Best dresses of the night were interesting for their structure, rather than their embellishment
The best dresses of the night were interesting for their structure, rather than their embellishment, with big fluffy gowns eschewed in favour of slim column dresses by many of the guests – one perfect, winning example was Gwyneth Paltrow's fizzy Calvin Klein.
Michelle Williams' dainty white Chanel and Reese Witherspoon's black and white Armani also hit the sleek sheath nail on the head. When it comes to colour, all the stars and their stylists saw red, with last year's winner Sandra Bullock leading the charge in Vera Wang alongside Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Lawrence and the show's host, Anne Hathway.
In pictures: Glamour on the red carpet
Melissa Leo, a second-time nominee and first time winner, was paying tribute to a comeback king with her sequinned high collar – and we mean Elvis. Of her Marc Bouwer white dress, she said, “I went right to Marc Bauer when I had this special invitation and he built this dress for me.”
Best-supporting actress nominee Amy Adams's red hair looked stunning against her shimmering navy blue L'Wren Scott dress and emerald pendant, but the high neck, long hair and necklace combined is a little overpowering.
Celine Dion sided with the shimmering white party, looking slim and fantastic in Armani Prive despite only giving birth to twins Nelson and Eddie at the end of last year. We're fans of the big flowy hair, too.
Halle Berry's pale champagne froth by Marchesa worked so well with her skin tone, but the bedraggled tulle net bottom dragged down the look for us.
Penelope Cruz played up her post-pregnancy curves in a shimmering red dress by L'Wren Scott.
Sandra Bullock was presenting, a year after her best actress win. “I got a full night's sleep. Last year I remember none of it. Many of them have been through it before. I see a couple that have that look and I want to say, relax.” She wore a vibrant red strapless Vera Wang, with a sharp neckline and her hair in a rather messy bun.
Marisa Tomei was harking back to an earlier era with her vintage berry blue Charles James – and we mean the last few years' Oscars red carpet, when the colour was dominant. Luckily, she looks timelessly beautiful.
Hailee Steinfeld was every teen girl's prom dream in a pale pink frothy princess gown custom made for her by Marchesa, topped off with headgear worn by young girls the world over – a headband, although in platinum and diamonds from Fred Leighton, it was certainly an Oscar-worthy one.
Gwyneth Paltrow was a performer on the night, singing a song from her film Country Strong. Her Calvin Klein fizzy glass-of-champagne shimmer column with a deep v-neck had only a small brooch, at the hip, from Louis Vuitton -- and needed nothing more. Her red carpet fashion advice? “Don't go too much into the avante garde.”
While red was popular shade, Scarlett Johansson went darker with burgundy in a backless style by Dolce & Gabbana, but it didn't quite pop on the red carpet and possibly the messiest hair of the night – and with Helena Bonham Carter in attendance, that's saying something.
Mila Kunis had best neckline of the night in a lace lavender Elie Saab which softly flowed out behind her.
Like Mila Kunis, Cate Blanchett also picked pale lavender with a Givenchy dress that featured a soft pleated skirt but it's the top that divided people – but then again, we'd expect nothing less from the always-daring Cate.
Early bird Jennifer Lawrence – among the first guests to arrive -- took a calculated risk in fire engine red, almost sporty Calvin Klein. We're guessing that simple look didn't take her too long to put together. There was an element of Farrah Fawcett's swimsuit photo – not least in Lawrence's only accessory, her bouncy blond hair.
Reese Witherspoon was in full '60s Barbie doll mode with her bouncy blonde ponytail the perfect foil to her blinding grin and strapless black and white column from Armani.
Nicole Kidman's ageing choker (no matter how much botox you've had, after 40, try not to draw too much attention to the neck) was the first indication that this was not going to be a good look. She was wearing an origami-style dress from fashion's current black sheep, John Galliano for Christian Dior. “I like it because I like the structure of it. It doesn't look comfortable but it is,” she said of the look.
Christian Bale's out of control beard was the accessory not to have on the red carpet.
Best supporting actress nominee Michelle Williams wore a cap-sleeved white Chanel couture beaded column that looked better and better from every new angle. An unusual but winning look.
Pregnant nominee Natalie Portman was one of the last to arrive, in an aubergine Rodarte with a wide v-neck and matching Tiffany purple tasselled earrings, teamed with sideswept hair. A chilly-looking Portman seemed uneasy on the carpet, saying that for girls who actually go to the Oscars, “being at home in sweats with no make up is the biggest luxury of all.”
Helena Bonham Carter kept her style quirks to cut, rather than colour, in an Edwardian inspired dress created with her Alice in Wonderland costume designer Colleen Atwood, featuring a bustle – that's a bottom-enhancing addition that she says she chose because her backside is big anyway.
Jennifer Hudson: “There she is, that's the one,” she said of choosing her tangerine dream Atelier Versace dress.”
Host Anne Hathaway arrived with designer Valentino wearing one of the red dresses he built his career on – of course now he's retired, it's officially vintage. But what to make of the poofy gather on the back?
With so many simply perfect red gowns on the carpet, it's more of a distraction from the dress' perfect fit elsewhere. Luckily for Hathaway, unlike most red carpet bombs, as a presenter she has several costume changes – and hence the chance to redeem herself. Her first dress of the show was a white Givenchy.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan played the shimmering column game but rung the changed by making it a coffee-hued Armani Prive. Snaps to her for teaming Western style with Indian-inspired earrings - the combo worked perfectly.
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