Lauren Phillips a princess of glamour on the Brownlow Medal blue carpet

LAUREN Phillips oozed glamour in a black Nicola Finetti gown and stunning $170,000 diamond necklace at this year's Brownlow.

SHE always makes a statement on the Brownlow carpet and this year uber-WAG Lauren Phillips oozed classic Hollywood glamour in a black, strapless Nicola Finetti gown and stunning $170,000 diamond necklace.

 "I feel like a princess," Phillips said as she showed off her Bulgari collar necklace, worn by Madonna at the premiere of Evita in 1996.

Her Bulgari clutch bag alone was encrusted in $8500 of jewels. "We were going for the old 1940s Hollywood look," she said.

Simple and elegant gowns set off by extravagant bling was the theme for the 2010 Brownlow blue carpet.

Such was the extent of the precious stones and metals on display, extra security guards at Crown casino were put on alert.

Catherine Heard, the leggy Texan girlfriend of St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt, also stood out, channelling Audrey Hepburn in a timeless black gown.

She said she selected the structured, strapless Carla Zampatti gown two weeks ago in preparation for her debut Brownlow on the arm of her superstar beau.

"It's a little bit intimidating," she said.

"But I am excited to see the other girls and their gowns."

One notable exception to the safe styling was the always outrageous Brynne Edelsten.

Flashing her famous assets once again, Edelsten trumped her crystal bra ensemble from last year's medal count in a $15,000 layered tulle and see-through lace dress - which ripped away to the thigh - by Vegas designer Nurielle.

Elsewhere, fresh white, bold metallic, Grecian draping, nude shades, 1940s Mad Men-influenced elegance and sleek 1980s sex appeal were the distinctive trends.

Rebecca Twigley, in custom-made Aurelio Costarella, shone in $500,000 of Paul Bram diamonds.

Jacinta Jellett, on the arm of Collingwood's Alan Didak, accessorised her stark white Alex Perry gown with a glittering $36,000 of bling from Melbourne boutique GN Designer Jewellers.

A small number of girls, including Tania Buckley in Baccini and Hill and Lucy Cornes in Josh Goot, departed from long gowns and stepped out in mini-dresses, showing off athletic, tanned legs.

Nadia Coppolino, the girlfriend of Geelong's Jimmy Bartel, said she felt beautiful in her silver studded gown with a sultry plunging neckline, by Fairfield couturier Julie Simonelli.

Sarah Dunn, the date of Hawthorn's Jarryd Roughead, broke from the fashion pack in a simple, figure-encasing black sass & bide maxi-dress with a single, long gold earring in one ear and a Moroccan-inspired lantern clutch.