10 secrets of Oscar style: Insider tricks to inspire you

With half the world watching on Oscar night- March 23 this year- celebrities need to look their stellar best. "It's a big fashion show, and everyone's in it," says Laurent Dufourg, owner of Privé salon in Los Angeles. Most high-profile celebs hire teams of hair, makeup and fashion mavericks to create their looks; here, the top gurus divulge some secrets anyone can use. Steal a few for your own evenings out! 

1.  CONSIDER WEARING COLOR. "You could drown in the sea of black at night," says stylist to the stars Philip Bloch. So what's his secret to getting noticed? "Color, color and color." (His decision to dress Jada Pinkett Smith in bright green at last year's Oscars had everyone talking.) Still, Cameron Silver, owner of the L.A.-based vintage-clothing store Decades Inc., cautions against eye-popping shades in neon's or fluorescents. "Color should be non-offensive, easy on the eye and elegant," he says.

The advantage of vintage: The next day it's the star who gets talked about - not the hot new designer behind her dress. Silver steers his clients toward minimalist styles from the '60s and '70s. "No matter what anyone says, "he notes, "dresses from earlier eras always look like costumes."