2008 Oscars: Hollywood's Hottest Trends

Feb. 23, 2008— -- The Oscars' red carpet is the ultimate showcase for Hollywood's hottest trends.

It's a high stakes time for every star to look their best and shine. Getting their appearance just right, with the perfect glitzy gown, glowing skin and sparkly jewels, takes hours and hours of professionals' time.

ABC News Correspondent Marysol Castro enlisted the experts to help her get ready for the big night, and make sure she was up to speed on Hollywood's hottest trends.

Color: Metallic and Jewel Tones

Style guru Jayne Chase took Marysol around Saks Fifth Avenue in Los Angeles to find out which looks are in and which are out.

Jayne's number one pick for the Oscars this year? Metallic.

"I mean gold, I mean silver, I mean bronze," Chase said, showing Marysol a beautiful pewter-colored Christian Dior gown.

But metallic doesn't just refer to a dress's color. This season many dresses boast metallic embellishments and embroidery, and metallic accessories are no-fail.

For starlets hoping to pop on the red carpet, strong colors are also a must.

"All the jewel tones you can think of: lemons, emerald greens, beautiful sapphire blues," Chase explained.

Style: Carolina Herrera

With many major fashion shows taking place just weeks before Oscar Sunday, Hollywood fashionistas often pick their looks straight from the runway.

Carolina Herrera, fashion designer and style icon, is a favorite choice among celebrities like Renee Zelwegger and Salma Hayek.

"You have to be inspired by the times that we're living, and the place that we're living … Fashion is a fantasy!" Herrera told Marysol, as she helped her pick out which dress to wear.

Herrera's one red carpet "no-no"? "I don't think they should be short, the dresses. I tell you why. It's so glamorous, its an evening in Hollywood, it's glamour, it's about the Oscars, it's about movie stars, it's about all that glamour that goes around."

Jewelry: Bold

No red carpet ensemble could be complete without jewels so Marysol headed to Chopard, jeweler to the stars and Oscars' Lucky charm -- Helen Mirren, Reese Witherspoon and Hillary Swank all took home awards while wearing Chopard diamonds.

Celebrity stylist George Kotsiopoulos gave Marysol a sneak peak at this year's biggest baubles, taking her into the VIP room at Chopard in Beverly Hills (which holds $40 million worth of diamonds alone leading up to Oscar week).

This year Kotsiopoulos predicts the trend will be "bold. I think ladies have been playing it safe and I think this season we are going to see a lot of color," he predicted.

"Necklaces have been not very fashionable these last couple years and I think it's really coming back," he said.

For those "it" girls looking for a more classic look, particularly for the younger women, Kotsiopoulos suggested some stunning diamond chandelier earrings.

Hair: Old Hollywood

Last on Marysol's list was the perfect coif. She headed over to see Mark Townsend, a celebrity hair stylist responsible for the tresses of leading ladies like Cate Blanchette and Natalie Portman.

How does Townsend always create the perfect 'do? "The first thing, I look at is the dress. What they're going to be wearing. That can determine up or down. And then personality plays a lot into it," he explained.

"The glamour of old Hollywood is going to come back this year," he said. "Lots of accessories! Diamonds in the hair. You can take any kind of accessory, from a brooch to a bracelet, and incorporate it into an updo."

This year Townsend will be working with Amy Adams on Oscar night.

Click here to find out more about what to expect at the 2008 Oscars.