Flesh & Stones

At two recent formal events, New York's young social set showed up in jewel-tone gowns, which popped amid breezy, flesh-hued numbers worn by many of the guests. Beaded and jeweled embellishments were everywhere, as they were favored by the respective events' sponsors, designers Roberto Cavalli and Elie Saab.

At the American Museum of Natural History's Winter Dance on March 11, pale gowns worn by socialite Tinsley Mortimer and actress Anne Hathaway epitomized Mr. Cavalli's retro spring frocks. Ms. Mortimer sported a tiered, peachy frock, which she cinched at the waist with a gold band. "I loved it," Ms. Mortimer told The New York Sun. "It has a little bit of a '70s vibe." Ms. Hathaway, meanwhile, wore an off-white, single-shouldered minidress splashed with sequins, of which she said: "The invitation said, 'dress to enchant.' I thought this dress was more than appropriate."

Also wearing light-color gowns were partygoers Elizabeth Grimaldi, an attorney who opted for a strapless paisley number by Oscar de la Renta, and socialite Arden Wohl, who wore a floor-length gold gown by Mr. Cavalli that had plentiful beading, with a bright-red band tied around her head. Meanwhile, Erin Ashley Smith, a securities analyst, wore a flowing Empire-waist gown swirled with floral patterns and gold accents. She first spotted the pale green dress by designer Nicole Miller while shopping with her mother, who liked it because "it reminded her of when she was in college," Ms. Smith said.

At the Renaissance-themed Young Fellows masquerade ball at the Frick Collection on March 13, sponsor Mr. Saab dressed event co-chairwoman Elisabeth Saint-Amand in a floor-sweeping baby-blue gown crowned with a cluster of sequins and ruffles. The socialite said she loved the ensemble for its "ethereal quality" and the way it embodied the sumptuous opulence of the Renaissance era. Party guest Holly Lang sported a wide band of sequins atop her wild violet Alice Temperley dress, while jewelry sponsor Ivanka Trump displayed more subtle rows of sequins among the folds of her white strapless Elie Saab gown.

Some guests enthusiastically embraced the array of bright colors — crimson red, cobalt blue, and deep purple — that electrified runways during spring 2008 collections. An event co-chairwoman, Lydia Fenet, wore a draping, sapphire-blue Elie Saab dress with a dramatic feathered mask.