Back in February we reported that British outerwear company Belstaff was offering a collection of leather jackets worn by Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Now they're offering a jacket sported by the actor in his latest flick, Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds, which just premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Belstaff created the "S-ICON" jacket (above) for Pitt's Nazi-fighting character Lieutenant Aldo Raine.

Made from Belstaff's signature waxed cotton known for its protection from the elements, it's finished with a sheepskin shawl collar and leather detailing. It's now available at belstaff.com for $1,720. Belstaff, founded in 1924, was a favorite of Steve McQueen, and has also outfitted Will Smith in I Am Legend, Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible and War of the Worlds, and Tom Hanks in The Da Vinci Code.

Special-edition premium retro hatchbacks seem to be all the rage at AIDS fundraisers these days. Every year Mini teams up with a different designer for a one-off vehicle donated to the LifeBall event. Diesel lent a hand one year, but this year the Italian jeanswear house has teamed up with Fiat and the Cinema Against AIDS Gala to produce the one-of-a-kind 500C you see here. Like the fixed-roof Diesel edition Fiat 500, this special example features a unique metallic green paintjob, a denim-upholstered interior and plenty of Diesel logos, but upgrades with a cloth folding roof and a 100-horsepower engine in the place of the 75hp unit on the regularly available fixed-roof version. Just one example of the special-edition Fiat 500C by Diesel will be made, joining big names like Sharon Stone, Harvey Weinstein, Annie Lennox and former U.S. President Bill Clinton in helping the American Foundation for AIDS Research break last year's record $7 million raised at the gala held in conjunction with the Cannes Film Festival later this month.

The Cannes Film Festival in a couple weeks will bring the silver screen's best to the French Riviera which makes me wonder where do all the fancy stars stay while in town? Offering both elegance and luxury it isn't surprising that the Majestic Barrière on Avenue La Croisette is a favorite among the Hollywood crowd. Recently emerging from a winter of renovations, the Majestic Barrière is sporting a new lobby area and freshly decorated rooms which each face the sea. The deluxe hotels also allows guests to stay within walking distance of the Palais des Festivals. This exclusive resort is sure to be a paparazzi hotspot beginning May 13th when the film festival is kicked off.

Sad but true: the recession has hit the upcoming Cannes Film Festival in the South of France next month, an international symbol of glamorous excess. Cutbacks are being made everywhere, from ritzy parties to the type of food being served, the AFP tells us. For starters, Vanity Fair has canceled its annual star-studded party, the social highlight of the festival, while the VIP nightclub Jimmy'z lost two key sponsors, Fendi and Swarovski, and Louis Vuitton said it would skip AmFar's big-ticket AIDS charity fundraiser.

"We're experiencing an unprecedented world crisis and it's also affecting the Riviera and Cannes," says Michel Chevillon, head of Cannes' hotel association. "Companies are sending fewer people, for shorter periods." 70% of the area's hotels have frozen their room rates compared to last year, and many are taking bookings for less than the full 12-day period, something normally unheard of at festival time, Chevillon tells the AFP.

Overall attendance at the festival is expected to be down for the first time in decades. "People are afraid it will hurt their image to be seen in a place associated with wealth," Cannes deputy mayor David Lissnard tells the AFP. Yacht charters are also suffering, as brokers struggle to find clients in Cannes' port, where all 60 berths for megayachts were booked up in anticipation. "There's a lot less demand this year for yacht rentals and a lot of pressure on prices," says broker Valerie Ruiz, who rents out yachts up to 200-ft. for the festival.

Givenchy dresses have been worn by notably sophisticated ladies for decades, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the Duchess of Windsor are among the memorable women who've made Givenchy the fashion legend it is today. Recently joining the list is the always stunning and stylish Natalie Portman who had heads turning when she showed up at a Cannes soiree in this elegant and refreshing Givenchy gown. Easily the best dress seen all week, I think she blew it with the shoes but c'est la vie! If you have any high class events coming up, browse the Givenchy 2008 Collection, it features some fabulous designs that will have people dying to know who "dressed" you!

Brad Pitt obviously knows when he's on to a good thing. We're not referring to Angelina Jolie in fact, but rather Tom Ford. Wearing head to toe Tom made Pitt one of the most stylish stars at last year's Cannes Film Festival - actually, make that any year - so it's no surprise he's back this season sporting more of the designer's dapper duds.

Last week Pitt wore a classic made-to-measure Ford black two piece notch lapel wool suit with a white shirt and solid black silk jacquard tie to the Kung Fu Panda premiere. And on Tuesday he upped the ante with an ultra-elegant made-to-measure black mohair blend single breasted peak lapel tuxedo, black silk moiré bowtie, and 18K white gold and diamond shirt studs and cufflinks from Ford's menswear collection to the Changeling premiere. That's what we call stealing the show.

The Cannes Film Festival, which began today in the South of France, has always been more focused on artistic merit than the blockbusters of the Academy Awards; that makes for a much more interesting mise-en-scène in our view. The cool crowd has always gravitated to the Riviera for this annual cinematic happening, not to mention the chance to compete for those little gold palm fronds. Along with the Met Costume Institute Gala it's easily one of the year's most stylish events.

As Cannes enters its seventh decade, this seems like the perfect time for a slideshow of some of the most classic style moments in its vivid history, including this rouge carpet scene from 1998. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was nominated for a Palme d'Or that year and its star Johnny Depp sported a midnight blue shawl-collared dinner jacket at the premiere. Meanwhile his co-star Benicio Del Toro (right) stuck to a classic tux, while Depp's date Kate Moss looked kind of like she'd been attacked by an angry emu -- but in a hot way. Click below for the full parade of stylish stars.

Official Selections [Men.Style]

A few months before Princess Diana's tragic death in a car crash in Paris, 80 gowns from her personal collection went up for auction at Christie's. Three of those gowns were purchased by the cable television network WE TV and have been preserved ever since, waiting for the right moment to bring them out as a celebration of her memory and style. Two will be touring the country this fall, the other will be auctioned for charity.

Beginning August 12, this beautiful chiffon evening gown designed by Catherine Walker will go up for auction on E-Bay. Valued at more than $300,000, the Princess wore the gown to the Cannes Film Festival in 1987 and again to the opening of Miss Saigon in 1989. All proceeds from the sale will go to America's Promise Alliance to support a cause close to Diana's heart - helping underprivileged children. America's Promise Alliance is a non-profit organization founded by General Colin Powell to to ensure that all children have the fundamental resources needed to lead successful happy lives.

The auction runs through August 22 and the starting bid is $125,000.

It's been a while since stars were lavished with free gift bags (all the way since the Oscars, how did they manage?). Next up on the swag adventure is the Cannes film festival. The Nikki Beach chain of nightclubs will be creating a temporary nightclub at the Intercontinental Carlton Hotel in Cannes from May 17 to May 28. Nikki Beach at the Carlton Beach will host daytime festivities and the Nikki Club will host fashion shows, premiere parties, and themed events inside the Carlton’s Salon Mediterranean. There will be a daily style area including treatments and samples from Elizabeth Grant, Frederic Fekkai and Face Stockholm. Attendees will also receive a gift bag created by Nathalie Dubois that is valued at over $30,000 and includes Petrossian caviar and a trip to the Le Taha’a private island resort.