Since we can barely wait to see all the fashions on Sunday night, it’s a great time to take a look back at some of the looks we love from the past.  Today: Reese Witherspoon in enticing Valentino from the year Halle Berry made history with her Best Actress win.

from seattletimes.com

Visual interest is the whole goal of style, and there’s a lot of ways to achieve it.  Sometimes it’s an unusual color or pattern or an attention-getting accessory.  But you can also create interest with texture.  Reese’s dress has so much happening in that department- beading, lace, illusion - but it’s united with the quintessential sophisticate’s color of choice.  Wearing black shows she’s seriously chic, but the fresh details and pretty, cap-sleeve silhouette keep the whole look youthful.  Bravo!

The Moral of the Story: Black doesn’t have to be boring.  There’s a reason it’s the perennial formal fave!  Just keep it interesting with great fabrics and details.

Who Should Channel Reese This Year: Anna Kendrick.  The Up in the Air nominee has been hit or miss on the red carpet, thanks to her tendency to pick busy frocks that overwhelm her petite frame.  Reese’s gown projects the gravitas of a serious actress with a fresh, age-appropriate appeal.

Since we can barely wait to see all the fashions on Sunday night, it’s a great time to take a look back at some of the looks we love from the past.  Today: Julianne Moore’s Old Hollywood glamour from the year The Lord of the Rings won almost everything.

from about.com

Shimmery metallics were big that year.  (Remember Charlize Theron’s golden look when she picked up the Best Actress Oscar?)  And many ladies have walked the red carpet in bias-cut, 30s inspired silhouettes.  But Julianne gets credit for getting the look absolutely right.  Fit is always a challenge when dealing with the bias, and this gown skims her body perfectly.  The color is lovely on her gorgeous complexion, and the embellishments give this deceptively simple dress some couture oomph.  The whole look oozes sultry sophistication.

The Moral Of The Story: You can’t improve on a classic.  When in doubt, stick with timeless shades and quality fabrics.  Keep your accessories simple and look like a cool, confident star.

Who Should Channel Julianne This Year: Vera Farmiga would rock this look.  It hits the perfect balance between “sexy starlet” and “wise woman of the world.”

Since we can barely wait to see all the fashions on Sunday night, it’s a great time to take a look back at some of the looks we love from the past.  Today: Jennifer Lopez’s elegant and daring ball gown from the year Gladiator sneaked past Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for the big win.

from Showbiz.com

Now, this was a divisive dress.  Seriously, just googling “J Lo Oscar dress 2001″ is like opening Pandora’s box.  Personally, it’s my favorite Jennifer look ever.  Even though I normally find fault with anything remotely see-through (as do the Oscar broadcasters, seeing as they kept the camera pointedly fixed above her collar bones), I think adding a sheer element is fabulous when it’s done right.  And she definitely did it right!

I love the classic shape and the hard-to-pull-off color, which happens to be great with her complexion.  The neckline is so couture, and the top is just sheer enough to keep everyone guessing.  It winks at the overt sex appeal that’s so much a part of her image, so it’s a fabulous, fun, self-aware touch.

The Moral of the Story: Always be true to yourself!  Queen Elizabeth’s favorite ball gown is very different from J Lo’s, and that’s as it should be.

Who Should Channel Jennifer This Year: Carey Mulligan has been lighting up the red carpet with her savvy mix of freshness and sophistication.  I’d love to see her add in a dash of Jennifer’s sex appeal!

Since we can barely wait to see all the fashions on Sunday night, it’s a great time to take a look back at some of the looks we love from the past.  Today: Renee Zellweger’s delight in white from the year she won for Cold Mountain.

from InStyle.com

Renee was both a vision and a visionary years before the white evening gown craze hit the red carpet.  She chose the perfect, pearly shade to complement her complexion, and the shape is to-die-for.  I love the way this dress skims and maximizes her Bridget Jones-era curves.  She has never looked better.

The Moral of the Story: Never hide!  When it’s your big night, pick a fabulous, stand-out-from-the-crowd shade and flaunt it.

Who Should Channel Renee This Year: Mo’Nique.  In her Golden Globes and SAG Awards gowns, she showed a flair for glamorous, Old Hollywood silhouettes.  I bet we’ll see her in something va-va-voom-marvelous for her golden moment Sunday night.

Since we can barely wait to see all the fashions on Sunday night, it’s a great time to take a look back at some of the looks we love from the past.  Up today: Sharon Stone’s unexpected ensemble from the year Titanic won big.

from EW.com

Just as it took a masterful painter like Picasso to break all the rules and boldly usher in the heyday of modern art, only an advanced, creative fashionista like Sharon could wear an unconventional look with such aplomb.  This fresh approach to formal wear is so chic that I can easily forgive her for later crimes against style.

The button-down (purportedly belonging to her then-husband) is a delightfully original touch- reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, and the sumptuous violet skirt by Vera Wang firmly grounds her outfit in the world of black tie.  A stunning bracelet and gorgeous red lips complete the look with perfect simplicity.

The Moral of the Story: Provided you can pull it off with panache, it’s gloriously stylish to look so free and easy.  And really, is there anything lovelier than a great white shirt?

Who Should Channel Sharon This Year: Meryl Streep.  She’d have to adjust the look to suit her body, but I’d love to see Meryl combine her bohemian sensibility with the confident finesse of Sharon’s ensemble.

Well… almost.  I know East coast friends are still suffering from frigid temperatures, but here in L.A. our characteristic sunny, warm days are starting to creep back.  And thanks to some highly unusual downpours in January, we’re enjoying some even more unusual bursts of green!

So that must be what put us in the mood for some brilliant Spring color of our own.  We’ve spent this week adding dozens of new Zina shirt styles to our web collection.  Here’s a few of the many we’ve added:

Abigale Shirts L to R: Lime, Twilight Pink, Royal Purple, and Three Alarm Red

L to R: Origami Blush, Reed Royal Blue, Reed Emerald, Reed Marigold

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Zina Apparel, it’s a highly unique collection known for brilliant color and top quality fabric like Thai Silk.  Truly, at least once a day someone’s over the moon for it, telling us that they’ve never seen clothes like ours.

Of course, that’s no accident.  Zina spent many years designing and ordering her own clothes because she wasn’t inspired by the things she found in stores.  When she finally started making her clothes for others, she quickly realized how many people share her desire for cool, colorful, couture clothing.  Most of our pieces are “one size fits most,” which means the opportunities for individual styling abound!  And much of it features an Asian flair, thanks to Zina’s many trips to Southeast Asia.

So have you Polyvored yet?  Don’t worry- it’s nothing that would shock your mother.  If you haven’t heard of it, Polyvore is a community of fashion-minded, artistic folk who create collections of clothing, accessories, etc.  It’s like having the run of your favorite boutique but without any limitations.  You need black pants?  Just search “black pants” and get hundreds of options, all pre-loaded by other Polyvore users.

Here, it’s easier if I show you.  In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to create something with two of our sexiest pieces of jewelry: the Baroque Pearls bracelet and the Corkscrew earrings.

So starting with those pieces, I put together a collection that says, “Happy, Happy Valentine’s Day” to me!  Check it out below:

I’m not saying I want all of the things pictured there.  No, I tend to keep things simple- even on THE holiday dedicated to excess.  But that’s how I want to feel this Valentine’s: fun, carefree, and pampered.  And wherever and however you’re spending the day, I hope you feel that way, too.

Have you seen Precious star Gabourey Sidibe on the cover of this month’s Ebony?

I’m loving this shot for a couple of reasons:

A) She’s a plus-sized woman who looks glamorous and stylish.  Yes, she’s clad in head-to-toe black, but she isn’t hiding.  The flattering V-neck, cool textural details, fierce shoes, and statement jewelry express a fabulous, fashionable point-of-view.  A great role model for plus-sized dressing everywhere!

B) She looks confident, happy, and fun.  (See “not hiding” above.)  When was the last time you saw a starlet of any size projecting this much full-hearted joy on a magazine cover?  More, please!

Now compare that to the cover of this month’s Vanity Fair:

Much has been said about its stunning lack of racial diversity, and as far as I’m concerned, every bit of that criticism is valid.  Most glaringly absent is Gabourey Sidibe.  I have mixed feelings about her film, but if such a widely praised, Oscar nominated performance isn’t enough to make her part of the “New Hollywood,” what is?

The ladies on this cover (lovely and talented as they are), are not only the same race but also fall within the same narrow age and weight ranges.  Beyond that- with all due respect to Annie Leibovitz- this photo projects the same tired, ethereal wanness that bores me to tears!  Can someone please smile?  You know smiling, right?  The universally recognized sign of good will?

This is hardly “New Hollywood.”  Try “Miss America 1951.”  When your vision of diversity is including equal sprinklings of pretty young blondes, brunettes, and red heads, you’re not representing America (or Hollywood) as it is today.

A simple comparison of the two magazine covers really says it better than I can, though.  People know modern and confident when they see it!

The internet is giving a lot of coverage to this weekend’s big game, and when it comes to the millions of parties that will be going on Sunday night, most of the focus is on the food.  (I’m definitely making this scrumptious looking dish from The Pioneer Woman.)

Now, far be it from me to ever imply food isn’t important, (believe me, I think food is really, really important), but I appreciate Jaime at The Fashionable Housewife taking on the question of style.  Because what’s the point of slaving away in the kitchen if you can’t look cool and collected during the game?  That’s like the icing on the cake, right?  Making everyone think you can whip up a feast without batting an eye?

Taking Jaime’s thoughts into account, I think I’ll be sporting something like this:

That’s a model from a shoot we did for our Painters Shirt, but her look meets many Super Bowl style requirements.  Casual?  Check.  Chic?  Check.  Tailored enough to look pulled together yet loose-fitting enough to allow comfortable snacking?  Check!!!

So what about you?  Have you given much thought to how you’ll dress for the game?  And don’t you feel that while we’re obsessing over what to serve our hungry masses, we ought to give just a few moments to making ourselves look chic, confident, and stylish?

And we have a winner!  Many, many thanks to everyone who participated.  We LOVED your responses and hope everyone will be getting some wonderful kisses this Valentine’s Day!

Keep checking back for more contests and giveaways in the future!  Here’s the result from Random.org.