Oscar Blitz 2026 – Costume Design (VIDEO)

The old adage is to dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Well, for me, that’s fairly obvious. I dress in jeans and dark t-shirts, which is literally my wardrobe when I’m on set during taping. It’s what we call “show blacks,” so that we don’t affect the lighting on the set or draw attention in the rare moments when we have to be on camera. That’s the job I want, and the job I did fairly regularly for the last few years, but have been unable to do for 18 months and counting.

Also, if I were to dress for the job I have, technically I would just be nude, and as many women have told me over the course of my life, nobody wants that.

That’s basically the extent of my “fashion sense.” As I write this, I’m sitting in gym shorts (I had physical therapy this afternoon) and a tee that parodies the classic Disney logo. You may have seen it in one of my videos (I think for the Snow White remake trailer). It spells out “Malt Whiskey” in the “Walt Disney” cursive font, and the silhouette of the castle is made up of liquor bottles.

That’s been my prevailing style for most of my adult life. In a more formal setting, I’ll wear polo shirts, and maybe switch to slacks. When I did the sales job in the final third of 2025, I was allowed to wear khaki shorts in the field if it got too hot, but pants were preferred, and my “uniform” was a company-issued polo and a cap. But otherwise, that’s pretty much my entire wardrobe. I have one tailored suit that I’ve worn on very special and rare occasions since I bought it 20 years ago, and I’ve wanted to upgrade to a new one for a while, but I just haven’t been able to afford it. I have dress shirts and pants, ties, and fancier shoes, but they almost never come out. I dress for comfort, not to make any kind of statement. If I’m working in a place that has a dress code, I’ll abide by it (show blacks certainly qualify), but I’ve always balked at the proposition that someone is more “proper” or “professional” just because they spent insane amounts of money on clothing to make them stick out.

That said, I applaud those who can pull it off. On the last job, there was a guy named Victor who wore the most styling suits every day. We’re talking three-piece slick numbers with cool vests. I would look a fool in that outfit, but this dude was dapper as hell. Meanwhile, I’m happy if someone gets the gag on my shirts. There was a young woman at therapy with me today wearing a Pokémon shirt she got a convention, where Charmander was blended into the Chipotle logo, making “Charpotle.” Love it.

All this is to qualify my complete lack of expertise on Costume Design, which I covered in video form this year. If there’s any point to it all, it’s just to disabuse tired tropes. I’m not lazy in my clothing choices, I just wear what I like. I don’t buy into the bullshit tautology that began this preamble, nor do I subscribe to the antiquated idea that “clothes make the man.” There are so many societal pressures when it comes to our outfits, and we should honestly just wear what makes us happy. Kevin Smith made an entire character out of an overcoat and jorts, and spends half his public time in hockey jerseys, and he’s one of the most zen people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Meanwhile, Alysa Liu just won a gold medal with her hair in this boss halo striped dye job. If you like the way you look, then just do you. This has been my bullshit attempt at a motivational speech.

This year’s nominees for Costume Design are… in the video below!

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I’ve said many a time that I wish we could see the Bake-Off meetings that help determine the nominees in some of these categories, because I am genuinely curious as to how Avatar got nominated when there are almost zero physical costumes. I want to hear the justification. I want to know the nuances. I want to understand how they twist themselves in knots for something that just feels absurd on its face. If the Academy wants to remain relevant, maybe explain how this isn’t a troll job. Also, why is it always Avatar films that get this kind of treatment?

My Rankings:
Are in the video. WATCH, DAMMIT!

Who do you think should win? Vote now in the poll below!

Up next, coverage is once again off for the weekend, but that doesn’t mean the Blitz actually rests. The three Short category presentations were released in theatres today, which means that the weekend will be devoted to cramming them into my eyeballs to complete all viewings for this year’s campaign. Then, on Monday, with them fresh in my head, we’ll break down the first of the triad as we approach the halfway mark. It’s Documentary Short!

Join the conversation in the comments below! Are you a fashion aficionado? Do you use any excuse to don some fancy dress? Do you wear snarky pop culture t-shirts, and if so, which is your favorite? Let me know! And remember, you can follow me on Twitter (fuck “X”) as well as Bluesky, subscribe to my YouTube channel for even more content, and check out the entire BTRP Media Network at btrpmedia.com!