Anne Hathaway has some very important stylistic decisions to make over the next several weeks. As the youngest, sexiest and most overtly feminine host to grace Oscar's stage at the Kodak Theatre, she is entering uncharted sartorial territory.
While her co-host James Franco also skews younger (and yes, sexier) than past Oscar frontmen, he has the stylistic advantage of being a dude, which means he gets to wear a tuxedo. It won't be so easy for Anne.
Past female Oscar hosts Ellen DeGeneres and Whoopi Goldberg, both embraced a more masculine approach to Oscar fashion in muted tones, conservative frocks, tuxedos and suits. Whoopi did take the stage in a showgirl costume at one point during her hosting gig, but that has widely been considered a mistake.
So how can Hathaway channel her youthful sex appeal, while still being taken seriously as the host of the greatest pageant in Hollywood?
As a member of Team Lady, Anne has the advantage of being able to make several costume changes over the course of the evening. Gotham magazine Editor-in-Chief Samantha Yanks featured Hathaway on the mag's December cover and became intimately acquainted with her style sense.
"Anne does not have an allegiance to one designer. We've seen her over the years in some of the most impeccable gowns from Atelier Versace, Marchesa, Armani Prive and Valentino. Hathaway has stayed gorgeous but relatively safe in a sea of golds, silvers and blacks. A punch of color would be nice. We began to see corals and fushcia at the SAG Awards, and I bet we see more of it at the Oscars, potentially on Anne," Yanks says.
Polly Blitzer, editor-in-chief of Beauty Blitz Media, says the pressure on Anne for Oscar night is threefold. Physically she has to look immaculate, comically her timing has to be impeccable and most importantly, her wardrobe needs to be irreverent but not over the top.
"She should definitely bring on the sexpot in at least one look. Go uber-elaborate for another and cross-dressing wouldn't hurt," Blitzer tells us.
It is pretty much guaranteed that Anne will rock a sexy suit or tux at some point to pay homage to her predecessors, both male and female.
"I'd love to see her start as masculine as she can and then stripe down into something racy!" says celebrity stylist June Ambrose.
Of course this sets up a separate quandary: Can a woman be both sexy and funny at the same time?
"I definitely think women can be funny and sexy at the same time. It's even better if she can make jokes about her boobs," says The Gloss Editor-in-Chief Lilit Marcus.
Wardrobe choices aside for the moment, Anne faces another dilemma not often thrust upon an Oscar host: How should she wear her hair. Hathaway has a lot of it, and it is very pretty, but what should she do?
"Her signature classic blow out with a side part will most likely make an appearance at the Oscars, but it would be awesome to see her ditch her classic look for something super sexy like beachy waves a la Victoria's Secret," says Blow NYC stylist Naeemah Carre. "I'd also love for Anne to bring back some the old Hollywood flair ... the days where every single hair was in place! A gorgeous sleek structured updo that is more formal than the loose chignons that we are seeing all over the red carpet."
Lock & Mane Creative Director Jackie Cascarano disagrees. She wants to see Anne's hair long and loose.
"We would love to see her with a relaxed and loose style at the Oscars. Overly structured updos for young women can often look too austere. I envision her with retro glam, sophisticated Veronica Lake waves for Oscar night," Cascarano says.
The stylistas have spoken -- Anne shouldn't be afraid to bring the sexy on Oscar night.
No comments:
Post a Comment