The Oscar red carpet was a sea of white and cream dresses which all tended to blend together after a while, but a few stood out (some for good reasons, some for bad). Below are my picks for the five best and worst, and check out my full fashion coverage at MSN.ca.
BEST
Ok, so she didn’t break any molds or take a huge risk, but I had nothing but love for Amy Adams‘s midnight blue Gucci. The fit is exquisite, the color is flattering, and the accessories are perfect. Or maybe I’m just grateful I didn’t have to stare at her clavicle again.
On a red carpet awash in white, Kate Hudson‘s Atelier Versace was the only pale gown that really stood out for me. She ditched the capelet during the show (my favourite thing about it), but still looked amazing. If it’s true that her and Matt Bellamy are done, this is the perfect outfit to show him what he’s missing.
Maybe I’m still scarred from her Golden Globes disaster, but I was incredibly relieved when Sandra Bullock stepped onto the red carpet in this. Much like Amy Adams, this curvy Alexander McQueen dress wasn’t a huge risk, but it’s supremely flattering and glamorous.
My first thought when I saw Charlize Theron‘s Dior gown was “DRAMA.” From the incredible neckline to the delicate train, she managed to make a black dress a total show-stopper. (This dress photographs amazingly well, though the clear straps were a bit distracting on TV.)
My fifth slot was a toss up between Lupita Nyong’o in Prada and Naomi Watts in Calvin Klein, but Naomi squeaked out in front. Lupita looked lovely in blue, but it wasn’t as extraordinary as her caped red Golden Globes gown. (I’m also not sold on the headband.) Naomi, meanwhile, was stunning in a simple white cap sleeved dressed with perfect red lips.
WORST
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know I love me some Anna Kendrick. So it pains me to call her one of the night’s worst dressed. But from the weird midriff thing on this J. Mendel dress to her *terrible* shoes, I can’t believe someone who’s been on such a fashion run could strike out so huge.
It also pains me to call out Cate Blanchett, but this Giorgio Armani dress bored me to tears. For someone who’s known for her fashion risks, it’s hard to know what she was thinking with the bland dress and blander makeup. To quote the Fug Girls’ live-blog: “Cate Blanchett is wearing the fancy ballgown version of Britney’s nude boa constrictor catsuit.”
Speaking of boring, what was Angelina Jolie thinking with her gown below? The only interesting thing about it was its nip-slip possibilities. Amazingly, from certain angles it seemed to make the stick-thin actress look a bit wide(!). Plus, Elie Saab? I know it was from her Haute Couture collection, but Angie could have her pick of designer. She could have been the only one Tom Ford dressed last night. She could have stuck with her Saint Laurent run, or revisited Versace, who treated her so well last year with the leg slit. Sarah Paulson wore Elie Saab. Chris Hemsworth’s wife wore Elie Saab, for crissake.
In other unflattering dress news, this tiered, fringed Oscar de la Renta did Jennifer Garner no favours. (Unless she wanted to look like the most boring chandelier in the world. In that case, mission accomplished!)
Because it’s probably terrible to put a pregnant lady on the worst dressed list, I going to leave Kerry Washington alone and focus on Portia De Rossi. Between her doily-inspired Naeem Khan gown and her jacked-up face, it wasn’t a good look for her.
