Oscars 2010 WIN! Cameron Diaz

Well, well, well! Cameron Diaz hey? This year she got absolutely everything spot on - hair, make up, dress. Beautiful.

But ah the dress. Princessy without being completely over the top, the Oscar de la Renta gown was one of the best dresses of the night. Bravo Cameron! Bravo!

Shoe Of The Day: Bow Front Raffia Heel by Irregular Choice

Some of you may think I've lost my mind. It is entirely possible I have. But dear reader, these Irregular Choice heels have stolen my heart completely and absolutely.

Is it because they're made of raffia which is solely a sunny day fabric? Is it because they exude a slightly tropical promise whilst retaining the shape of a Versailles court shoe? Is it because I just really like sturdy block heels?

Who knows? It's likely to be all these things and more. Sometimes you can't explain love.

Bow front raffia heel, £65 from Asos

Sale Shoe Of The Day : 'Snippy' by Rocketdog

I love leopard print. I love trainers. Therefore, c'est un fait accompli that I love these trainers from Rocketdog.

As that's all fairly self explanatory, I'll leave you with the fact they're £15 down from £25 and available from ASOS.

Sale Shoe Of The Day : 'Saturday Job' by Office

I had these as a possible Shoe Of The Day way back when I first saw them. Then completely forgot about them until I had to start looking for work shoes in the sale.

And what a bargain they have turned out to be! The burgundy ones (pictured) are down to £15 from £58, while the black ones are down to £25.

I love the retro styling of them and the block heel means that they shouldn't hurt too much by the end of the day. Very important when you need to concentrate on your work rather than how much your feet hurt. The square toe adds a twist to a shoe that would otherwise be fairly ordinary with a rounded toe. Don't be swayed by 'trends' on toe shapes. Trends are too fickle to be relied upon for work.

Saturday Job, £15-25 from £58 at Office

Sale Shoe Of The Day : 'Lawed' by Faith

I know, I know. Party season has only just ended so why the hell am I proposing a party shoe as Shoe Of The Day? Because of these reasons:

a) It's never too early to plan pretty party outfits
b) There's always a need for pretty shoes
c) They're £25 down from £55

As for the shoe itself, it's a fairly classic choice - black, sparkle, satin, shaped heel. But don't think that means it's boring. No, no my friend, rather regard it as the versatile classic it is.

Lawed sandal from Faith, £25 reduced from £55

NES Is So Over Topshop And This Makes Her Sad

Dear reader, it is a sad day indeed when I can no longer face walking into Topshop. But I am afraid to say, with a heavy heart, that that day has come.

Let's go back some 15 years to when I was a gawky, slightly pudgy teenager who wouldn't know what fashion was if it came up and mocked her relentlessly (which I'm pretty sure it did). It wasn't until I started browsing through the delights Topshop had on offer that I thought properly about my clothes. True, I did embrace the grungy Angela Chase look for most of my teen years but it was that or looking like a Spice Girls backing dancer, resplendent in electric blue spandex and Lycra and I couldn't do that to myself or inflict the horror on the rest of the world.

So remember, this was around 15 years ago. The hot way to wear your tops was as a body. Denim was light and velvet was in along with plaid and florals. Also bear in mind I was like a fat Lisa Loeb and you get the picture.

I know fashion constantly recycles itself but even so, it was a shock to wander in to Topshop recently and see clothes that I am fairly sure I bought all those years ago. Who'd have thought it? Topshop making me confront the twilight years of my twenties and shining a spotlight on the impending new realm of 30-something.

It's not just that though. Frankly, I'm not enough of a navel gazer to allow my frivolous shopping habit to be dictated by the ravages of time. It's the quality and the prices which have made me decide that, unless they do something really bloody spectacular, Topshop isn't really worth my time, effort or money any more.

Take this dress.




A fairly inoffensive velvet skater dress, right? Indeed it is. Except I had one exactly like it. From Topshop. It cost me the princely sum of £20. Now even taking into account the bizarre economic shenanigans like inflation and all that jazz, the same dress today will apparently cost you £38. And be poorer quality.

And then there's this dress.



When I saw it on an in-store mannequin, I was actually intrigued. I liked it. It seemed new and different but wearable. Then I felt the fabric. Apparently it's made from Cupro, which is effectively a posh name for viscose. It feels cheap. But it isn't. £70 for this dress, if you please.

That's just two examples, there are many more. I won't abandon Topshop completely but it's safe to say it's not the essential place it once was. Not that Philip Green will lose any sleep over that!

NES Picks Her Top 8 Dream Party Dresses

As we all know, December should really be renamed 'Month Of A Million Parties' and as such is all about the show stopping dress. So in the name of research, I've pored over countless fashion magazines and blogs and websites and random people in the street and compiled my Top 8 Dream Dresses. Y'know, the ones with the price tag that takes your breath away and makes you cry for a million pounds to magically land in your account just so you could have all of them because you can't possibly choose between them and the postman hates you because he has to deliver so many invitations to your house.

No? Just me then. Right. Well anyway, these dresses are the ones that if I could afford them, I'd have them. Even if it was only to do the housework in. I don't really get all that many invites to glitzy parties.

1. 'Carla' satin gown by Erdem




Words cannot express how much I NEED this dress. The effect of being covered up in an age when you can't move for over-tanned plastics falling out of a 3 inch scrap of cloth masquerading as a dress is phenomenal. If you swept into a party (preferably down a sweeping staircase, accompanied by nothing except a discreet diamond laden bracelet, a martini and a cigarette in a holder) wearing this, it would afford you the sheen of femme fatale not seen since the 1930s. There would be swooning and wooing. Those are Good Things.

2. Floral Maxi Dress by Just Cavalli



Now, Roberto Cavalli isn't normally a designer who makes me want things that he has to offer, especially via the Just Cavalli diffusion line. But this, this is different. It's subtle. And pretty. And versatile in that 'can be worn at any point in the year' kind of way to any kind of event. Which would mean it justified its price tag on a cost per wear basis if nothing else.

3. 'Carmina' by Diane Von Furstenberg


How cute and fun is this?! When a lot of people go for black or other darker colours, this would make you pop at any party. Best accessorised with bare tanned legs and some fabulously golden or jewel coloured heels. And a beehive.

4. Hooded Sequin Dress by Alexander McQueen



Sequins! A hood! Long sleeves! Red! Black! Glamour! This is the Cruella De Vill of all the dresses. In fact, if I don't see a picture of Glenn Close wearing it, I'll be very disappointed.

5. Red Shift Dress by Valentino



This isn't the most obvious choice for a party dress. But that's the beauty of it. Red is a damn festive colour and a shift dress in this style is pure Joan Holloway. And what is more devastatingly sexy than that?

6. Strapless Silk Chiffon Gown by Marchesa



It's because of dresses like this that Marchesa is a Hollywood star favourite. The flowingness of the silk chiffon and the beading make it incredibly romantic but the colour gives it a bit of edge. I'd expect to see Eva Longoria-Parker or La Lopez rocking this one.

7. Drape Front Jersey Gown by Roberto Cavalli



Another Cavalli dress?! I know, I could hardly believe it myself but, well, just look at it. It's like the slightly more overt cousin of the Erdem dress. The cross front is very flattering and the diamante detail at the waist completes the old school glamour cocktail. This is a dress that demands Veronica Lake waves.

8. Ruffle Halter Gown by Valentino



This dress is simple but dramatic all at the same time. The colour makes it stand out more than it would in black. Of course, it also benefits from having a touch of the Audrey about it.