The 2015 Academy Awards red carpet was by far the most disappointing I’ve witnessed in several years. Many dresses were just ‘eh’. Not horrible but appeared that no thought was put into the choosing. “Oh darn, the Oscars are tonight. Let me see what I can dig out of my closet…” For the multi-million dollar salaries these ladies make, I want a show. I want to be awestruck and dazzled. I want to text madly to my friends. “Did you die with that dress?” A few did hit the mark. Here are my favorites.
My Best Dressed picks start with Best Actress nominee (1) Rosamund Pike, the “Gone Girl” star who looked every bit a glamorous siren in a red, lace Givenchy entrance-maker, that fit her curves to perfection. Simple hair and minimal jewelry finished off her regal look. The best of the entire night!
(2) Julianne Moore who won for Best Actress, shimmered elegantly in Chanel. She dressed like she knew she would win, giving us flawless, ‘Old Hollywood glam.’ Wish the dress had been a different color. White isn’t terribly flattering on such fair skin.
(3) “Wolf of Wall Street” star actress Margot Robbie was a stealthy showstopper in sleek, black Yves St. Laurent, showing just enough cleavage to frame a breathtaking $1.5 million Van Cleef & Arpels “Zip Antique” necklace, which design was originally commissioned for the Duchess of Windsor. A red lip added just the right impact.
(4) Best Actress nominee Marion Cotillard took a fashion risk, as she usually does, in a white eyelet Christian Dior Couture. The style is more fashion than bombshell, but what I love about her is she does not care. Her entire look was fashion heaven.
(5) Much-talked-about Dakota Johnson, star of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” was fresh and beautiful in a sleek, red Yves St. Laurent. She kept her style young and sexy with a high ponytail and minimal makeup and jewelry. Flawless.
(6) I do love fashion favorite Lupita Nyong’O but I was back and forth with this Calvin Klein Collection dress. At first, the camera ‘read it’ as flat, white fabric so I was unimpressed, then I saw the mounds of pearls (reportedly 6000 of them on the entire dress) and that put her into Best Dressed. A bit top heavy with the pearls but beautiful in a ‘work of art’ way.
(7) Model Behati Prinsloo in Armani Prive, looked more glamorous than many of the movie stars on the same red carpet. For shame! I loved this dress, but the scraped back “I’m going to have a facial” severe, prison matron bun is in the same “highly unnecessary” category for me as a nude lip.
(8) Of course, I love Jennifer Aniston. She looked sexy and fabulous, yet reliable, in Atelier Versace. But girl, do something else with that hair. (Rachel used to!) And it wouldn’t kill you to give your red carpet makeup a teeny bit more intensity. Eyeliner? Please? That natural look starts looking bedraggled, messy and “I’m letting myself go” when you’re in your forties.
(9) Best Actress nominee Reese Witherspoon took the safe route in a black-accented Tom Ford column gown. I loved the dress but not if you’re nominated! This was more a “non-actress wife of male nominee” dress. Nice, but not a showstopper.
(10) I loved Supporting Actress nominee Emma Stone’s Elie Saab. The unique green complemented her red hair and fair skin tone beautifully. But the dress itself teetered on being a little too old for her, but the leg slit kept it sexy and young.
(11) & (12) My best dressed couple is Channing Tatum in a Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo and Jenna Dewan-Tatum in Zuhair Murad. Both are drop dead gorgeous with impeccable fashion sense, individually and together as a couple. He’s James-Bond-dashing and she is sexy and chic without falling into the show-it-all-hoochie, Kartrashian category.
ALMOST THERE
I was forced to create an “Almost There” category because many of these picks below fell short of being in the Best Dressed because of simple, yet glaring bad decisions that could have been avoided. A simple tweak or change of color would have elevated them into Best Dressed.
(13) Less is more. Scarlett Johansson’s deep green Atelier Versace was impeccably tailored, the color and the fit were perfect on her. She looked breathtaking. Except for that Moulin-Rouge-meets-saloon-girl necklace/neckpiece thing. And dangly earrings too? Next time slap your stylist.
(14) The ethereal Cate Blanchett usually can do no wrong but the John Galliano for Maison Margiela Couture fell flat. Again, better suited for “banker’s wife attending a conference dinner” than red carpet. No glamour or sparkle. And no matter how many diamonds you pile onto a turquoise necklace, even if it’s Tiffany, it’s not black tie/red carpet. It’s “let’s have lunch in Palm Beach casual.” Casual!
(15) I usually like Sienna Miller’s style but this Oscar de la Renta was sadly underwhelming for the Oscars red carpet. It looked plain and dull on camera. Also, the top was too tight and the bow made the top look cluttery. But, for a Miami gala where you see this dress up close, just beautiful.
(16) Adorable Anna Faris did make an effort in a glittery, strapless Zuhair Murad ballgown but it was too much dress for her petite frame. Less fabric in the skirt – maybe remove some petticoats – and perfect! Her hair should have been up, because the straggly ends got stuck inside the top of her dress. Also, more defined makeup and a subtle red lip would have been more sophisticated to match the dress’ glam factor.
(17) Zoe Saldana in Atelier Versace. These pale washed out colors do nothing for anyone’s skin tone. This dress in a brighter or much lighter color would have popped on the carpet. It also would have been way more impact as a strapless. Those wide, bra-like straps made it more casual and they competed with the necklace. But the fit was spectacular.
(18) Here we go again. The muddy, pale colors. Viola Davis in Zac Posen. Zac did a series of these dresses in bold gorgeous colors like cobalt blue and red. Anything would have been better than this ‘funeral home’ dusty rose. Also it could have been sleeker. She has a great figure and the voluminous skirt, hid that and made her look a bit matronly.
Daisy Olivera