the couples everyone forgot to talk about

the annual costume gala at the metropolitan museum of art in nyc is a wondrous occasion for debutantes, movie stars, fashion types, and all those who care about making a grand entrance for the flashbulbs. as cathy horyn of the new york times so articulately put it, the costume gala has made "fashion (...) an amazing spectacle, a blood sport, the new Rome." this blood sport is a throw down between the best dressed and the better dressed. a lot of focus is put on what a particular startlet is wearing (or not wearing in jessica simpson's case--i'm dying to know what anna wintour must have made at simpson's over tanned and over exposed flattened cleavage), but to me what makes this night so interesting (besides seeing mary-kate olsen fully succeed at looking completely ridiculous but completely right and original) are the well dressed couples. you never as good as a your fashion companion, i say, and i'm still ogling these pictures of chic twosomes.

jennifer connelly and paul bettany, both in balenciaga. sometimes i feel like i am going to melt at the dark beauty of jennifer connelly. i am nuts about the dark hair and light, come-hither eyes combination that makes her pop on screen. the short sari inspired dress is refreshing in an evening when everyone else is carrying around mile long trains and voluminous skirts. paul bettany shows us that the skinny tie is the new bow tie for evening. that suit is beautifully tailored and compliments his wife's look very well. donna karan once said that a simply well dressed man is a woman's best accessory and that couldn't be more an apt description for this couple.

iman in stella mccartney and david bowie in something equally fashionable. um, can i be adopted by this couple, pretty please? hot african woman interpreting menswear paired with her equally dashing and oddly traditionally dressed rock star partner? yes, please. iman is beyond hot and very little needs to be said about mr. bowie either, but i will say that cannot take my eyes away from that the mound of hair and thin white duke suit with playful cane. i bet they just stare at each other sometimes and feed of each other's sexual fury.

ashely olsen in something sexy with shoe designer chrisitan louboutin. although i think her sister was just a little bit more well dressed, i cannot deny ashley of her sexy new look. it's not grungy, but it's not gussied up chic. it's youthful, a little naughty, but appropriate. who knew michelle tanner would start wearing bondage inspired waist cinchers and flesh baring gowns? there isn't much to say for her date, except this is a case where the lady is definitely the one i keep looking at.

other notable mentions:
naomi watts and liev schreiber
julianne moore and stefano pilati
lucy liu and zac posen