The 82^nd Annual Academy Awards aired last night, and as always, I was glued to the television mainly for the red carpet pre-show. However, this year, I wasn’t particularly blown away by any of the gowns donned at the show. There were a lot of strapless necklines, blue hues, metallic glitz and lots of ruffles, but many of the dresses would have looked better in a different color. I think Zoe Saldana, in a Givenchy Haute Couture purple gown, took the cake for most talked about dress of the night with its overflowing ruffles, ombre coloring and glitzy bodice. I keep going back and forth on what I think of Saldana’s dress but as of now, I am loving it.

My best dressed ladies of the night are… Helen Mirren, Cameron Diaz, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel McAdams, Diane Kruger and Meryl Streep! As for my least favorites, I’m sorry in advance to Mariah Carey, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick and Mariska Hargitay. I would say more but I was taught if you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.

The Best

The Worst

Who were your favorites and least favorites of the night? What did you think about Saldana’s lavender frock?

*All images were pulled from JustJared and People Style Watch

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The driving forces at Spanx have finally brought shapewear to swimwear! They have infused Spanx Thinnovation techniques with fun and flirty swimwear in numerous different styles. A lot of women’s prayers were answered with this line because Spanx are usually worn under clothing to hide imperfections but what is one to do during the dreaded swimsuit season! The lovely ladies at Spanx have cleverly dubbed a name for this fear of swimsuits called SSD (Swimsuit Stress Disorder).

“When I heard that we were getting calls and e-mails from women asking if they can wear SPANX under their swimsuits, the visual of those tan lines was something I couldn’t bear!” said Spanx founder, Sarah Blakely.

Spanx offers a variety of styles varying from stylish one-pieces and tankinis to bikinis and swim dresses; and they all feature runway-influenced details like swim velvet tiers and ruching to keep you on the fashion forefront. The one-piece styles offer a lightweight inner body shaper that flattens the tummy, smoothes the back and slims love handles, and all of the suits are constructed with a luxuriously soft, premium Italian jersey fabric. They also feature perfectly molded cups, which can also be removed, with soft adjustable straps to offer an ample amount of breast support.

I have yet to try on Spanx swimsuits but here are a few of my favorite styles from the site:

The full collection is now available on spanx.com and will be at the following retailers by mid-February: Saks Fifth Avenue & Saksfifthavenue.com, Neimanmarcus.com, Bloomingdale’s & Bloomindgales.com, Dillard’s, Belk, Lord and Taylor, Von Maur, and Victoriassecret.com. Select styles available in sizes: 4-16, ranging from $186-$226. Color offerings include: Black, Flamingo, Chocolate, Pool, Teal, and SPANX Red.

You can also read about Spanx swimwear from a mom’s perspective here!

What is your favorite style? Would you be willing to pay Spanx hefty price tag in order to feel slim and trim by the water?

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The 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards aired Saturday night and the stars came out shining. There were a lot of beautiful gowns but the best dressed of the evening was Kate Hudson in Emilio Pucci. Kate wore a stunning long white gown from Pucci’s 2010 spring collection and got a virtual thumbs up from me two weeks in a row now (She also looked beautiful last week in Marchesa at the Golden Globes). White is a hard color to pull off because it shows EVERYTHING but Miss Hudson did it well – very well. I loved the silhouette with the boatneck and plunging back but the jeweled appliqué at the waist really set this dress above the rest.  Not to mention the dangling tassel in the back!

Kate Hudson can really rock out a backless gown. Remember that beautiful yellow gown from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? I liked that dress so much that I wore a version of it by Dina Barel to my high school prom and I will be keeping my eyes peeled for a version of this dress as well.

As for the others, a few of my other favorites were Penelope Cruz, Drew Barrymore, Diane Kruger and Kyra Sedgwick. If you missed the awards then you can see the looks here!

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One of my favorite jewelry designers, Stephen Dweck, is debuting his new line, Dweck Diamonds, this evening at 8 p.m. CT on QVC.

Today, Stephen Dweck shares his luxurious line of diamond jewelry, with pieces created especially for QVC®. These sensuous designs, inspired by nature and Stephen’s couture collection, are expertly crafted in sterling silver and 14K gold, creating a look that is both high fashion and classic. Modern heirlooms in their own right, Dweck Diamonds are beautifully sculpted and bound to become your personal treasures. Shop earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets and more, and discover what makes Stephen one of the most sought-after jewelry designers today. Add a little luxury to your look, as we present Dweck Diamonds on QVC.

This new line is priced between $80 and $300, and features nature-inspired sterling silver and 14k gold pieces with diamond touches. I can’t wait until tonight to see what else Mr. Dweck has in store for us!

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As I have previously mentioned, I am quite the bargain shopper (a trait I gladly inherited from my mother). However, the other day I realized that I had accidentally stumbled on one heck of an amazing deal.

I often times shop online when buying things from Forever21 because the in-store chaos nearly gives me a panic attack every time I step in the door. I recently ordered a fabulous pair of suede cutout lace up booties. A few days later I picked up the October issue of People StyleWatch Magazine, and I was flipping through the pages when I saw, to my surprise, the adorable pair of lace up booties I had ordered a few days earlier. I looked at the page and was a bit confused because it said the boots I bought for $24.80 at Forever21 were $89.00 at Spiegel.

When I got home, I pulled up a picture of the shoe on both sites and compared them. The only difference I could find was the price difference of $64.20! This got me thinking – I wonder if they have any more of the same shoes in stock? After a quick look on each site, I found another pair of shoes that were the exact same, with the exception of the price.

There are so many clothing items, shoes and accessories out there in the retail and online world that are so much alike if not the exact same, and it is up to you to find them. Sites like ShopStyle make it simple by offering you the place to type in the product you are looking for, and the site will pull up all the places you can buy that item. Most of the time it is the exact same brand, but in the shoe case I mentioned above, it was the same shoe with a different label inside the sole. If you are into brands, then you may want to purchase the more expensive shoe to have the inside say {insert name brand here}, but if you are like me and just like good style no matter what the label, then you can save a lot of money by looking for the better deal.

Do you have any bargain finds that you weren’t expecting? Where do you go to find the lowest prices?

Posted by Chevis English under shopping tips, style and shoes. You can follow me on Twitter @chevis or@FaceDoctorette.

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I don’t know about y’all, but I am loving all of the sample sites available to us now.  Just to name a few, Ruelala, Gilt, Ideeli, Hautelook and Beyond the Rack offer designer pieces without the designer cost, featuring looks up to 75 percent off!  I definitely fall into the trap the fashion industry has created where we want all of these things we don’t necessarily need (However, I must admit a lot of the time I am convinced that I actually do NEED a new pair of thigh high boots for fall).  Although I am in the trap, I will proudly say that I rarely buy something at the full retail price.  There are too many places these days where you can find a look for less and these sample sale sites are my new favorite shopping haven.

Anyway – to my point.  I believe, along with Mr. Tim Gunn, that clothes must fit well or they just won’t work.  However, with the sites mentioned above, you can’t try on the clothes and you may not always know your size.  To get around this – when I receive the weekly email from each fashion site, I look and see if there are any things that I have been eyeing.  I then go to a store that sells whatever brand it is I am looking at and I will figure out what size I need.  Then, when the sale starts, I know for sure what size I need and won’t have to send back  my purchase because doesn’t fit.  One of the downfalls with these sites is that the sales are only up for 24 to 72 hours and if you have to send something back because it doesn’t fit, then you can’t get it again in the right size unless it goes on sale at a later date.

What are your sample sale shopping tips? Have you gone to a store to figure out your size in order to buy it online from somewhere else? Do you think it is okay to try on something at a store when you have no intention of buying it there?

Posted by Chevis English under style and shopping tips. You can follow me on Twitter @chevis or @FaceDoctorette.

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