And the Oscar for Best Accessory Goes to...

...the shoulder!

Aside from the color red, this body part seems to be the most popular choice. I can see why. It's simple, elegant; won't snag fabric like chandelier earrings; won't set off claxon bells in red carpet watchers' heads like swan feathers, and it doesn't require more than a quick exfoliation, body lotion and a dab of highlighter to make it look its best.

Best of all, nothing whispers Hollywood goddess (pronounced god-dess, as the French do) more seductively than draped fabric and one bare, glowing shoulder.

Which is why last month, I bought this little number from Nordstrom. A full month before these women strutted down the red carpet! Am I fashion clairvoyant or what?

Now, all I need is a good pair of linebacker shoulders, and I'm good to go.




.

Shoulder-to-shoulder on the Red Carpet

The Academy Awards is just a few hours away.

Some of us will be watching the Oscars in our furry slippers, while others will dress to the nines for their own Oscars viewing party. All the same, we will be glued to the Red Carpet parade, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the gowns and the tuxedos--and wishing we possessed even a smidge of the stature of these über-celebrities.

Actually, we probably do. Looking at Ben Schott's stats on the Oscars--which cuts Hollywood royalty down to more human proportions--many of us already stand as tall (if not as proud) as some of the world's best actors and actresses. Thanks to him, I can now gloat over the fact that I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Halle Berry, Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, Richard Dreyfuss, James Cagney and Dustin Hoffman.

Click below to see how you measure up to your favorites.

(Data compiled by Ben Schott for VanityFair.com)



.

Fashion on the Run

Some people read newspapers at breakfast. When I do remember to have breakfast, I surf fashion websites.

WhoWhatWearDaily is one of my latest discoveries. Hosted by fashion editors Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr, the site is a useful guide for working fashionistas on how to translate runway and celeb trends to real life applications. Basically, they discuss WHO (was seen wearing) WHAT and (how regular but fashionable women like us can ) WEAR (a similar look).


PROS:

• Simple, easy to understand
• Updated everyday
• Videos that can be viewed on their website, iTunes, or on your iPod
• Hillary is so cute!

CONS:

• Non-video stories could use better art direction
  
• Other features in the website are little more than subscription signups to email updates
  
• Ask a Stylist page is a great opportunity that's just abandoned on the wayside

CONCLUSION: A quick powerbar for the fashionista on the go


Oh, and many thanks to Hilda Kapauan-Abola, who wrote about Glam Exchange in Happy at Home!


.

Pineapple Green

Slightly off-topic is news of a recent fashion show in New York where YSL, Narciso Rodriguez, Versace and a host of designers presented clothes made of sustainable materials. Called FutureFashion, the event was organized by Earth Pledge to encourage everyone, including fashionistas, to think, live and dress green.

Anyhoo, what caught my eye was the extensive use of our very own piña, a fabric made from pineapple plant extract.

Traditionally, piña is used in the barong tagalog, the Filipino dress shirt, which sees the light of day only at weddings and funerals (especially on the guy in the casket). As such, the piña has gotten a bum rap for being stiff and stodgy.

So it was an unexpected delight to see these fierce fashions in piña. It just goes to show that every now and then, it helps to look at our world with fresh eyes.

Mabuhay!

(Photos from Style.com)

Maximus Glamorus

With Spring warming our winter heels and Summer not too far behind, we're seeing floral prints, flowing dresses and ever shorter minis in the stores.

What's the best footwear for the year's first batch of fashion trends? Forget wooden heels and espadrille-inspired platform sandals (although they're still good standbys). Now is the time for the glory that are gladiator sandals.

This March, Elle features our many strappy options, from the short...



...to the tall.




In the last few years, gladiator sandals have become a recurrent trend. With each passing year, they've become more wearable and sexier, to boot (pun intended).

The tall version is an especially great option for women in Asia, who want the high fashion look of knee-high boots but can't deal with prickly heat.



.

Prada Trembled Blossoms Launch

More and more high-end designer brands are advertising via TV and viral; the latest is Prada. To introduce their "It" item for Fall 2008, the Fairy Bag, they asked filmmaker James Lima and designer James Jean to create a video called "Trembled Blossoms".



The high-res version, which is even more stunning, can be found here.

The video is hauntingly beautiful, and so is the Fairy Bag, because with a price tag of US$1,675, it will just cavort in my dreams.

Oh, in case you'd like a better look at the shoes, here they are.

Jewels in Memoriam

Reading about Heath Ledger's wonderful and touching memorial service brings to mind one of my "last" wishes.

Some people want to be buried next to their loved ones; some, cremated and scattered across the earth.

I want to be a diamond.

To be more precise, a memorial diamond--a one-carat gem, created from my ashes. I can be the ultimate accessory, a family heirloom to be passed from one generation to the next. I imagine I'll be set in a ring or a pendant, and given to my daughter or granddaughter to wear.

According to LifeGem.com, it takes about 40 grams of human ashes to make a one-carat diamond (although I am told they can be just as easily made from hair or nails from a living person now). I can choose from a variety of cuts and colors, although canary yellow is the natural color of a memorial diamond.

At $19,000++, it is more expensive than a casket, but to spend eternity as my little girl's best friend...priceless.

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

From Marc Jacobs and Glam Exchange
may the Year of the Rat bring you
good fortune and style.