Roaming the red carpet has never been so strenuous. We dissected the dresses of Oscar night to come up with the best- and worst-dressed performers of the evening.
Although the frills and feathers did not quite flatter the bottom half of her gown, Penelope Cruz looked spectacular in Atelier Versace. The pastel blush color rested nicely against her olive complexion, and the tight bodice with its intricate detailing perfectly complimented her enviable figure. She may have not been awarded with the Oscar, but Cruz was an outright winner in the Best Dressed category.
Jennifer Lopez was a portrait of both class and glamour in her lilac Marchesa creation. The neckline, graced with layers of antique jewelry, brought just the right amount of attention to the otherwise bare dress.
Simply stunning at 61 was the only way to describe Helen Mirren. Her champagne-colored Christian Lacroix made everyone’s favorite queen look like royalty as she both dazzled on the red carpet and took home the Best Actress award. The skirt was accented with some immaculate gold embroidery, and the dipping neck proved that this lady is still sexy.
Showing off her newly-petite frame, Reese Witherspoon was all about elegance in a layer-cut Nina Ricci. The darkly-shaded gown was the perfect fit for the Best Actor presenter: nothing too extravagant but still enough to accentuate the stage with her presence.
What would Oscar fashion be without Beyoncé Knowles? Although not quite on par with her sultry black Atelier Versace from her last Oscar appearance two years ago, the actress-singer still shined in the light-green strapless Armani Prive. The high slit was slightly questionable for Oscar night, but the strand of stones lining her shoulder was interesting enough. Oddly, the red gown she had on for her performance was far more fabulous than her red-carpet attire.
Gwenyth Paltrow looked nothing like a mother of two in her form-fitting Zac Posen. Similar to Cruz’s detailing, the delicate piece was pulled straight off the runway. We could have done without the mini sleeves, however.
Possibly the only person who could carry off metallic at the Oscars is Cate Blanchett. The mesh by Armani Prive was oddly-shaped, and the Swarovski crystal lining put it slightly over the top. Nonetheless, Blanchett somehow pulled it off and was surprisingly striking in the verging-on-futuristic piece.
Nicole Kidman is normally known for her flawless garments, but the giant bow destroyed her Balenciaga. The shocking red was also a little too risqué for the pale beauty.
Cameron Diaz is clearly not over the debacle of the Golden Globes: another white gown bit the dust, as too many rigid curves made Diaz look like she was auditioning for an upscale version of The Jetsons.
Given they devoted a good five minutes to a behind-the-scenes look at dressing Jennifer Hudson, Oscar de la Renta could have done better with everyone’s favorite dream girl. While the flow of dress favored Hudson’s figure, the tiny, shimmering jacket did little to help her cause. The pockets were any fashionista’s worst nightmare, and essentially Hudson looked like she belonged with Diaz and the rest of our favorite characters from space.
It’s painful to put one of the more well-dressed actresses on this list, but Kate Winslet’s one-shoulder Valentino did not agree with her frame. There was awkward bunching and a general plainness that did not do the trick for the otherwise beautiful nominee.
Valentino was doing nothing for the lovely Anne Hathaway, either. The Devil Wears Prada star would do well to take some tips from the film rather than appear in a white-lace gown that for some reason, perhaps best known to the designer, included two giant black bows (one at the neck and one at the lower back).
The less said about Kirsten Dunst the better. One does not wear a V-neck button-down dress with short sleeves and silver frills sprouting from the bottom. The color is also a poor choice for such a fair lady.