes” list.  This really is my favorite dress from the 2012 show.  I often describe things as “lovely” or “wonderful” but this dress is absolutely beautiful .  The shape, the style, the colors, and of course… that splendid gold etching.  I think it’s an absolutely fantastic dress.. both for standing out and for complementing the actress.

Billy Crystal:

Proof that this list isn’t just about those who turn me on .  You can’t see it in this shot, but he actually wore tuxedo tails, and when he first came out I smiled.  It was great to have him back, certainly, but to see a fella in this kinda tux was great.  My favorite of the night .

Special Mention – Kate Upton:
Alright, maybe this wasn’t an Oscar dress, but consider this our honorary award of the evening .  They aired this commercial a number of times during the show, and I my attention was always pulled away from my work… though I can’t imagine why .

First of all – congrats, you two .  The Prince and I were born on the same day, so I’ve always found an interesting kinship in his ups and downs of life… almost like a brother.  When his mom died, I cried.  She was a lovely woman, and so to see William having found a wife who is just as lovely and strong – it was quite a wonderful sight to see them walk down the aisle together.  I actually stayed up until 4am watching the whole event, and it was pretty fantastic to be a part of something not only big, but joyous.  Imagine the happy wedding of a friend or relative you’ve been a part of, if you have, and now imagine enjoying it with the entire world.  It was really cool, and often touching .

I hadn’t planned on even watching the whole thing, but when I first saw Kate Middleton in her wedding dress… I thought it deserved a mention here.

FASHION!  My game-night boys should know where this title is from, and I actually created the category banner during the site re-design, but haven’t been able to use it until now. Fashion! is, as you can assume, a new series that deals with fashion – from movie premieres, award shows, and whenever something catches my eye… or inspires me to write on this fabulous topic.

We’re starting this series off with the “big one” of the year – The Academy Awards.  I actually wanted to do this last year, but it just didn’t come about.  I’m dead tired from being up at 5am to shoot Mild Mannered this morning, but so what.  I like fashion and style and I like good looking movie stars, and that’s enough for me.  I’m no expert, so consider this more like a conversation with the gals in the hair salon… just gabbin’ about what those movie stars were wearing and going over some of my favorite outfits.  Let’s do this thing!