The Academy Awards is famously known to be Hollywood’s biggest night. Movie fans around the world set their calendars every year for this special night…but so do fashionistas like myself.

Although I am a huge movie geek, and tune in every year to see the best of the best of actors, actresses, writers, producers, directors, designers, animators etc., I also tune in to see the fashion!

I have been watching the Oscars since before I can remember. Every year, I make Oscar-Sunday my day as I watch everything from the pre-red carpet to the arrivals, the actual ceremony, to the after-parties. I don’t want to rule out the men, as they all look handsome in their designer suits and tuxes, but lets face it – the ladies are the forefront when it comes to the outfits.

Each award season I sit on pins and needles waiting to see what the actresses are wearing. When it comes to other award shows’ fashion, they tend to get away with almost anything, but with the Academy Awards, it’s either a hit or miss. It was tough as there were a lot of best and worst dressed gals this year, but I narrowed my picks down. Not in any particular order (in relation to the photograph above) here are my top 5 best and worst dressed.

BEST DRESSED

Idina Menzel – The ‘Wicked’ star wore a strapless, forest-green Vera Wang gown that was simply stunning. Last night Menzel performed ‘Let it Go’ from Disney’s ‘Frozen’ which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

Amy Adams – The five-time Academy Award nominee arrived at the red carpet wearing a strapless, sapphire blue Gucci dress that was nothing less than elegant. Adams was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role for ‘American Hustle’.

Jennifer Lawrence – The ‘Hunger Games’ beauty never disappoints when it comes to fashion on the red carpet. Like last year’s Oscar dress, Lawrence knows how to wow. This year she chose a red, strapless peplum Dior Couture dress that had on-lookers in awe. The Academy Award winner was nominated again, this time for Best Supporting Actress for ‘American Hustle’.

Charlize Theron – She warmed our hearts in 2003 for her performance in ‘Monster’, but she won our hearts at the 2004 Oscars in a gown that outdid everyone’s. The Academy Award winner presented at this year’s show in a sexy, strapless Gucci dress. It was, as I believe, to be the black dress that every woman dreams of having in her closet!

Giuliana Rancic – The Fashion Police diva was on the red carpet hosting for E! hours before the arrivals. She was pre-game to the red carpet as she showed off her Paolo Sebastian dress. The slightly off-the-shoulder, champagne, princess dress was just darling. Even Joan Rivers couldn’t pick a bad thing about that dress.

WORST DRESSED

Elsa Pataky – Chris Hensworth, actor best known for ‘Thor’ and ‘The Avengers’, showed up with his very pregnant wife on his arm. Ok, I give kudos to the ‘Fast Five’ actress for stepping out onto the red carpet when she is ready to pop, but she stepped out in the wrong thing. She wore a teal, Elie Saab gown that covered too little on the sides and showed her baby bump in a very un-flattering manner.

Anne Hathaway – The Academy Award winner usually is a hit or miss when she steps out on the red carpet. We can either plan to see a ‘Princess Diaries’ look or a ‘ I Dreamed a Dream Les Mis’ look. This year, the presenter had a miss wearing a black and gold armor Gucci dress that would’ve been better designed as a shoe than a gown.

Anna Kendrick – The Academy Award nominee, and this year’s presenter, wore a J. Mendel dress that you either loved or hated. This is on my worst dressed so obviously I did not love it. The off-the-shoulder, black gown with the red sheer details at the torso would have looked much better with out the cross-body strap and thick-lining detail at the neck and arms. Better luck next time.

Sally Hawkins – One thing not to do when you are thin, beautiful and nominated for an Academy Award – dress like a nun. The actress who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for ‘Blue Jasmine’ wore a white and gold fully-covered Valentino dress. Too much skin is a no-no, zero skin is a big no-no.

Kerry Washington – The 2014 Oscars were no stranger to the very-pregnant beauties. The ‘Scandal’ star is usually always a stunner on the red carpet, even more so since she sported her cute baby bump, but this year’s Oscar dress wasn’t a good choice. The presenter wore a Jason Wu, strapless lavender gown that looked like a wrinkled, silk sheet clipped by a diamond pendant. She should have re-worn her 2014 Golden Globes dress.

Well, there you have it! My yay’s and nay’s for this years Oscars Best and Worst Dressed. Who were your favorites? Excited to see what 2015 brings.

When it comes to layering accessories, we have yet to master the wear-every-ring-you-own-at-the-same-time look. So, we consulted style expert Shahrnaz Shifteh to find out how to pull off wearing numerous rings on multiple fingers. (Hint: Contrary to popular belief, this does not involve actually wearing every ring you own.) Take style notes from Shifteh to pack the most sartorial punch into your accessory layering.

Master Understated Style

When layering rings, it’s a good rule of thumb to pick a metal and stick with it. In this look, Shifteh has layered gold rings — some with stones, some without. Stick with rings that have similarly sized stones and gems to ensure the rings stack up nicely. “You can stock up on relatively inexpensive rings to create this casual effect. One ring might not look nice on it’s own, but you may be surprised by how chic it looks when it’s stacked with several rings,” said Shifteh.

Keep it Effortlessly Cool

“Pinky rings are trendy again and they are so easy to wear that you never have to take them off — you can always have a touch of jewelry on,” advised Shifteh. They are also very versatile so you can pair them with larger, more elaborate rings, just be sure to match your metals. Spiky rings, like the ones Shifteh is wearing here, are timeless and exude an effortlessly cool vibe.

Get Cocktail-Ready

As their name suggests, cocktail rings are great accessories for occasions that call for dressy attire. “If you’re going to wear a big statement ring, you have to have clean, polished nails because it draws so much attention to your hands,” advised Shifteh. “Even something as simple as a coat of clear or iridescent polish will do the trick.”

Grease is stubborn stain to get out of clothing. In a regular wash, the dirty, black part of the stain may be removed easily, but the darker-looking spot may remain. Pre-treating can help to prevent the permanent staining of the garment.

Instructions

Fresh Stains

1. Place a few drops of hand dish-washing soap on the stain. Dish-washing soap that is advertised as a formula for cutting through grease works best. Rub the fabric together lightly to distribute evenly.
2. Dampen a sponge in warm water. Rub the soap into the stain gently, in a circular motion, saturating the stain to the edges and through to the back of the fabric.
3. Allow the clothing to sit and pre-treat for as long as possible. Leaving the garment overnight is best, but the dish soap should cut through the stain in less than a few hours.
4. Start the washer on the warm temperature and small-sized load settings. Allow the washer to fill completely and add 1/4 cup of all-purpose cleaner. Add the clothing. Wash the garment separately to prevent any damage or leaching of stains to other clothing in the wash. Do not dry.
5. Wash again using typical laundry detergent. This will remove any residue of the soap or stain. Older, Set-in Stains
6. Treat the area with a small amount of oven cleaner. Saturate through the clothing, soaking through to the back of the fabric.
7. Dampen the sponge and work the cleaner into the stain well. Scrub lightly from edge to edge.
8. Allow the cleaner to sit on the stain for around 15 minutes. Oven cleaner is strong and could damage clothes if left on fabric too long before washing. Set a timer to prevent over-saturation and damage to the fabric.
9. Start the washer on the warm temperature and small-sized load settings. Allow the washer to fill completely and add 1/4 cup of all purpose cleaner. Add the soiled clothing.
10. Wash the garment separately to prevent any damage or leaching in the process of washing. Wash it again with standard laundry detergent to remove any cleaning product residue.