February 27, 2012

Oscar red carpet fashion

Flourish editor Heather Collier gives her thoughts on the looks from Sunday's Oscar red carpet.

Associated Press

The Oscars are Hollywood's biggest night of the year. The show's red carpet serves as a runway for actresses who want to make a fashion statement -- sometimes good, sometimes bad. But this year's red carpet didn't really feature any "wow" moments. There also, sadly, weren't any "Oh that's awful!" moments. There were lot of "eh ... it looks nice" or "she looks good ... for her." So instead of a best and worst dressed, this will be a list of the good, the bad and the OK. Disclaimer: These are the opinions of Flourish editor Heather Collier and are meant to be fun rather than serious fashion critiques.

The bad. Stacy Keibler in Marchesa. She's been perfect arm candy for George Clooney all award season, but this gold lame dress with the flower on the hip is a major miss for me. Dressing to match the Oscar statuette is a fashion don't, as far as I'm concerned.

The OK. Melissa McCarthy in Marina Rinaldi gown. She's made some worst-dressed lists for this look, but I don't feel that strongly about it. I think it's just ... eh. The gauzy sleeves are my biggest issue with the dress, but she wants to cover her arms so what are you going to do? I like the beading and the draping. Maybe a bolder color choice would have helped?

The good. Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford. This look, probably more than any others, made a statement on the red carpet. A cape? Really? While I can't say I love it, when she was on stage, sans cape, during the ceremony, she looked amazing. The neckline added interest to a simple sheath, and her body looked fantastic. I love that she kept jewelry minimal and the hair simple. Well done, Gwynnie.

The bad. Rooney Mara in Givenchy. A lot of people where expecting her to wear an edgy, black dress so she surprised in this white, romantic Givenchy gown. I'm not loving it though. The lapels on the breast look strange and I'm not a fan of the severe bangs and bright red lip. Also: Smile. You're an Oscar nominee.

The OK. Maya Rudolph in a Johanna Jonson gown. This dress actually grew on me. I wasn't a fan when I saw it on the red carpet, but liked it more on stage. The color suits her. Not stunning, not awful.

The good. Sandra Bullock in Marchesa. I thought she looked elegant and timeless. A little boring, maybe, but after last year's knockout silver gown, I'm glad she scaled it back. And when she turned around, the low draped back added a touch of sexy.

The bad. Viola Davis in Vera Wang. This dress made me sad. She's been one of the best dressed all season and she dropped the ball big time on the biggest night of them all. The color is gorgeous, but there's just too much happening. The beaded top makes her breasts look misshapen and the gauzy skirt and ruffles at the bottom don't match the top of the dress.

The OK. Tina Fey in Carolina Herrera. I love Tina Fey, but she's unfortunately known for making missteps on the red carpet. That isn't the case here. She looks elegant in the navy Carolina Herrera gown, and she kept the hair and accessories simple to suit the dress. She was the only star Carolina Herrera dressed, and she did the designer proud. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

The good. Natalie Portman in Dior. I love the print of this dress -- it adds a touch of whimsy while remaining fashionable. She looks good. Not great, but good. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

The bad. Meryl Streep in Lanvin. This also made me sad. Meryl is one of the best actresses of our time, but she needs to get a new stylist. Again, gold lame is not a good look for anyone, especially when there's so much of it draped around you. I love the neckline on her, but I wish she'd start working with Helen Mirren's stylist to achieve a look that is age appropriate and fashionable.

The good. Emma Stone in Giambattista Valli couture. Yes, the bow is huge. But she's young, hip and stylish. She makes it work. The color compliments her skin tone beautifully and she kept the hair and makeup simple. I always look forward to seeing what she's going to wear, and she didn't disappoint.

The OK. Cameron Diaz in Gucci. There's something about this dress that throws me off, but I can't put my finger on it. I don't know if it's the asymmetrical ruffles, the jagged beading or the color. I don't dislike any of them individually, they just don't add up for me. She looks fine.

The good. Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab. This is what I think of when I think of a "movie star dress." She was stunning in the white beaded gown and the capped sleeve on the one-shoulder strap made it fashion forward. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

The bad. Shailene Woodley Valentino Couture. You're a young, up-and-coming star, who was in a movie with George Clooney. And you choose a long-sleeved, high-necked white dress for your Oscar debut? No. Just, no.

The OK. Penelope Cruz in Giorgio Armani. Boring, boring, boring. She looks fine, but she's worn variations of this look so many times before. It's time for something new. Also, the hair looks dated to me.

The good. Rose Byrne in Vivienne Westwood. The bridesmaid star slinked down the red carpet in this midnight blue, sequined gown. It showed her body off to perfection, and the hair and jewelry worked well.

The good. Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace. Say what you want about Angelina, she knows how to steal the spotlight on a red carpet. Her black dress shows off her body, and the thigh-high slit is unexpected and sexy. Her hair and makeup are perfection. This is how you do Hollywood glamor. (Sidenote: Though this picture doesn't show it, she smiled a lot on the red carpet -- a rarity for her.)

The good. Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji. She was one of the best of the night for me. The dress is figure flattering and the beading is stunning. Her hair, makeup and jewelry are just right, too. She knew there was a good chance she'd be taking Mr. Oscar home and she dressed the part.

The good. Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen. She looked like a movie star in this dramatic black and gold embroidered gown. She wisely kept the jewelry to a bare minimum, letting the dress do the talking. She was one of my favorites.

The good. Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton. Another dress that grew on me. In general, I'm not a fan of peplums, but she can pull it off. I love the tiers on the skirt and the color -- coral is a hot spring trend -- suits her wonderfully. The rhinestone bow is a nice detail. She looks like the young, glamorous star she is. She's come a long way from the Creek.

The bad. Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad. There's been lots of talk about whether she suffered a wardrobe malfunction, but, honestly, I'm just bored by this look. She's got an amazing body and wants to show it off, but I feel like I've seen her in this dress countless times before. I also really don't like the striped train -- cut that off, and the dress would improve tremendously.

The OK. Kristen Wiig in J. Mendel. This falls into the OK category for me. It's the best she's looked this award season, which isn't exactly a high compliment. I think taking away a few layers of the tulle feathers would have the made the dress, and Kristen, look more polished. Her hair, makeup and jewelry look nice.

The good. Glenn Close in Zac Posen gown and jacket. She looked fantastic! The color and style suited her to perfection. Loved the hair and makeup, too.

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Flourish editor Heather Collier gives her thoughts on the looks from Sunday's Oscar red carpet.

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