The biggest names in Hollywood played it safe stylewise at the Oscars for the most part, with diamond-laden bangles, cuffs and earrings appearing almost as often as strapless gowns and poker-straight hair. A few A-listers stood apart from the crowd, however, and earned themselves a spot on my list of who wore the best and worst jewelry.
The best:
Singer Celine Dion, (whose fashion choices I usually loathe, and whose performance bored me to tears) took a flattering but simple, vintage James Galanos gown and dressed it up with about 76 carats of well-placed diamonds, including hoop earrings, three brooches, four cuff bracelets, a right-hand ring and a diamond handbag, all by Lily et Cie. Though it sounds over-the-top, the look was completely elegant.
Actress Naomi Watts stood out as one of the few stars to don a necklace at the ceremony. Her triple-strand 85-carat diamond necklace and cushion-cut diamond earrings served as the perfect accessories to her yellow Escada gown.
While I must admit that I did not love Cameron Diaz's asymmetrical Valentino gown (or her orange tan), I thought her emerald and diamond drop earrings popped spectacularly against her dark hair and white ensemble. Diaz also wore a diamond ring, a diamond bracelet and a diamond watch by Cartier.
And the worst:
Presenter Anne Hathaway must not have picked up too many style tips while shooting The Devil Wears Prada. Her South Sea pearl and diamond drop earrings worked fine, but she piled three bold, mismatched diamond bracelets by Van Cleef & Arpels onto her wrist for a look that seemed to be trying too hard. And don't even get me started on her Valentino gown.
Presenter Rachel Weisz, normally a fashion icon, had the right idea when she strung a Cartier diamond brooch onto a chain and wore it as a necklace. But the piece hung too low and competed with the heavily jeweled neckline of her Vera Wang gown. She should have stuck with just the Cartier stud earrings and right-hand ring.
I know I'll get some flack for this one, but I have to put it out there: One would think that after being nominated for 14 Oscars, Meryl Streep would have the red carpet down pat. Her black Prada coat and skirt and green belt worked fine, but I really think the chunky red beads and metal medallion appeared so inappropriate for the event. Of course, when you've been nominated for 14 Oscars, it probably doesn't really matter what you wear to the Academy Awards.