I have to say – this years Oscar’s fashions did not disappoint. I was honestly expecting to see some disasters, but there aren’t many ensembles that instantly come to mind when I hear worst dressed. In fact, it was actually really difficult to narrow down the best dressed list to only 5 – usually this is the problem I have with the worst dressed list, because I can be extremely critical. So here they are, the Best and the Worst (in my opinion) of the 2014 Academy Awards:
THE BEST
1. Lupita Nyong’o
I know I’m just reiterating what every other fashion blog has already written, but here it goes – this girl looked flawless. Not that it came as a surprise to anyone, considering Lupita has killed it at pretty much every event she’s attended this year. The ice blue color, combined with the low-cut neckline and the light, flowing bottom, made this dress one of the best we’ve ever seen at the Oscars. Not to mention that Lupita absolutely GLOWED in it the entire night, which made it look that much more stunning. I’m not gunna lie – I could’ve done without the headband. I know I’m in the minority with this opinion, considering she can do no wrong in the eyes of Hollywood right now. But I think the sparkly headband, combined with her flowy gown, took it a LITTLE too far into princess-land…just a tad. Otherwise, her whole look was perfection.
2. Jennifer Lawrence
What an improvement from her terrible Golden Globes dress! I’m personally a huge JLaw fan, so I’m very happy that shed ended her awards season on a fashion high note. And how appropriate that our Girl On Fire wore the one of the brightest red gowns out there! I know there are some people who are completely over the peplum trend, but I thought that combined with the color and sleekness of the dress, it really flattered her body. Also it didn’t hurt that this confection caused everyone to have a #tbt moment to when she wore that amazing Calving Klein gown at the 2011 Oscars and looked like a total bombshell. The only minor complaint I have about JLaw’s look is her hair; however, I know there isn’t much she can do with it until that God-awful pixie cut grows out, so I suppose she was really making the best of a bad situation.
3.Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson was the definition of Hollywood glamour on the red carpet. While I’m not a huge fan of Ms. Hudson herself, I can’t deny that her whole ensemble was flawless. Her dark eyes and wavy hair were gorgeous, and that dress was amazing in itself. The tight, beaded middle section of the dress did nothing but flatter her figure, and the plunging neckline was appropriate because she has a smaller chest. Was the cape-like piece hanging off the back necessary? Not really. But did it bring down her look? Not at all. She looked like a blonde goddess in that white-hot gown. Unreal.
4. Sandra Bullock
I always get a little nervous for Sandra Bullock at award shows, because she doesn’t have a great consistency with her style (think back to her disastrous Golden Globes dress this year). However, I was pleasantly surprised when Bullock stepped onto the red carpet and I didn’t even recognize her – in a good way. The deep navy looked amazing on her, and the side ruching gave the dark gown just enough drama. I also loved her wavy side-swept hair, which was a nice, fresh change considering she usually opts for stick-straight locks. Sandy B definitely outdid Amy Adams, her younger, navy blue counterpart that night. Simply put, this woman looked like the movie star we all know she is.
5. Couple: Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie
Looking solely at Angelina Jolie, I was pretty impressed, but not overwhelmed. That is why I had to bring her gorgeous other half into the equation here. No one can argue that Brangelina gets the, “most beautiful couple of the night” award. Angelina donned a metallic, glittering waterfall of a gown, while Brad Pitt wore a nice, well-fitted tux. Together, they really showed us what Hollywood royalty looks like. Not to mention that BRAD FINALLY CUT HIS HAIR! Yes, he kind of stole the Macklemore hairstyle, which wasn’t his best move, but it is still so much better than that long, grungy hair and beard he had sported for way, way too long. And somehow, he seems to be pulling a “Benjamin Button” kind of thing – I swear he looked younger than the last time we saw him! Keep doing what you’re doing, Brad.
THE WORST
1. Emma Watson
Bleh. That’s pretty much all I have to say about Emma Watson’s Oscar look. Which is a shame, considering she is a gorgeous girl with a great body, and has a ton of fashion potential. But this dress did nothing for her. The colors were boring, the material looked heavy, and it was SO underwhelming for an Academy Awards dress. I always want to like her outfit choices, but they just rarely work for me. After her mess of an outfit at the Golden Globes this year (think red dress over black pants), I was praying Hermione would get it together a little for this event. Unfortunately, she just failed to deliver. On a more positive note, her makeup and hair looked beautiful, so at least she had that going for her.
2. Anna Kendrick
Ahhh, this dress had so much potential! When I first saw it from the back, I thought I would love it. The interesting patterns from the straps intrigued me, and I couldn’t wait for Anna Kendrick to turn around. However, once I got a good look at the front of the dress I was quickly disappointed. There was So. Much. Going. On. The slit at the bottom wasn’t bad, but it did resemble a meager attempt at the infamous “Angelina Jolie leg” at the 2012 Oscars. The sheer cutout parts at the top could’ve been done away with completely. And then random red lace middle… why was it red?! Those are my three main issues with this look. From the neck up Kendrick looks flawless, and she gets an A for effort. But unfortunately this was a miss for her.
3. Anne Hathaway
I will preface this by saying that although I am a public Hatha-hater, I went into this whole judging process with an open mind. I put my bias’s aside, and was fully ready to accept any gorgeous gown Anne Hathaway might’ve shown up in. But I think most people can agree that she just didn’t deliver. That bejeweled top instantly reminded me of a suit of armor, and it looked heavy and borderline tacky. And the worst part of it all was when she got on stage to present her award and basically blinded the Oscar viewers. The stage lighting made that armored chest plate reflect the light every which way, causing it to sparkle and flash way too intensely. It was simply one of those dresses that didn’t do Hathaway any favors in pictures or on video camera. However, I will say that I found this dress much more appealing than that sad ensemble she won her Oscar in last year, so at least there was some improvement.
4. Glenn Close
This dress literally has nothing going for it – it looks heavy, ill-fitted, and is comprised of unflattering material. I wish it showed off a little skin somewhere, because Glenn Close looks fantastic for a 66 year old. She was having the opposite problem of Bette Miller, who’s dress showed too much cleavage and was not age appropriate (she barely missed this list, by the way). Instead of having a little fun with her Oscar’s gown, Close went for a boring black frock that kind of reminded me of Maleficent. And as if this look wasn’t drab enough, it got much worse as soon as I realized this “gown” is actually two pieces. WHY. There’s just no need for that, Glenn.
5. Liza Minnelli
This woman is far and away my worst dressed for the night. Actually, she was the only one who made me have a “WTF was she thinking?!” moment. But my guess is that is the exact reaction Liza Minnelli wanted to get out of people. I know the 67-year-old basically doesn’t give a sh*t about what people think of her at this point, but she should put in some sort of effort. For God’s sake, at least wear a BRA to the most prestigious Hollywood event of the year. Liza arrived in royal blue trousers ready for a sleepover with the Smurf clan, and the blue streak in her hair just looked tacky. And don’t even get me started on those heinous black shoes. I know there are many people out there who are die-hard Minnelli fans and will defend her through any fashion mishap, and that’s fine. I just don’t happen to be one of them.
Final Thoughts:
- Heavy beading and neutral/gold tones were definitely the leading trends at the Oscars
- Pretty much every celeb on this list has stepped it up since the 2014 Golden Globes, as I have mentioned throughout this article. I’m not sure what was going on in Hollywood that evening, because it was full of terrible fashion mishaps
- Jennifer Lawrence fell again, and no one should be surprised at this point
- Kristen Bell apparently brought a burrito in her clutch to the Oscars, which is beyond amazing and makes me want to be her best friend
- It appears that Matthew McConaughey and his mother went and got heavy spray tans together before the awards show
- I LOLed at the fact that Kristin Cavallari was sitting there on E! News giving fashion advice along with Guiliana Rancic and co. Lauren Conrad was probably rolling her eyes/cringing as soon as Kristin appeared on her television screen. I’m sorry, but how is this girl even relevant anymore? She definitely does not belong anywhere near the red carpet – please go back to Laguna Beach.