Clockwise from top left: Jil Sander paisley jacket; Yves Saint Laurent pink clutch; Charlotte Olympia sandals; D&G tulle midi skirt

Ah, springtime is finally upon us, and it seems that the spring fashions have gone classically spring. Pastels are the march-to-may staple and everyone from Jil Sander to Yves Saint Laurent is jumping on the sweet fifties trend. Mint, peach, and bubblegum are the biggest hits. Take your pick!

This evening seemed to be all about nostalgia. And it seemed fitting, too, given the year of movies we've had. The Artist, My Week with Marilyn, and Hugo were all about the golden age of film and the beauty of the silver screen. Midnight in Paris dealt with our nostalgic dreams for our own personal "golden age." The Help was retro fun at its best. In an era where CGI and 3D reign supreme, it's nice to be reminded that the true gems of Hollywood are the beautiful, simple movies that tell a beautiful story.

Regardless of who wins the big awards, we know what really matters: who wins best dressed! The starlets were out in full force this afternoon on the red carpet, and there were some huge hits. Glitz and glimmer seemed to dominate the carpet, and many celebs chose whites and nudes. One shoulders were also frequently seen. Here are some of my favorites of the night:

Gwyneth Paltrow

Mila Jovovich

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

Stacy Keibler in Marchesa

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

Emma Stone in Giambattista Valli

Natalie Portman

Penelope Cruz

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton -BEST DRESSED OF THE NIGHT

Oscar de la Renta has long been heralded as the uniform of many an Upper East Side lady who lunches and their Ivy League-bound daughters, but I think there's a part of de la Renta's clothes that appeals to anyone, whether you live in Park Avenue Penthouse, Malibu bungalow, or Wyoming ranch.

For fall Mr. de la Renta went for all-out glamour, using jewel tones and soft pastels as the basis for his collection. Jewels were certainly the theme of the night, for everything from headbands to silky fabrics was adorned with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and more. While keeping with his New York High Society vibe, he also introduced many looks that the younger set will surely jump for.

Of course, what I loved most was the absolute Blair Waldorf-ness to it all. Those silk turban-style headbands and jeweled beauties got me wishing that Blair would go back to the old headband for once.



My absolute favorite dress of the night? This baby blue beauty with a poofy tulle petticoat that would be perfect for prom. If only I had roughly four thousand dollars to blow on a dress.

There is something distinctly native about the looks of Spring. The retro fifties styles do conjure images of one of America's golden decades. We had just won our second World War and had emerged as a world superpower, so I guess the people of the States were feeling pretty good about themselves. And how does one celebrate? Why, by donning pearls, curling hair, and hopping in a vibrant T-bird, of course! More than fifty years after the fact, the fifties still have plenty of lure. For spring, everyone from Prada to Juicy Couture is amping up the saturation, nipping the waist, and rouge-ing the lips. See for yourself, retro is back!

Prada Spring 2012 Ad Campaign

Karlie Kloss for Juicy Couture Spring 2012

Glamour UK March 2012

“American Pop”: Abbey Lee Kershaw photographed by Alasdair McLellan for Vogue UK March 2012

Karlie Kloss for Americans Manhasset S/S 2012 Lookbook

Lana Del Rey

Suzy Parker

Querelle Jensen by Craig Mcdean for W February 2012

What started off shaky has ended as one of the best fashion weeks in a long while. We aren't even out of winter yet and already I am dying for fall again because I can't wait to see these fabulous clothes in action. There are so many things I noticed, so keep checking back for more fall fashion recaps. I plan to dedicate a full post to Oscar de la Renta because it was possibly the greatest show thus far. But right now here are some other shows that I couldn't get enough of.

What I enjoy most about Valentine's Day is not the excessive romantic lovey-dovey-ness but rather the fact that I can wear as much pink as I want without being judged -not that that really stops me any other day of the year. Still, it is nice to be able to outwardly flaunt my rose-colored clothes without people gawking at me like I'm some kind of My Little Pony.


And because I love you, my fabulous readers so much, I have made a collection of fashion-centric Valentine's Day cards that I'm surprised Hallmark didn't already pick up! Haha. They are totally cringe-worthy (they were made on MS Paint, after all) but hopefully someone gets a good laugh out of them.

Fashion week is always exciting, but there's a lot more going on between shows. I love seeing all the models and editors in their craziest street fashions as they rush from show to show. Tommy Ton is one of my favorite street style bloggers because he has such a way of capturing the exquisite details of an outfit and knows the mood that a girl is trying to bring out with her clothing. Like me, he certainly gravitates towards the wackiest fashions, and he really knows how to capture the fun of fashion.

So far there have been some really stand-out shows at New York Fashion Week. NYFW is never really my favorite, but the designers that I do like have really wowed me this season. Even minimalists like Alexander Wang -and you know how I am hesitant to embrace minimalism- have produced excellent collections. Here are my favorites so far.