My favourite Golden Globes dresses

There were lots of red carpet dresses from last night's Golden Globes that I liked, which is kind of a first for me. Normally I like a couple and dislike most of them, but things are different this year. It seems that the trends are more my style, for whatever reason. For the first time, there were so many gorgeous dresses that I can't really talk about them without pictures... so to discuss the dresses, I'm going to show them.

Let's start with the black dresses.

First up, the incomparable Sophia Loren, in a classic black sweetheart gown with net sleeves and ombre crystals. While I'm not wild about the slight shoulder pad look to the dress, I love the way that the ombre crystal design at the shoulders is picked up again at the sleeves. It's a beautiful dress and totally appropriate for a sophisticated woman. 

Apparently there's a huge scandal surrounding this dress, because Ms. Loren wore it before (gasp!) in November. Some think that red carpet dresses should be worn only once but that's just silly, really. Why wear a beautiful gown like that just once? Especially when one event was barely publicized at all, and you're Sophia Loren? 

I'm completely in love with this dress worn by Jayma Mays (who plays Charlie in Heroes and Emma, one of the teachers, in Glee). The top doesn't do much for me, but I swoon over the fabric on the bottom. I love the delicate geometric pattern on the fabric... it's so beautiful. I think there's a trend for very delicate, not-quite-lace shapes on fabric right now. I like it.

This dress, worn by Olivia Wilde (Thirteen on House) reminds me of a starry night with its dark, allover sparkles. The bias cut, draping, asymmetry, and drama are all reminiscent of those gorgeous gowns from the thirties. This is the ultimate thirties-inspired dress with its updated, "now" fabric and styling. I wish I was tall enough and thin enough to be able to carry off this gorgeous look because I love it so much. If I had the right body type, I'd buy it; Ms. Wilde is auctioning it off to support the relief efforts in Haiti.

The final black dress I loved was this one. Every time I saw Penelope Cruz on-screen, I was struck by the beauty of the lace up near her face. The rest of the dress is as stunning as the top and is perfectly suited to her. I'm not a huge fan of this mermaid shape but it works on the red carpet and I like the way the layers of lace echo the lace at the top. The sleeves make this dress even more interesting and beautiful.

Not everyone wore black to the Golden Globes. In fact, I'd say that there were as many women wearing nude and neutral shades as there were wearing black, so let's look at dresses of this colour next.

First, the pinkish dress George Clooney's date Elisabetta Canalis wore. I loving the woven detailing under the bust. It's clearly been constructed by weaving the chiffon and satin together and it really makes this dress unique and beautiful. I like the hints of bare skin there as well; it makes the design much more unusual.

Drew Barrymore looked better at the 2010 Golden Globes than she has in years; her hair is gorgeous and her girls are totally contained. Sure, the shoulder and hip crystal poufy things are a bit strange, but the rest of the dress is completely flattering on her. It fits her beautifully, sparkled under the stage lights, and the poufy things add some interest to the outfit. She's finally grown up, and this sophisticated gown shows it.

I don't know what it is about Jaime Pressly's dress that I like. Of course I love the sparkles, and I definitely love the way there's a subtle pattern to the sequins, and I even like the asymmetry. There's something about the whole package that one might dismiss at first but there's enough there that makes it interesting. And of course the shoes are awesome. :)

This last neutral dress is one that I wouldn't normally love because a tight empire dress with flowing bottom usually isn't my style. Of course Dianna Agron (who plays Quinn on Glee) looks stunning in this dress, but that's not what draws me to it. There's also something about the easiness of the design and the way that the dress flows that I'm definitely loving, and I'm also completely in love with the colour. It looks almost like moonlight on water to me, and that's a colour that I've had in my head and that I've been in love with forever. This is the kind of dress that would be oh-so-comfortable to wear just about anywhere.

Finally, let's look at the dresses I like that had some colour to them. There was a substantial number of women dressed in colours other than black and neutrals. Purples and pinks were the most popular dress colours, followed by navy.

Both Jane Adams and Fergie wore similar light purple grecian-type dresses with a defined midriff. I think the style of Ms. Adams' dress is much more interesting, with the satin cummerbund and the satin front skirt panel. I also like the fact that it isn't strapless. On the other hand, I like the colour of Fergie's dress more on her and I like that her dress has a slightly slimmer-looking waist.

I do wish Fergie would find herself a new hairstyle, because the center part and long sides make her neck look even shorter than it is and makes her look like a man in drag. I don't understand why, if she's wearing a girly dress anyways, she doesn't try to make herself look as attractive as possible.

The pink dress Diane Kruger wore wasn't a favourite of many. Personally, I like the variegated pink shades in combination with the gathers, giving the upper part of the dress more definition. It's an interesting technique. While this colour is good on her, I think I might have liked it better in shades of grey or silver, and I definitely would have taken the white thingy off.

And there we have it: my favourite 2010 Golden Globes dresses. I know that not everyone will love these dresses but there are definitely some gorgeous pieces here. I can hardly wait for the Academy Award ceremonies to see what people will be wearing then.