Of all the Oscar ceremonies I’ve seen in my days, this year’s turned out to be the greatest fashion disappointment yet. Bigger was apparently better at the 85th annual Academy Awards — a maxim which applied as equally to the fashion choices as it did to host Seth McFarlane’s inappropriate humour.
Best Actress Winner Jennifer Lawrence in Dior, presenter Jennifer Aniston in Valentino and nominee Amy Adams in Oscar de la Renta all favored big, ballgown-style dresses with long trains. Of the three, I was most taken away by Adam’s and Lawrence’s attire. Lawrence looked her age, yet classy, in her pale pink fairy-tale gown. Aniston’s gown, on the other hand, was only eye-catching due to its vibrant red color — other than that, it left much to be desired. It did not flatter her shape at all and was a classically boring choice, which has become Aniston’s signature for red carpet events.
Moving on to more dresses I hated, Anne Hathaway’s was probably the worst. Her pink Prada dress looked horrible all over — “business in the front and party in the back” was how she described it, but I didn’t see any party anywhere. The front gave the impression that she wasn’t wearing a bra and the statement the open back should have given was lost on her alabaster skin. Her dress was closing in on being more annoying than her personality, which is saying something.
Jessica Chastain had a similar coloring problem with her beige Armani gown — it washed out her pale complexion and strawberry blonde hair. The ladies continued to disappoint in Armani — Naomi Watts’ silver, sparkly dress would have been better suited for a New Year’s Eve fete than the classy Oscars.
The same can be said of Nicole Kidman’s L’Wren Scott sparkly dress and Jennifer Hudson’s blue sequined Roberto Cavalli gown with an awkward slit up the front. The cut and the color of Hudson’s dress could not have been more wrong for the time and place.
The final dress I had a major issue with was Halle Berry’s. Though her Atelier Versace structured dress flattered her figure, I was distracted by the awkward stripes that made her look like an early 20th century prisoner.
Of all the dresses on the red carpet though, I was most drawn to Jennifer Garner’s — a deep plum/magenta by Gucci — which she paired beautifully with a Neil Lane diamond necklace that looked fit for Hollywood — or actual— royalty. Had Salma Hayek been as astute in her jewelry selection, her high necked Alexander McQueen would have looked more regal and sophisticated. Amanda Seyfried’s silver dress by that same designer was another of my favorites. The choker neckline and intricate detail on her dress made it a unique red carpet treat.
Save for these few highlights, however, the rest of the dresses boring and repetitive.
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