And the award for the best travel aid goes to… the travel money card! You’d agree with that if you were to find yourself in Hollywood ahead of the impending Academy Awards – one of the most glamorous annual events on the planet.

The Oscars may be all about the films, but an astounding amount of attention is given to fashion too – Vanity Fair hosts a party; the late Joan Rivers was famous for her sometimes acerbic comments about outfits; and of course for days and weeks newspapers and magazines are obsessed with who wore what.

If you’re in Los Angeles you might just want to get wrapped up in a bit of that Oscars glitz and that’s not hard with more top class boutiques than you can shake a stick at. Rodeo Drive is the famous thoroughfare where the stars shop, while if you’re on a bit of a budget even the big malls like the Beverly Center have plenty to choose from.

Before you start your awards season shopping spree, here are a few notable fashion triumphs from Oscars past…

Woman of the moment Jennifer Lawrence looked tasteful and elegant in 2014 when she graced the red carpet in – appropriately – a red dress. Specifically it was a Dior couture gown, and was accompanied by Neil Lane jewelry. Also flying the red flag, in a manner of speaking, was stage and screen legend Bette Midler and her red floral lace dress by Reem Acra.

Black was also the new black at last year’s ceremony, with the classic and understated look sported by many of our top acting talents. Julia Roberts is strongly associated with LA’s shopping culture thanks to memorable scenes from the classic Pretty Woman, and the actress looked pretty indeed at the 2014 Academy Awards in her black Givenchy gown.

Charlize Theron wore a black Dior Haute Couture gown, Margot Robbie shimmered in a Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane creation and both Emma Watson and Idina Menzel opted for outfits by Vera Wang. Meanwhile Hollywood royalty Meryl Streep went two-tone – she graced the red carpet in a black skirt and ivory blouse, both by Lanvin.

It goes without saying that a shopping spree in Hollywood or Beverly Hills can come with a high price tag, but for many of the wonderful creations it can be worth it. The key to retail indulgence while travelling is preparation – a card devoted to your travel purchases is one solution to keeping your spend in check, while increasingly straightforward currency banking facilities make accessing and monitoring an account a walk in the park for frequent jet setters.