June 04, 2007

Ashley Tisdale Ditches Messy For Dressy For Movie Awards Red Carpet

By Sona Charaipotra (MTV.com)

For Movie Awards first-timer Ashley Tisdale, getting all dolled up turned into a major adventure. "My car was broken into this morning," said the "High School Musical" star, who scrambled to get prepped for the red carpet after her Range Rover drama.

"It usually takes me, like, five minutes to get red-carpet ready - I literally don't think of it till that morning," she said. "But this is the Movie Awards, so I'm nervous! I've always watched it on TV and I've always wanted to go, but I never thought I'd actually be going".

Luckily, fashionista-in-training Tisdale was prepared. "I picked up a few dresses from Bebe right before the 'High School Musical' tour in South America," said the Disney star. "Pink is one of my favorite colors so I'm totally going to match the carpet [which is actually pink this year]. I just love clothes! Clothes express how I'm feeling that day. But I'm not always about a designer - it doesn't have to be expensive."

In fact, the usually dressed-down performer insisted she swears by sweats. "I love wearing sweatshirts because I'm dressed up all the time for work," said the singer/actress, who released her debut album, Headstrong, in February. "I love to be like beachy, casual, comfortable. I can go funky, chic or vintage. I love Bebe, I love Marc Jacobs, but when I'm hanging out, it's all about comfort - Free City sweats, Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch."

Though she was focused on getting her own ensemble ready for the Awards, she paused to offer some last-minute fashion advice to "HSM" pal Vanessa Hudgens via cell phone. "That sounds really cute," she said of Hudgens' proposed outfit. "But if you want something short, go check out Betsey Johnson. There was a really adorable, very funky, super-short turquoise dress that would be perfect."

Though she supportively dispenses emergency fashion advice, Ashley does have some celeb style idols of her own. "I love Jessica Simpson - she's always cute and casual, but still fashionable," she said. "And Gwen Stefani is one of my favorites. She's definitely a fashion icon, she sets her own style and is just so different from everybody."

But it's her fellow "High School Musical" stars she'll be scoping on the red carpet Sunday night (June 3). "I'm just super-excited to see everybody there," said Tisdale, who planned to hook-up with "HSM2" pals Hudgens, Zac Efron, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman on the way into the show. "It's been a really amazing year for all of us - we got to go to South America, performed for an audience of 60,000 people, won an Emmy. Zac and Vanessa both live down the street from me, so we see each other all the time. We've become like a big family, we never get tired of each other."

The cast is gearing up for the second installment of their record-breaking Disney flick, set to air August 17. "We never knew it was going to be as big as it got," said Tisdale, who also stars on the Disney hit "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." "I love playing the bad girl in Sharpay [Evans, her 'High School Musical' character]. There's so much to that character. She's definitely a stretch for me!"

And while she hopes to score some Golden Popcorn of her own soon, the singer and actress is rooting for "300" to take home the trophies at this year's Movie Awards. "That was amazing," she said of the epic flick. "It was so different, so cool and there were so many gorgeous guys in it. It's got my vote!"