Shop Like an Oscar Winner

Didn't you just love the glamour of the gowns on the Oscar red carpet last week? Don't you wish you were rich enough to dress like that? You might not have the same clothing budget as Nicole Kidman or Brie Larson, but you can still wear an elegant approximation of their red carpet looks. Let's check out a few of the styles we saw last week and see if we can put together something similar that's more affordable for those of us with less than seven-figure paychecks.

Taraji P. Henson's midnight blue velvet sheath had an off-the-shoulder wrapped sweetheart neckline and a high side slit, and was paired with a glittery collar necklace.

 

For $90 at Macy's, you can get this velvet-trimmed off-the-shoulder wrap gown by Ralph Lauren. Set it off with either the Cezanne mosaic rhinestone necklace for $55 at Dillard's or the Aries crystal choker bib from Baublebar.com for $72 and you'll sparkle just like Henson. 

Scarlett Johansson's pink watercolor gown had a deep v-neck, a full skirt, and a grommeted leather belt, which she accessorized with a pair of coiled diamond bracelets.

 

 

Although a bit pricy at $486, this Halston Heritage sleeveless v-neck print blocked chiffon gown from Zappos.com features a similar color scheme, deep v-neck, and full skirt. Swap out the provided silver loop belt for this dual grommet belt from Hot Leathers for only $25 and add a couple of Anne Klein silver-tone multi-row rhinestone flex bracelets at $27 each at Macy's and you'll be runway-ready for less than 600 bucks. 

Viola Davis stunned in this scarlet halter column with beautiful shoulder drapes, accessorized with a silver and black clutch. 

 

You can't get much more similar than this $595 Badgely Mischka loop cold-shoulder gown from Saks Fifth Avenue. Try adding this lovely Nina beaded clutch from Lord & Taylor for $52.

Kirsten Dunst wore a strapless, "high low" hemmed ball gown with a fabulous pair of black shoes and a simple but stunning diamond choker.

 

 

Drop $170 at Macy's for this Adrianna Pappel strapless high-low gown, then pair it with these two-piece pointed toe pumps for $29 at Charlotte Russe and this delicate and graceful Barbara hinge collar necklace by Adriana Orsini for $195 at Saks Fifth Avenue.


In a number of outfits, I was more impressed by the jewelry than by the gowns, so let's look at a few of the more memorable statement pieces and see how well we can approximate them.

Karlie Kloss' gown was pretty bland, in my opinion, but her wide diamond choker was just lovely.

 

 

EBay has a variety of similar styles, ranging in price from less than $5 to a whopping $50.

Hailee Steinfeld's tennis bracelet paired with a linked teardrop diamond bracelet was just gorgeous.

Compare it with this diamond double heart bracelet for $134 from Zales.

If colored gemstones are more your style, Rosalind Ross wore a gorgeous two-toned blue necklace and matching earrings.

For $100 at JC Penney, try this sterling silver blue topaz and white sapphire y-necklace. or this sapphire and silver y-necklace from Kay Jewelers for $449.


Now go find yourself a red carpet and bling it up!