Our hottest look for the awards season

If you are attending the Academy Awards as a nominee (Congratulations! Will you mention us in your speech?), you will likely have a stylist at your disposal and a horde of designers clamouring to provide you with outfits. Even if you are "only" attending as a member of the audience, you've probably given quite some thought to what you might wear. Here are some last-minute tips on what to wear on the red carpet.

Officially, there is no dress code for the Academy Awards, at least not for the stars (for media representatives it's strictly black tie). The unofficial dress code is, in a nutshell: "Bring the glamour. Lots of it!" Ladies who want to leave a lasting impression absolutely have to wear a knockout floor-length gown, stunning statement jewellery, the tiniest of handbags and the highest of heels. Men? Well, suit up and try not to distract too much attention from your female arm candy – this is her moment to shine, no matter what you are nominated for.

As awards season 2012 nears its undisputed highlight with the date of the all-important Academy Awards show creeping closer, some clear red carpet trends have begun to emerge: sequins, crystals and all other forms of embellishment are big, but the resulting looks are remarkably restrained, the main "colours" of the season are once again neutrals like white, grey and variations on nude, and the go-to style is the simple column gown. If you want to play it safe, wear elegant black and accessorise with sparkly shoes, a golden clutch and bold jewellery.