If Hollywood is, at its essence, a dream factory, then Oscar night would be the pinnacle of that dream: a media-frenzied time warp where, under the glaring sun and towering palms, fashion and film icons capture the public eye and the political, pop-cultural zeitgeist is concentrated into a four-hour lovefest.
Eloquence, humor, heart, even the inevitable wayward snafus make the night unmissable. And if fantasy is the framework upon which Hollywood rests, why not indulge, take it one step further; so we imagined a Greatest Oscar Night Ever -- from the year's idealistic "it girl" to the clothes, cars and even where to unwind the day after. Because the Oscars, like life, "are the stuff of dreams."
A night to rememberThe films of 1969 fed a ceremony that mixed sentiment and social change
Her brave new worldThis year's breakthrough, Q'Orianka Kilcher, on red-carpet excess and the simple joys of swimming in glacial pools
The Stylephile blog: Haute looksThe red carpet is actually one of the last havens for haute
The Stylephile blog: Fantasy swag suiteTake a tour through our ultimate Oscar gift lounge
The Stylephile blog: On-the-go gearPortable essentials for the red carpet, from luxe breath strip cases to individual moisturizers
The Stylephile blog: Stealing beautyHow does an Oscar goer make the transformation to picture-perfect?
Extreme greenOscar gets an eco-makeover
Judging OscarEnglish offers his vision of a very different type of Academy Award
The life cycle of a dressThree vintage couture shops delve into the past and future of red carpet-worthy garments
Do-good celebsEnvironmentally conscious Oscar nominees and winners
The bad and the beautiful'Grease' producer Allan Carr's 'antithesis of tacky'
Oscar precedents merit their own awardsA look at landmarks in the kudocast's history
When Johnny met OscarIn 1979, Carson proved that a latenight superstar could be the perfect fit for the Academy Awards
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