Why Saoirse Ronan and stylist Elizabeth Saltzman ‘didn’t want to go dark’ for the Oscars

Saoirse Ronan received her first Oscar nod — for Best Supporting Actress in “Atonement” — when she was just 13 years old. In the 10 years since, Ronan has scooped up two Best Actress nominations, including one tonight for her role in Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird.”

For her third Oscars nomination, Ronan and stylist Elizabeth Saltzman decided to go with a Calvin Klein By Appointment dress in a pale pink color. “What we didn’t want to do is go dark,” Saltzman said over the phone on Saturday afternoon. “The whole thing was about lightness and light, and more timeless and fun. There needed to be an element of something special, but it really had to do with it focusing on Saoirse and it being modern, but iconic and timeless.”

The stylist has been working with Ronan since the 2016 Oscars, where the actress wore a green metallic Calvin Klein gown — a nod to her Irish roots. “It’s a color we hadn’t done,” said Saltzman of the look. “This time, this is about the woman herself. She’s already flying a flag for her country, so we decided to stay away from dark.”

Saltzman said they had been choosing between two dresses, but made the final decision to go with Calvin Klein at a fitting on Saturday morning. “There was a clear, right moment,” Saltzman said. “There was a lot of emotion. It was genuine, deep happiness. Huge grin, that beautiful Saoirse calm, peaceful, exuberance. It’s exactly what you want a woman to feel like.”

For accessories, Saltzman said she was “absolutely adamant” that Ronan wear diamond studs, but after some consideration, the two opted for a set of rings Saltzman had been eyeing since the beginning of awards season. “It’s diamonds because it was light and like the sky, not really there, just letting the woman shine,” she explained. “We were joking around today and I was like, ‘Real is rare.’ I feel like if there was a hashtag, that would be it: #RealIsRare.”