Oscar Night- Keeping it real

Discussion of performing arts, including theatre, film, television, and music.
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Frelga
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Post by Frelga »

Welcome back, River. :wave:

We watched the ceremony at my parents'. Although the only movies we saw last year were Harry Potter, Avatar, Sherlock Holmes and Up, hubby called each award with unerring accuracy. Although I called Hurt Locker for Best Picture, without watching it, of course. :D

I wish men's formal dress were not stuck in the most boring century in history of clothing. I would love to see some velvet, lace, gold, embroidery, cut sleeves and more than Oriental splendor. Heck, even a kilt now and then would be a relief. Come ON guys!
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solicitr
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Post by solicitr »

You mean like this?

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Or this?

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Frelga
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Post by Frelga »

Well, maybe not the cuirass. ;) And I would be willing to dispense with the wigs. And of course not many of the Oscar crowd can boast diamond-studded orders and golden medals.

But yes, that's the sort of things I had in mind. =:)
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Primula Baggins
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Post by Primula Baggins »

Men (and women too) looked splendid then, if they could afford to. :P Given what I had to pay for a decent but basic business suit for one of my sons last year, I'm just as glad I didn't have to spring for velvet, lace, and gold braid. Or an enormous wig.

I suspect the average level of splendor is actually higher now than it was then: much less of it, but spread out much farther. Just about everybody in Western countries can afford to dress in dyed fabrics, neatly sewn, and even to add a few ornaments. And they can put on clean clothes every single day. None of that used to be true for most people.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
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vison
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Post by vison »

Can someone fix the stretchy page, s'il vous plait?
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Primula Baggins
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Post by Primula Baggins »

soli, can you find a smaller picture of Gordon, or host it yourself on a photo site and shrink it down? We like to keep images to about 600 pixels wide so people with smaller/lower-resolution screens don't have to scroll back and forth to read posts.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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samaranth
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Post by samaranth »

I stayed up too late to watch the (very delayed) telecast of Academy Awards for films I hadn't seen - some of which haven't even been released here yet, some of which I'd never heard of! I still enjoy it, in a slightly cynical way. I'm up there with best of the when it comes to critiquing the frocks. Some were gorgeous - Sandra Bullock's for example, some kind of 'huh?'

Something that puzzles me a bit is how hard it must be to find good Oscars MCs. I'm a little hard of hearing, and I didn't have the captions on, but I don't think I quite 'got' the humour in their routine. Watching the audience (and doesn't George Clooney have a lovely, expressive face) I'm not sure they did either. :scratch: :scratch:

All in all I thought it was a sparkly though still a bit muted affair, but there were a couple of films I thought I'd try to see when I have the time.
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Post by solicitr »

Done.

This, however, may be a tad over the top on the bling:

Image

I dunno about the well-polished cuiriass- it's a real fashon statement, if unsuitable for certain dances:

Image

But for sheer total pimp-ness, this is hard to beat:

Image

:D
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Post by River »

I think it's the skull and crossbones that takes that from over-the-top to just flat-out tacky. Seriously.

Poofy shorts and codpieces can stay in their respective centuries. However, given that part of fashion seems to be inducing nausea, I'm sure they'll be the first looks to return to menswear once designers decide to get adventuresome. :help:

That said, embroidered lapels and those long tailored coats would be a nice starting point.
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Post by Primula Baggins »

My brother and I as kids loved looking at old paintings and engravings, watching period dramas, etc., and we called the pants the king is wearing as part of his chic little outfit "pontoon panties."

He looks as if he's saying, "Oh, this old thing? Just something I slipped on." And I always wondered what you did with the orb and scepter if you suddenly had to sneeze.

I would just love to see rich color in menswear. That would be a good starting point. I don't think it'll happen, though; so many men dislike shopping and making fashion choices and seem happy to have a uniform of one kind or another they can pick out in two minutes and know is correct. I know women like that, too; I'm one.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Inanna
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Post by Inanna »

Primula Baggins wrote:I would just love to see rich color in menswear. That would be a good starting point. I don't think it'll happen, though; so many men dislike shopping and making fashion choices and seem happy to have a uniform of one kind or another they can pick out in two minutes and know is correct.
I think its more to do with norms. Prior to the event, someone asked George Clooney that what is he wearing (and I went "duh, A TUX"), and he said "Gucci", smugly. I expect he put some effort in picking up that one...

The sad part is that Indian cinema scene is also tending towards actors just donning black suits. Which is such a pity - I remember the days of the beautiful embroidered kurtas and sherwanis the actors would wear to the awards.
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River
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Post by River »

Primula Baggins wrote:And I always wondered what you did with the orb and scepter if you suddenly had to sneeze.
Speaking as an occasionally contagious lab rat, it is not that difficult to stick your face in your shoulder when the need arises. Though a king doing that does make for an interesting visual...
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Post by Elentári »

River wrote:
That said, embroidered lapels and those long tailored coats would be a nice starting point.
Prim wrote:
I would just love to see rich color in menswear.
Well then, let me give you the PRB, those dashing, Desperate Romantics...

Image

Image
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Post by sauronsfinger »

Elen - now there is an era of mens clothing I can get excited about. :)
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Post by Elentári »

I think colourful waistcoats (okay, vests, to you) and long frock coats are just what the Oscars need... :thumbsup:
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Inanna
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Post by Inanna »

Don't know about the frockcoats, but am all for colorful waistcoats. In fact, increasingly I find myself thinking about owning a waistcoat - and just wearing it for dinner etc.
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Frelga
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Post by Frelga »

Elentári wrote:I think colourful waistcoats (okay, vests, to you) and long frock coats are just what the Oscars need... :thumbsup:
:agree:

And Mahima, that's a shame about Indian artists choosing Western dress. I love the rich fabrics and the colors of the traditional dress.
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Post by solicitr »

Then there's this lovely coat (I'm a sucker for the Carnaby Street look)

Image
I actually do have a paisley silk waistcoat which I wear when I think I can get away with it
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Inanna
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Post by Inanna »

Frelga wrote:And Mahima, that's a shame about Indian artists choosing Western dress. I love the rich fabrics and the colors of the traditional dress.
Its been semi-western for a while. But usually, it always had a bit of extra Indian touch. But tuxedos seem to be the statement to make nowadays...
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Post by Elentári »

Mahima, I love the elegant Indian styling for men and women. :)

At one time the "Nehru jacket" was seen as the alternative to the tux...
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...and of course it's becoming popular again, especially for weddings, and conductors - Howard Shore wore one when I saw him at the Royal Albert Hall last year

Image

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