Grown up glamour

Awards season is well and truly underway, and with just a month to go until the Oscars the red carpet fashion frenzy is in full swing. What I am finding so refreshing this year is how many of the more  mature Best Actress nominees are giving their younger counterparts a real run for their money in the style stakes. Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett and Julia Roberts have all been strutting their stuff, taking risks and showing us just how good 40+ women can and do look.

Photo: UPI/Jim Ruymen

When you are walking the red carpet year in year out (this is Streep's 18th nomination!!!) I imagine fashion choices become rather less important, but Meryl Streep has really upped her game this season, wearing a casual black and gold Michael Kors combo at the Palm Springs Film Festival (below) and a blue Stella McCartney tunic dress at the Critics Choice Awards (above with Julia Roberts in Juan Carlos Obando) to great effect:

Photo: Jeff Vespa/Getty Images for PSFF

And here is Meryl, in Stella McCartney again, at the SAG awards, goofing around with her new best friend Emma Thompson, who having thrown away her Louboutin's at the Golden Globes, is rather glorious in a vintage dress with silver flats. They actually look like real women, having fun, which makes rather a change for Hollywood, non?

Sandra Bullock has also been rocking a more directional look recently. I love this bright Alex Perry dress  - perfect for Palm Springs, with the pop of pink lip colour adding that final touch of glamour,

Photo: Fame/Flynet

whilst the Burberry sweater and skirt combo she wore at the AFI awards luncheon with nude Brian Attwood shoes is understated and classy:

Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images North America

Julia Roberts has been away from the red carpet for a while but thanks to "August: Osage County" she's back, looking modern and fresh in leopard print Gucci with a messy up-do for the Palm Springs Film Festival,

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

and in pink Valentino with loose waves and a smoky eye for the SAG awards:

Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Last, but by no means least, awards season 2014 wouldn't be complete without la Blanchett. Does anyone else think she also seems to be getting more beautiful as she gets older? Her hair and make-up at the Golden Globes were so elegant, beautifully offset by the high neck on her Armani Privé lace gown, and those gorgeous earrings:

Here she is wearing sophisticated dark green Lanvin, with a stunning red lip at the Critics Choice awards,

and looking somewhat more edgy in Givenchy at the AACTA awards in Sydney. Whilst I can't condone the side-boob here - it is so hard to pull off, even for someone as classy as Blanchett - I do applaud her mussed-up hair and low-key make-up. In fact I feel a bit of a style crush coming on....

Whilst this is most definitely a post in praise of the older woman, I will just give a small shout out to this year's triumphant young newcomer - Lupita Nyong'o who hasn't put a Jimmy  Choo wrong yet with her bold, exciting dress choices - seen here at the Golden Globes in glorious Ralph Lauren,

and in tropical turquoise Gucci, getting photobombed by Emma Thompson at the SAG awards.

Photo: Wireimage

 

I can't wait to see what they will all be wearing come Oscar night, and who the After My Own Fashion Best Dressed awards will go to - watch this space.