Oscars 2011: Dressing as a couple

Among my favorite college memories: participating on a competitive speech team. We recited material in a variety of categories, including duos.

The duo category involved two people performing material together. I remember it vividly, mainly because of its fashion implications.

Naturally, competitors who were dating often gravitated toward the duo category. To impress the judges -- while looking pretty dang cute -- they often took pride in coordinating their outfits. For example, the guy would wear a tie that matched the color of his female partner's power suit.

I haven't forgotten the tendency, and it still underscores an important question:

Once you've escaped the pressure of high school proms and speech tournaments, are there still occasions when you need to dress "as a couple"?

The idea seems totally antiquated, but I'm sure red carpet coverage during Sunday's Oscars will include categories for best- and worst-dressed couples.

Sure, celebrities are judged on a slightly different scale than the rest of us, but even "real people" enter a point in relationships when you realized you're being evaluated as a couple rather than two individuals.

And yes, I still swoon at red carpet utterances like "we're both wearing Armani."