February 25, 2013

2013 Oscars best and worst dressed

The Academy Awards aren't just the night Hollywood honors the year's best films. It's also the night Hollywood's brightest stars bring out the big guns on the red carpet. While some hit a bulls-eye, others missed the target entirely.

The Associated Press

When you're as drop-dead gorgeous as Charlize Theron, you don't need a lot of adornment. She rocked short hair (she buzzed it off for a recent role) with a clean, modern white corset gown from Dior Haute Couture. Some subtle sparkle on the peplum, diamond bracelets and stud earrings gave it just enough shine. Flawless. A+

Amy Adams was sitting in the front row during the Oscar ceremony and her skirt took up two seats. But it's absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. Her hair was a little off to me. It looked a bit too simple for the gown. A-

When Halle Berry slinked onto the stage last night to introduce the 50 Years of Bond tribute, she looked like the quintessential Bond Girl. The lines of this gown hug and highlight her curves in all the right ways. B+

I just can't with Kristen Stewart. Stand up straight, fix your hair, SMILE and wear a dress that isn't see through and doesn't look like it's been shredded with scissors. D-

I love Jennifer Lawrence so much: she's candid, refreshing and a breath of fresh air. And a GREAT actress as her win last night attests. So it pains me to say anything bad about her. But this Dior Haute Couture gown is just too much dress (she admitted as much when explaining her stumble last night). The pale, pale pink is lovely. I thought her hair, make up and jewelry were flawless (loved the backward necklace). From the waist up she looks fantastic. But the air needs to be let out of that skirt! Sigh. C+

Like Anne, Jennifer looked better at the Vanity Fair party. This gown may not have had enough grandeur for the Oscars, but it shows off all her curves. (And looks a lot more comfortable.)

Oh Sally Field. You almost had it. I love her in red, and I don't mind the sheer sleeves. I was loving it all, until the camera panned down to reveal the ruffles on the skirt. A friend I was watching the red carpet with said it best: "Is she wearing Mary Todd Lincoln's petticoat?" In what seems to be a trend for the night, she looked better in a pre-taped bit with Oscar host Seth MacFarlane. C-

Somebody should have told Catherine Zeta-Jones she was going to the Oscars, not dressing like one. She's gorgeous, but this gown does nothing for her. And can someone PLEASE make the sheer skirt trend stop now? Thanks. C-

I have to admit: Salma Hayek looks good. Even if she does look like she's wearing a metallic neck brace. She's still a knockout in this Alexander McQueen gown. B

Nicole Kidman is stunning and statuesque in this L'Wren Scott gown. I'm not a huge fan of the swirl design at the bottom, but at least it's small swirls (looking at you, Catherine Zeta-Jones.) B

Amanda Seyfried has looked fantastic at every award show this season, and the Oscars were no exception. Yes, the Alexander McQueen dress is maybe a bit too pale for her skin tone, but it gives her a soft, ethereal look. And I think the halter neckline looks good on her. A-

I loved Jennifer Garner's dress when I saw it from the front, from the waist up. Simple, elegant, classic. After all: It was her hubby Ben Affleck's night to shine. But then she turned around to reveal cascades of ruffles. Seriously: Yards and yards of extra fabric. So, she gets a B+ from the front and a D- from the back. We'll call it a C. Ben gets an A. (I LOVED "Argo.")

Stacy Keibler looks like an Art Deco dream in this shimmery gray gown. I love everything about it. And, let's face it. She's got one of the night's best accessories: Clooney. A-

I loved Jennifer Hudson's sparkling gown. It showed off her trim body perfectly. But that bright blue shoe? That I'm not so sure about. (Also: She looked better on stage when she absolutely killed "And I Am Telling You I Am Not Going.") B-

Rumor is Jennifer Aniston is pregnant. If it's true, this lovely red gown hides a possible bump beautifully. I think she looks beautiful. The color is striking, and it's nice to see her in a different silhouette. A-

Octavia Spencer proves that you don't have to be a size 2 to be one of the best dressed on the red carpet. This dress is divine: From the soft blush color, to the beading and the draping at the top. I love it all. A+

Reese Witherspoon just gave birth to her third child. So, fair to say, she looks pretty darn good. But something about this dress is just a little off for me. I don't really dig the black color blocking, and I think the waist makes her hips look bigger than they are. C+

Kerry Washington provided a bright pop of color on the red carpet in this coral gown. I wasn't sure how I felt about the embellished top, but the more I looked at it, the more it grew on me. And the color really is gorgeous on her. She could've done something more with the hair though. B+

Jessica Chastain told Ryan Seacrest this Armani Prive dress reminded her of "old Hollywood glamour." It does and so does she. I love the loose hair and red lip. She looks confident and glamorous. A

Jane Fonda could probably still sell a million workout videos with her figure. And I usually laud her (along with Helen Mirren) as a mature actress who has mastered the art of dressing age appropriately while still being fashionable. But this is a miss. The embellishment accentuates her waist, but the color is overkill. It looks like something she might have owned in the 1960s. C-

Sandra Bullock looks fine. It's lovely. It's just not exciting. And I'm over the sheer trend. She also wore a broach in her hair that came THIS close to looking like an ear cuff. Eh. B-

Anne Hathaway kind of broke my heart last night. This dress is just so underwhelming. I get simplicity; I love understated. But this pale pink Prada gown leaves me wanting something more. The seams are awkwardly placed, and I've never been a fan of a high neckline with a necklace. (Though the necklace is lovely.) The color is great on her, and the back of the dress was much more interesting. And for that, I'll give her a C+. (The dresses she wore on stage and at the Vanity Fair party were much more interesting.)

See: If only Anne had worn this on the red carpet. It's still not her best effort, but it's much more interesting than the pink Prada.

Naomi Watts nailed it in this Armani Prive with interesting cutouts and bare back. A

I LOVE the bottom of this dress. I think the ombre slit and train is so modern and different than anything else that was on the red carpet. But the combination of the belt and embellished top was overkill: The dress needed one or the other. Personally, I think the belt minus the embellishment would have been fantastically minimalist. Love the simple hair and jewelry. B

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The Academy Awards aren't just the night Hollywood honors the year's best films. It's also the night Hollywood's brightest stars bring out the big guns on the red carpet. While some hit a bulls-eye, others missed the target entirely.

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