One to Watch

(NEW YORK) Whoever said that two is better than one must not have considered the single-shouldered dress. While asymmetrical apparatuses have long been a scene staple for everyone from red carpet regulars to the cocktail circuit crew, the style has been re-invigorated this season in beaucoup de variations.

Oscar night has always proved to be prime time for one shoulder dresses. Think Keira Knightley's deep claret Vera Wang, Salma Hayek's teal Atelier Versace, and Naomi Watts' pale Givenchy. This year's awards were no exception. Kate and Cate were again on trend (recall their coordinating electric blue frocks from the Palm Springs Film Festival) with single shoulder dresses; Winslet wore a pastel green Grecian gown from Valentino, while Blanchett shimmered in a gunmetal grey Armani Privé. Both actresses chose minimal accessories, each letting her bare shoulder soak up the spotlight.

The toga look continues to reign this spring. Victoria Traina drew envious stares when she sported a dramatic Christian Lacroix couture dress in San Francisco for the Fine Arts Museum's mid-winter gala. Looking regal as ever in brown satin, the petite heiress managed to pull of the theatrical look with panache. Roman inspiration also reigned the roost at the New Yorkers for Children benefit, where Emmy Rossum, Lauren Davis, and Kate Young went for shorter single-shouldered numbers. Rossum was a vision in toile and lace in her Valentino couture cocktail dress; Davis played up her vivid blue Ungaro with a pair of hot pink heels, and stylist Young went more old-school with a single long-sleeved, '70s-esque look from Lanvin.

And while shoulder-baring comes in all shapes and styles, Sarah Wynter went for the tried-and-true LBD at the New Museum's 30th-anniversary gala this past Sunday. "This is the first time I've ever worn an asymmetrical dress," she said of her Calvin Klein Collection ensemble. "But it's the most comfortable thing in the world!" And with her hubby Dan Peres by her side, Wynter proved that when it comes to shoulders, one is not the loneliest number.
MEREDITH FISHER