Last night, the actors and actresses were out to take home the trophy gold at the 84th Annual Academy Awards. The Oscars were held at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, where nominees from the year’s best in movies were out in their red carpet best. The Academy Awards red carpet, in the words of Tim Gunn, is truly “the world’s biggest runway” and the dresses that debut at the theater’s archway can make or break a designer’s reputation. So, which actresses sizzled and which just fizzled at last night’s ceremony? Click through to see if your favorite nominee made the list for best- or worst- dressed.
Top 5 Best Dressed
#5. Jennifer Lopez
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Oh Jennifer, when will you learn from these plunging neckline dresses? Regardless, the singer dared to bare and it paid off. Her striped plunging Zuhair Murad gown rocked the red carpet and was the talk of Twitter during the Oscar broadcast when she presented beside Cameron Diaz and had a near wardrobe malfunction. But this dress was so stunning, we’re willing to forgive her close-call nip-slip.
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#4. Ellie Kemper
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We don’t usually think of the Bridesmaids starlet as being a sexy standout in the crowd, but she dressed up nicely in this strapless fiery-hued Armani Privé gown. The color, which she described as “glittery rust,” perfectly matched her bluntly cropped bangs.
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#3. Rooney Mara
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Audrey Hepburn, move over. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo actress who’s been known for her rather dark, severe style, surprised everyone when she broke out of her LBD streak and opted for a LWD instead. Rooney rocked a delicate white Givenchy couture gown with a train from the designer’s Spring 2009 collection, and appeared dramatically contrasted in her usual dramatic red lips and pulled-back raven hair, forgoing any accessories. Stylists have already noticed the strong resemblance between Rooney’s look and Audrey Hepburn’s look from the 27th Oscars awards ceremony in 1954 down to the same designer. So is this look Audrey Hepburn 2.0?
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#2. Milla Jovovich
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Milla made a memorable first impression as a first-time presenter at the Oscars last evening. The actress made a stunning entrance on the red carpet in this slim, but sexy one-shoulder Elie Saabcouture gown,Jacob & Co. jewelry, and blinged-out Edie Parker box clutch. Her soft locks and makeup perfectly complemented her ensemble.
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#1. Jessica Chastain
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Although The Help actress wasn’t a winner in her nominated category for best supporting actress, Jessica was our top pick for best dressed on the red carpet yesterday evening. She looked like a million bucks (or maybe two million) in her romantic black-and-gold Alexander McQueen gown, which she accessorized with loose red tresses and $2 million worth of yellow Harry Winston diamonds.
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Top 5 Worst Dressed
#5. Angelina Jolie
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Angelina was definitely the talk of the red carpet, arriving fashionably late in her black Atelier Versace gown and flashing that leg to the paparazzi through a sexy thigh-high slit. But we’ve seen black gowns on her before, and even on Angie it’s starting to look drab and dreary.
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#4. Gwenyth Paltrow
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In a sea of white gowns at the Oscars this year, Gwenyth definitely stood out in this Tom Ford ensemble. The dress itself was slim and lovely, but the cape was weirdly otherworldly. Thankfully, she ditched it to present Best Documentary Feature, but it’s that first red carpet appearance that counts.
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#3. Melissa McCarthy
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While we all adore funny lady Melissa from Bridesmaids, her custom Marina Rinaldi gown was a bit of a disappointment. The beauty of Grecian goddess dresses is that they tend to flatter any body type, but we’ve seen better gowns on this best supporting actress nominee.
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#2. Shailene Woodley
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The young star of The Descendants took a fashion risk in donning this long-sleeve white Valentino couture gown, but we think it made her look washed-out and lackluster.
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#1. Sacha Baron Cohen
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What else would you expect from Sacha Baron Cohen? The actor appeared as his character from The Dictator, sporting a uniform by John Galliano. He caused a ruckus on the red carpet when he spilled the “ashes” of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il all over Ryan Seacrest. But is that funny or just offensive?