The Best Frocks of 2010

When I think about the most jaw-dropping celeb fashion moments of 2010, the first images that come to mind not unsurprisingly feature the forever perfect Cate Blanchett. Now that she's keeping a relatively low profile in Sydney (I was in Hunter's Hill the other week but I didn't see her, although the hubby caught sight of her a couple of weeks ago), she doesn't walk the red-carpet as much, but when she does, golly she's gorgeous. LOVED her in Alexander McQueen at Cannes this year and she was equally as lovely in vintage Lacroix in Japan.

Another highlight: Kristin Davis' efforts for the SATC 2 promo trail. She wore designer vintage from Decades for every event and looked spectacular each and every time. It's hard to pick a favourite, but the Balmain and Jean Desses were flawless.

(By the way I relented and finally watched the film in a hotel room one night while I was working. It was entertaining in parts but I thought it was culturally insensitive and the overt displays of wealth left me feeling queasy. Is it just me, or is Sex and the City not really Sex and the City if it isn't set in New York? And Stanford and Anthony hated each other. No way should they have got married).

The Costume Institute ball always brings me vicarious frock joy, even more so than the Oscars or the Globes I'd say. Particularly memorable in 2010 were Bee Schaffer's Balenciaga Edition (a copy of an original from 1948) and Dutch supermodel Doutzen Kroes in Zac Posen. I'm a sucker for periwinkle blue.

Though Diane Kruger looked very, very pretty in Lacroix at the Golden Globes.

Shoe designer Charlotte Dellal wore the wedding dress of the year back in May, in this custom designed Giambattista Valli. AMAZING.

And outside of these lovely ladies, my picks for the consistently best dressed celebs of the year go to Sarah-Jessica Parker, Anne Hathaway, Keira Knightley and Michelle Williams.

What were your favourite frocks?

Best Red-Carpet Vintage of the Noughties

Grazia, in their red-carpet collectors edition, calls 2001 the "back to vintage" year, saying Julia Roberts led the way in vintage Valentino when she collected her Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich. And I've got to say, it was - and is - an amazing dress.

But Winona Ryder actually kicked off the predilection for vintage couture on the red-carpet the year before when she wore this sultry but chic Pauline Trigere at the 2000 Academy Awards.

Winona has long been a vintage fan and it has been a lovely trip down memory lane looking at her pretty face and petite figure working lots of hot frocks. The Dior dress below is another favourite. Remember when Winona was the be all and end all It girl? Let's hope her acting career can start to soar again soon the way she always soars in her dress.

Red-carpet style in the 1990's was all about simplicity and understated elegance. Think suits, slip dresses, halter-necks and jersey. But as Bronwyn Cosgrove says in her fantastic book Made for Each Other: Fashion and the Academy Awards (Bloomsbury) "vintage dresses and couture harking back to Hollywood's Golden Era became the mode adopted ... as the twentieth century gave way to the twenty-first." I've had a lot of fun selecting my favourites, of the vintage variety, from the last decade.

Jean Desses knocks my sock off and so do Renee, Jennifer and Marisa in their amazing vintage frocks. These are three of my all time faves.

Considering that Valentino Garavani's modus operandi has always been classic frocks that make women look beautiful, it is pretty unsurprising that when celebs choose vintage for the red-carpet, he is such a popular choice. Calista Flockhart was a definite favourite at the 2008 Oscars (just ignore the school formal hair), and Renee, Kim, Jennifer and Gwen are all flying the vintage flag with grace.

Chanel makes me happy. Vanessa, Michelle and Kyra all look divine and even though some bagged Kate Bosworth's multi-coloured, bedazzled sheath (picked out for her by Karl himself, as she was his Met Ball date), I think it is a brave and beautiful choice.

I know there are a lot of people out there who seriously covet Sienna's wardrobe, but I feel somewhat indifferent about her. However, I feel anything but indifferent about this jaw dropping sexy vintage Ungaro. Backless all the way, I say.

Vintage Dior was also been hugely popular in the noughties. Some thought Reese Witherspoon looked mumsy, but I can't think of anything lovelier to wear to accept Oscar than 1950's Dior.

Plus I can't think of enough superlatives to describe how much I love Marisa's frock.

And while, for me, the heady days of Kate Moss: Style Icon, are over, I consider this dress one of Kate's parting gifts. What a show-stopper.

Rachel Griffiths is a huge vintage fan. Mates with Cameron Silver from Decades, I think Rachel wears vintage on the red-carpet more than just about any other celeb. And she's Aussie. And I loved her in Six Feet Under. And she looks modern and chic in a 1950's cocktail dress, proving that a beautiful & well-made dress can have many, many lives. Love her.

Following in the footsteps of Julia and Reese, Penelope proves that vintage is good luck. She wore this Balmain ballgown to collect her Supporting Actress Oscar last year.

Nicole's former stylist Rachel Zoe introduced her to the wonderful world of vintage, and now she hasn't looked back. I particularly like this vibrant Halston.

Kristin Davis is another vintage fan and snaps to her for wearing Guy Laroche to the SATC film premiere in 2008. She's as pretty as a picture.

So I know that Kelly Brook and Kate Moss are on footpaths rather than red-carpets, but when vintage party frocks are this influential, I need to be a bit flexible. I don't think any dedicated follower of fashion has forgotten that yellow dress in a hurry ... after all, it launched a hundred Kate Moss for Top Shop rip offs.

I wish desperately searching for more vintage Balenciaga on the red-carpet, so thank goodness that the iconic label has got a look in via model Hilary Rhoda.

(BTW I hate the over-use of the word iconic, so it is saying something that I use it here.)

And finally, representing for prints and their awesomeness when featured in evening-wear, is Emma Watson in Ossie Clark, Angie Harmon in Oscar de la Renta and Chloe Sevigny in Yves Saint Laurent.

Eight days into a new decade and I'm hoping fervently for a little more 'brave' on celebrity red-carpets. I'm thinking some of the more experimental and structured Christobal Balenciaga ballgowns and cocktail frocks. Or how about some Jacques Fath? Queens of Vintage just ran a story on Fath and a selection of gorgeous images appeared on My Vintage Vogue this week.

If you've made it to the end of this long, long post, I'd love to hear about your favourites. There were many more frocks to choose from.

My Own Piece of Vintage Hawaii

Has arrived! Bizarrely enough my Malia dress was quicker to arrive from Florida than some DVD's and books I'm waiting on from Melbourne. Go figure.

The print on the dress is too cute for words and it fits like a glove. The weather forecast for Sunday is an unseasonably warm 28 degrees, so it may get a public outing sooner than expected.

I promised a shout-out to the fabulous vintage vendor I purchased the dress from on E-bay. Denise from Magnificent Vintage has been operating for over thirty years and sells an impressive range of designer and non-designer vintage items in a variety of price ranges, with a particularly great selection of 60's and 70's frocks.

One of the best things about vintage is that because current high fashion is so cyclical -largely interpreting trends from the past - eagle eyed shoppers can dress on trend by buying directly from the past for a fraction of the cost of new designer duds, and at far better quality than the chain store rip-offs too.

In the midst of some truly disturbing 80's retreads, one trend that I'm loving at the moment is prints, from floral to pop-art and all manner of eye-catching loveliness in between. Oscar de la Renta, Stella McCartney, Balenciaga and design house of the moment, Balmain, have all been sending prints down the catwalk of late. Here are a few of the fabulous florals you can pick up at the Magnificent Vintage E-bay store right now.

A wool-blend floral mini-dress with pockets equals so hot right now.

I had to show the back-view of this gorgeous halter-neck which is very reminiscent of Oscar de la Renta's 2009 collection. It would look equally delectable on Joan Hollway of Mad Men or Scarlett Johannson.

The perfect spring party frock which is rocking a very now one-shouldered look.

A Pucci-esque strapless mini, this dress also has an adjustable sash in the back and some stretch, so it will hug your curves in all the right places.

I really like the print on this 70's dress which methinks could work for day or night.

These vintage purses are also super cute and definitely spring worthy.

And okay, okay, I admit that Hawaiiana isn't exactly on trend, but I just had to include this pink and green sarong dress because I love it. I could feel just like Rita Hayworth or Dorothy Lamour.

And the Aussie dollar is at 85c US ... very, very dangerous.