‘Clothes are sexier’: What Hollywood stars are wearing to the Oscars

Plunging necklines, short hemlines and bras as tops – pre-Oscars parties have served major fashion moments ahead of the Academy Awards. See the photos.

Sexy, low-cut necklines, corset-style dresses, and head-to-toe Hollywood styling – stars are set to turn heads at the Oscars.

Fashion commentators have revealed what trends will be seen on Nicole Kidman and co. when they strut the red carpet at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on Monday (Sunday in the US).

E! style commentator Zanna Roberts Rassi predicted cleavage would feature in a big way on Hollywood’s best dressed stars.

“You’ve got the cut outs, you’re just wearing bra tops, embellishments, that’s where the detail is being played now, which is quite unusual,” New York-based Rassi, an ambassador for buy now pay later service Afterpay, said.

Hollywood’s party set including Zoe Kravitz, Hailey Bieber and Bridgerton’s Simone Ashely attended mega-agency CAA’s pre-Oscar event at San Vicente Bungalows in Los Angles this weekend.

The Batman star Zoe Kravitz and Hailey Bieber, wearing Saint Laurent, at CAA’s VVVIP Oscars preparty in LA. Picture: Getty Images

Bridgeron star Simone Ashley showed off the sexy dressing trend in Nensi Dojaka at the CAA event. Picture: Getty Images

Bra or top? Jenna Dewan at Vanity Fair’s pre-Oscars event. Picture: Getty Images

“There’s barely a chest that hasn’t been decorated. Generally, clothes are sexier – that’s where we’re going.”

Rassi said Kidman, who is nominated for Best Actress in Being The Ricardos, always ruled the red carpet.

Lady Gaga in cut-out Gucci at 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards. Picture: Getty Images

The House of Gucci star wore plunging Armani Privé to the Screen Actors Guild Awards in February. Picture: Getty Images

Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain was part of the cleavage brigade at the SAGs in a Dior suit. Picture: Getty Images

Sienna Miller, styled by Kate Young, im Gucci at the BAFTAs.

Look of the SAGs! Cate Blanchett in low-cut Armani. Picture: Getty Images

“There is something so understated, yet elegant (about Australians) – Margot, Nicole, they tap into fashion trends without the trends wearing them,” Rassi, an ambassador for Afterpay, said.

“Nicole Kidman … has the figure of a supermodel, so she can wear anything like a runway model. She’s fashion forward and a bit more unexpected.

“Cate Blanchett in Giorgio Armani at the SAGs … it was the most stunning dress on that entire carpet.”

Nicole Kidman, pictured at the SAGs, is set to be one of the best dressed stars at the Oscars. Here, she wore Saint Laurent styled by Julia von Boehm. Picture: Getty Images

Red hot! At the 2007 Oscars in Louis Vuitton. Picture: Getty Images

Bow-tiful! Nicole Kidman in Giorgio Armani at the 2018 Oscars. Picture: Getty Images

Rassi revealed a bizarre behind-the-scenes detail about the white off-the-shoulder gown Margot Robbie wore to the 2018 Oscars.

“Margot Robbie, one of my favourite dresses of all-time was the Oscars dress that she wore, the white Chanel,” she said.

“When (her stylist) was dressing her in that, she had white gloves on her hands.

“Everyone in the room had to wear white gloves. (Any marks) would show up in photographs, when you get the flash.”

In white hot Chanel at the 2018 Oscars. Picture: Getty Images

Margot Robbie in Saint Laurent on the Oscars’ red carpet in 2015. Picture: Getty Images

Hollywood stylist Kate Young, who counts Robbie, Dakota Johnson and Selena Gomez among her clients, said the Oscars had the “fanciest” dress code of all the awards shows.

“By the time people go to the Oscars, they’ve gone to like nine award shows in the last few months,” Young said.

“You kind of want it to be the finale. When it’s over, the can eat a cheeseburger and relax, and not plan a speech or give an interview the next day.

“The Oscars has a lot of gravitas to it.”

E! style commentator Zanna Roberts Rassi is an ambassador for Afterpay. Picture: Afterpay

While the Oscars red carpet is often branded boring fashion-wise, Rassi – who founded Milk Makeup – said the occasion called for “tasteful, elegant and timeless” outfits.

“The Oscars are the finale of the red carpet season, and everyone brings their absolute A-game,” she said.

“(Stars) dress like themselves, rather than trying to do something highly original. If they’re going to win an Oscar, they want the look to stand the test of time. Everyone has a stylist now.
“Whether it’s the jewellery, the bob of the hair, or the height of the heel, all those things have to be really taken into consideration.”

The Oscars are on Monday, Australian time. Live From E! Oscars: 2022 airs on Foxtel’s E! from 8am. Zanna Roberts Rassi is an ambassador for Afterpay.