Diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend

Elizabeth Cook doesn’t like to look predictable.

Perhaps that’s why the East Nashville-based singer/songwriter was having a hard time last week choosing what to wear to the Americana Music Association Awards, being held tomorrow night at the Ryman Auditorium.

Unlike next Wednesday’s Country Music Association awards, the purpose of dressing for the AMA show isn’t to court shock and awe via full-push glamour.

“(The AMA show) kind of reminds me of the Video Music Awards on VH1,” said Cook, who is pretty, blonde and petite. “You’ll see everything from bedazzled jeans and cocktail dresses, but not many full-length gowns.

“I just want to have fun with it,” she said.

Despite the laid-back dress code and the lack of a live broadcast or red carpet (“Americana prides itself on its lack of pretension,” she said, cracking a wry smile), Cook still aims to wear something folks will remember.

After all, you can’t dress like a Plain Jane when you’re performing “Sometimes it Takes Balls to be a Woman,” the swingy feminist sing-along from her 2007 album Balls (Thirty Tigers) that’s nominated for AMA Song of the Year. Cook is looking for a dress that’s as lively as the tune.

There are a few logistical things she has to keep in mind though.

“One thing I always have to consider is how something works when I’m holding a guitar,” she said. “I can’t wear things where the sleeve is cumbersome and will get in my way when I play.”

The sleeves on Dress No. 1 — a sheer red dress from Express with a trendy high collar/short skirt cut — are deemed workable. And she likes how it shows off her legs, which she considers her best asset.

So she’s going with the scarlet frock? Not necessarily.

What Cook will wear will depend on her mood. The red dress is just one of three semi-finalists.

“If I’m wanting to play it down, I’ll wear this — if I feel like not being shiny,” she said of the Express dress. “It’s my conservative choice.”

She said the shoes she can wear with each look will weigh on her choice.

She pulls on a pair of vintage black pumps. “These are torture chambers,” she said, “but they look so good!”

Beyond aesthetics, her shoe imperatives are pretty practical.

“If I’m just playing one song and walking in and out of the building, it’s one thing to wear heels. But if I’m going to be on stage for a long time, I might wear them but stick a pair of flats in my bag.”

For this show, Cook’s thinking a lift is a good thing. Or she may just wear boots.

That’s something she’ll consider doing if she goes with Dress No. 2 — a shiny purple style with a handkerchief hemline and thin straps she scored on major clearance at T.J. Maxx.

“I like the color of it, but I need boobs if I’m going to wear it and to have it hemmed,” she said.

Nothing the right bra and a trip to the seamstress can’t fix.

What kind of mood would warrant this her choice?

“This I’ll wear if I’m looking for a little edge,” she said. “It’s for if I’m in a funky mood.”

If she’s going for the gusto and thinking glam, Dress No. 3 — a vintage strapless leopard print cocktail dress by Lillie Rubin is her go-to getup.

All she needs is pair of gold pumps and a casual un-done hairstyle (“You don’t want to have Dallas hair at these things,” she said); if it’s cold, she’ll pull on a black faux fur bomber jacket she found at Benetton.

“This feels good,” she said, adding that comfort’s important “’cause it’s a long night.”

Whichever of the three dresses she selects, one thing’s for certain: Cook will take the Ryman stage wearing glasses.

She said the four-eyed look is a concession to her “inner nerd;” they’re also a nod to her early days in the music business, when she made them a part of her signature style. (“Then a writer referred to me as ‘the Lisa Loeb of country music,’” she said. “I took them off after that.”)

Cook said she’ll choose between two pairs: black plastic frames a la Buddy Holly or a metal cat-eye style that scream octogenarian librarian circa 1958.

Whichever pair she chooses, one thing’s for certain: Elizabeth Cook has got the balls to pull them off.

Fashionable event: Sparkle & Twang II

County Music Association awards week festivities kick off this Friday at the Tennessee State Museum with a cocktail reception celebrating our state’s new Hollywood Motion Picture Museum, as well as Todd Fisher’s exclusive showing of costumes from his mom Debbie Reynolds’ private collection.

The exhibit will be open to the public Nov. 3-11 during regular museum hours.

Reynold’s glittery stash includes Marilyn Monroe’s evening gown from her performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in the 1953 movie musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and outfits worn by Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl.

The party runs from 6:30-9:30 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets to the benefit, contact the State Museum Foundation at 615-741-2539.

Book signing: ‘Deluxe’ by Dana Thomas

Newsweek’s Dana Thomas will be signing her well-reviewed book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster tomorrow at the Sunset Grill.

Sorry — the event’s by invitation only. I thought it was worth mentioning, though: Nashville needs more fashion writers to visit!

The Style Arbiter would be thrilled to hear from you. Send questions or comments to Libby Callaway at lcallaway@nashvillecitypaper.com