Hollywood & Highland was the place to be on Sunday afternoon where the stars walked the red carpet for the 84th annual Academy Awards. As the grand-daddy of all award shows, I was dying with anticipation to see the beautiful gowns (and to find out who won). Based on the previous award shows this year, I was expecting to see a lot of color, sequins, and vintage-inspired shapes. While I was impressed and awed at the selections made at the Golden Globes and SAGS, I had a much different feeling last night. Only one word can sum up my impression of the 2012 Academy Awards Red Carpet: "Whaaaaaatttt????"
From horrible fabric to tacky designs, there must have been something in the kool-aid as some of the biggest A-list stars chose horribly off-kilter gowns. I don't know if they were trying to "make a statement" or just simply didn't look in a mirror before they left, but for the first time, I was completely underwhelmed by the Oscar fashions. And while there were some gems in the group (including Gwen Paltrow, Angelina Jolie, & Michelle Williams), my list of "Worst Dressed" celebrities was incredibly lengthy this year.
Let's start with the good news....
BEST DRESSED
Angelina Jolie
Atelier Versace
--I loved her hair, I loved the basic black, and most importantly, I LOVED her slit. Only Angelina could pull this off--
Gwyneth Paltrow
Tom Ford
--The white dress really popped against the red carpet and I thought the matching cape was an elegant accessory to the otherwise sleek, yet simple, design of the gown--
Michelle Williams
Louis Vuitton
--The "burnt orange" color was unexpected but looked lovely. The sparkly brooch at the waist was a great accent on the gown that apparently took over 300 hours to make in Paris!--
HONORABLE MENTIONS: BEST DRESSED
Octavia Spencer
Tadashi Shoji
Rose Byrne
Vivienne Westwood
Milla Jovovich
Elie Saab Couture
Cameron Diaz
Gucci
WORST DRESSED
Viola Davis
Vera Wang
--Did someone rip her dress by accident? I hate the "seaweed" color, I hate her hair, and I hate the tacky chiffon material. Viola, you looked so good at the Golden Globes & the SAGS, why did you have to ruin it?!--
Natalie Portman
Vintage Christian Dior
--Polka dots?! You won the Oscar for Best Actress last year and you are a presenter this year, and you choose to wear polka dots?--
Jennifer Lopez
Zuhair Murad
--I think my mom said it best with, "Wow, JLo hit the wall." Yes she did, a very striped wall. I love the deep v-cut at the back of the dress, but I wish she was more covered in the front. The arm cut-outs add to her "over-exposure" and I cannot stand the ugly brown/cream stripe pattern of the dress. JLo, you are trying way to hard--
Shailene Woodley
Valentino Haute Couture
--You are the Oscars for the first time, and you choose to wear a lumpy, thick, white sweater?! You're so pretty and young, why did choose to dress like a 90 year old?--
PARADE OF HORRIBLES: WORST DRESSED
Judy Greer
Monique Lhuillier
Missi Pyle
Valentina Delfino
Ellie Kemper
Armani Prive
QUESTIONABLE CHOICES
Sandra Bullock
Marchesa
--Most people hated this dress, but I actually liked it. The shape and design was different and I thought the brocade design on the waist was elegant. While it wasn't totally flattering for her figure, as seen from my "Worst Dressed" list, she could have done a lot worse--
Jessica Chastain
Alexander McQueen
--She looks like a museum piece, or a character from Medieval Times. While the dress was beautifully crafted and fit her well, I felt like this too much, even for the Oscars. This dress is more of a runway showpiece than ready-to-wear fashion--
Rooney Mara
Givenchy
--She was listed on most people's "Best Dressed" lists, but I don't understand why. I love the white color, and that's about it. I hate the bottom of the dress; the material just flops at the bottom, it has no movement or grace. And why does she need drapes on her chest? I don't get it--
DOUBLE TAKES: HAVE I SEEN THIS BEFORE?
Emma Stone
Giambattista Valli, Oscars 2012
VS
Nicole Kidman
Balenciaga, Oscars 2007
--Woops, did her stylist have a brain freeze? While Emma's dress was lovely, and certainly a "Best Dressed" pick, it was the same exact thing that Nicole wore to the Oscars five years ago--
Winner: Emma Stone
Melissa McCarthy
Marino Rimaldi, Oscars 2012
VS
Jennifer Lopez
Marchesa, Oscars 2007
--I loved how Melissa tried to incorporate a little "bling" into her dress at the neckline and waist, but JLo did a much better job of it in her Marchesa gown at the 2007 Oscars. Melissa's dress had too much fabric and the light blush color totally washed her out--
Winner: Jennifer Lopez
Stacey Keibler
Marchesa, Oscars 2012
VS
Charlize Theron
Christian Dior, Oscars 2007
--Both are blonde, both walked the Oscar red carpet, and both made horrible choices in dresses. While Stacey's gold lame gown was more suited for the Oscars, neither dress was flattering, or altogether beautiful--
Winner: None, both dresses were horrible
Kate Mara
Jack Guisso Couture, Oscars 2012
VS
Julie Bowen
Reem Acra, Golden Globes 2012
VS
Scarlett Johansson
Elie Saab, Golden Globes 2011
--Kate Mara, the little sister to Rooney Mara, looked graceful in her light pink Jack Guisso beaded gown, although it was a tad bit revealing on the top. Scarlett took a more "covered up" approach with her detailed gown at the Golden Globes in 2011. Yet, Julie found the happy medium between all three dresses with her Reem Acra stunner at the Globes earlier this year--
Winner: Julie Bowen
Alright, there you have it! Stay tuned for upcoming posts on Oscar hair, makeup and accessories!
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