No re-cap of a star-studded night of beautifully dressed A-listers would be complete if we didn’t discuss menswear.  For years my male friends have told me that they are stuck wearing the same boring suit while women can freely express themselves with a kaleidoscope of gowns at these affairs. I have always secretly thought they were right but, I always assure them that they, too, can express themselves with subtle choices. I was wrong.

Sunday night’s festivites were as much about the men as the women, some nailed it, some slid by and some really caught our attention. Most importantly, the men looked to me as if they all simultaneously stepped out of a Vintage Hollywood movie set. Lets get to it:

Here are my personal ‘Best and Worst’ tuxedo highlights from the 83rd Academy Awards:

BEST:

Jude Law  – Tasteful, handsome, talented. who could ask for anything more? In this Dior tuxedo with white tie and shirt, he looked every bit the gentleman on the red carpet and while presenting. Seriously – I loved this look. My absolute favorite look of the night, my favorite tuxedo,  a real tuxedo with a shawl collar and the thin stripe down the side of the pant leg. Bravo!

Justin Timberlake  – Thumbs up for your excellent taste in menswear. You truly have a sense of style that is timeless and flawless. This notched -collar Tom Ford tuxedo had all the right elements. JT’s  taste has really evolved over the years. Plus he brought his mother as his date – awwwwww.

James Franco – Wearing a wing collar is not easy and wearing it right (with the points tucked in) darn near impossible. He rocked several different custom-fitted Gucci tuxedos  and the fit was perfect for the job… except maybe that of co-host.

Colin Firth – Not only wore Tom Ford (formerly of Gucci) but thanked him in his speech. He didn’t take any risks and didn’t need to. Glamorous and sophisticated, he didn’t try or need to try to be edgy, he is all class.  Interestingly enough, Firth’s suit was made with “ethical materials” — meaning from managed, renewable resources — in line with the ecological beliefs of his wife, Livia.

Robert Downey Jr – Special thanks to RDJ for mixing it up with his white on white (on Blue) Prada  ensemble on the red carpet. It is hard to look bad when you look this good.  I could go on.

Hugh Jackman -Ferragamo designed this double-breasted tux just for him. Not really. But, if anyone can pull off  double-breasted, it is  Hugh Jackman. This is not for the faint of heart, this says you mean business and you won’t take NO for an answer. It is hard-core and you have to have the (whats the word?) to pull it off.

Josh Brolin – Looked fantastic in his Ermenegildo Zegna Tuxedo – or was it a suit? I guess the vest threw me off a bit at first and I wasn’t sure he was able to carry off this suit-tux. He followed up with the white tie and dinner jacket while presenting and I was sold. The man has style.

Special Thanks to Valentino and Kirk Douglas for showing us all how to look good no matter our age.

WORST:
Russell Brand – Russell Brand has nothing to prove, so why does he wear this? He is a good actor, a good singer and quite funny. Dear Russel, don’t ever wear a plaid shirt to a black-tie event, ever again, no matter how expensive it is. Period.

Christian Bale – This all black look is simply awful. Is he Batman or a hitman? I can’t tell. I know the beard is disconcerting but, he is a consummate actor so you have to assume he is getting ready for another role. I’ll give him that. (It looked terrible, though)

Mark Ruffalo – Attention: Everyone who knows what a pocket square is, stand up. Mark …. sit down. Your hair is gorgeous. You are handsome, talented and witty. Why did you leave a post-it in your breast pocket?

Mark Wahlberg – I said it before, its hard to look bad when you look this good. But, ( for me) Mark did it. Somehow he managed to have a bow tie that seemed too big, crooked, his studs were grey-ish ( I couldn’t tell) and overall he looked like he would rather be back in the gym. Photos, please.

83rd Acadamy Awards was a high point for men as most of them arrived in clean shave and sharp suits. Men and their smart looks took over the red carpet by storm. If you want a clean, good shave, I would advise you to visit the Instash website and check out their choices of top safety razor that they recommend.

What did you think? To check out all the latest trends in tuxedos, log on to www.bridalshowexpo.com to register to get tickets to a show in your area. Our men wear specialist will help make you look and feel like an A-lister.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago