19th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Viewing Party Red Carpet

Lots and lots of images ahead!

This party held by Elton John was one of the big parties on Oscar night. Most of the people attending didn't attend the Academy Awards for one reason or another.e Instead of staying home and watching the Oscars, they dressed up and got together with others in the industry to watch the show. Afterwards some headed off to the other big Oscar night party: Vanity Fair's party, which I'll cover in the next post.

This red carpet was beige, not red, but I'll call it a red carpet anyway. Some of the trends on other red carpets showed up on this one, of course, but really just about anything went. Because the party is associated with the Oscars, the dresses did tend to be upscale and glamourous and sparkly.

As usual, I look only at women's outfits and I've included as many as I can find. Where I can find the designer of an outfit, I've included that, too. The pictures are after the jump... this way, the post isn't quite so long for those that might not want to look at the pictures.


Here are the women who attended the 19th Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar Viewing Party, in no particular order.

Heidi Klum in Julien Macdonald

I love that she's getting away from the short, shiny, tight dresses she's been wearing for so long. And I love this dress. I love the bodice with the mirrors at the shoulder and neckline, the mirrored waist, and the ombre skirt. It looks fantastic on her.

Ashley Tisdale in Jenny Packham

Here's an asymmetrical look that works. It's clear that the shoulder strap thingies aer supposed to look like that and they're quite flattering. I like the fabric with its subtle pattern, too. The colour is a bit off for her.

Hayden Panettiere in Luca Luca

The bodice is certainly unusual. It simultaneously flattens and spreads her boobs which isn't a look most women would choose. This look is ok even though I don't love her makeup or her hair or her shoes. Or her dress.

Nicole Ritchie in Halston (with Joel Madden)

Lately I've liked what she wears but I'm not wild about this particular dress. The cut-outs look strange and the sleeves don't look quite right. Her hair and makeup are impeccable, however.

Clare Danes in Calvin Klein

She wore this to the Vanity Fair party as well. This is something we don't see very often: a dress that is too big. The shoulders and waist are droopy and the whole thing is shapeless, making her look like a rectangle.

Florence Welch in Valentino

This high-necked, long-sleeve, floor-length dress is definitely her look. There's a floaty, romantic feel to this dress that I like. I don't even hate the flower-thingies! While this wouldn't be my personal choice or style, it works for her.

Kim Kardashian in J. Mendel

The dress is a little snug on her but it's still flattering. I don't like the mermaid silhouette - it's a little too bridal for my taste - but the design lines, skirt, and bodice work for her.

Vanessa Hudgens in Marchesa

The colour is pretty on her but it's hard not to think of this dress as an embellished towel. There's a lot happening on that bodice with the asymmetrical arrangement of sequins and beads and layers of ruched tulle and even though it's interesting, it's a lot to take in and it's messy. This might look better in person. The shoes are heavy for this silver-blue dress.

Dianna Agron in Salvatore Ferragamo

She wore this dress to both parties which is certainly reasonable. I love this colour on her and the neckline looks great but the hem is the wrong length for her and her waist is disappearing. And while darker makeup works for a low-light party, packing on both the eyeshadow and the lipstick is always a no.

Kelly Osbourne in Tony Ward

She's my style icon, I think. I love the way she dresses because she always chooses something interesting, stylish, and flattering and the outfits fit and are proportioned properly. This beautiful dove-grey dress with the ruffled sleeves and short train and satin belt fits her like a glove and is gorgeous on her figure and against her colouring. Love her hair and makeup, too. 

Serena Williams in Max Azria

There's nothing really wrong with this dress except that it does bring her waist down which in turn elongates her torso and make her body look disproportionate. Hmmm. That's actually a whole lot wrong with this dress; she should have just worn the Vanity Fair party dress all night.

Cobie Smulders

I wouldn't think that a t-shirt dress would be completely appropriate for this kind of party but the dress does look comfortable.

Skylar Grey

The idea of a sheer dress over an opaque lining isn't new at this or previous events but this sheer dress doesn't work with this particular opaque lining. I suspect that the lining is supposed to be a nude colour but it's more yellow than her skin and it changes the dress colour. The silhouette doesn't do much for her figure, either.

Candis Cayne

Ladies, if you have hugemongous boobs - either naturally or through the wonders of surgery - this kind of bodice isn't for you. When the fabric is stretched to its limit over her girls and the thin straps are doing everything they can to keep the girls in place the look is less sexy than trashy. Even if the bodice fit properly, this dress doesn't work for her as it's a bit too snug around her hips and emphasizes her belly. and it looks more like a nightgown than an evening dress.

Removed per copyright request, Feb 12, 2014

Malin Ackerman in Roberto Cavalli

I like this. The print (or sequin design) is interesting and I like the way it was used at the waist. I like the way the hem is solid black because it grounds the dress and prevents the print from being overwhelming. The silhouette fits her and is flattering.

Jessalyn Gilsig in Romona Keveza

Now here's a print that I like, even though it's probably a brocade or jacquard. It's a relatively simple dress that's quite flattering to her colouring and figure although it might be a bit young for her.

Katie Price

I didn't realize that they hired working girls for these parties but if they did I'd expect those girls to try to look classy and elegant instead of trashy and vulgar. That much fake boob doesn't need sequins to call attention to them. The low neckline and small straps just make those girls loose even more ginormous than they already are. The skirt is ridiculous.

Maria Conchita Alonso

Hmm. It's a little like a "Dancing with the Stars" dress except for the train. Those drapey things around her hips don't work with the rest of the dress. I'm totally against the Snooki pouf in her hair.

Natasha Henstridge (with Darius Danesh)

Oooh, sexy. The deep vee neckline and completely covered sleeves and skirt give this dress an understated sexiness. I'm not wild about the train for this event because someone could step on it but it definitely makes the silhouette work even better.

Nora Kirkpatrick

This dress is quite pretty with its touches of lace and creamy colour. It looks softly romantic, like something someone would wear to run through a field of flowers. It and her pose are just a little too sweet for this event. I don't know what she was thinking adding that brown leather belt and shoes to the look; they completely detract from the softness of the dress. Had they been sparkly or lacy the look would have been better.

Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (with Gregory Arlt)

What the..? This dress is all kinds of wrong. Why does it look like she hiked up the waist seam of this dress to just under her bust? The silhouette and colour are highly unflattering on her. Look at that hem.... that waist... those shoes.

Terri Seymour

The first picture I saw of this dress was from the waist up and I thought it looked nice. And then I found this full-length picture and I'm speechless. That weird peplum connected to the too-long skirt and train that drapes over the shiny satin skirt is fugly. It's a student design, putting that cutout and peplum there for no real reason.

Charlotte Ross in Sue Wong

What a lovely prom dress! The little ruffles on the skirt and the torso embellishments are pretty but not exactly adult party-worthy. The silhouette makes her look like a rectangle.

Petra Nemcova

Beautiful. The form-fitting silhouette hugs ever curve without being too tight or looking trashy. I love the boat neckline and the colour and the fabric and her hair and makeup. I still don't think that a train is a good idea for a party but the train adds to the overall drama and fabulousity of this dress.

Anne Heche

I want to like this because it has interesting, sparkly embellishments. But there's something off here. Part of the problem is her boobs, which need to be lifted up and away from her waist. Part of the problem is embellishments on the waist which are just a big mess of sparkle and which make her waist look wider. And part of the problem is the center slit in the skirt which just looks weird (unless this is a jumpsuit, in which case it would be weird but ok). The colour is terrible on her as well.  

Miranda Cosgrove in ZSpoke by Zac Posen

What a sweet, edgy dress! It's definitely age-appropriate and perfect for the occasion. The silhouette really works for her, giving her a waist and an hourglass look. I love the fabric, the exposed zipper, and the pocket flaps.

Stacy Keibler

I wonder if this sequinned dress was originally from the 80s? The straps and sweetheart neckline remind me of dresses from that time and the length could be from that era as well. The satin underskirt appears to have been added to the sequinned dress because it was too short. I don't love the end result, however. It would have been better if the straps had been narrowed, the waist taken in, and the skirt changed to perhaps add a third tier at the hem.

Odette Yustman in Monique Lhullier

The cutout on the bodice reminds me of those cutouts Narcisco Rodriguez used to do in his dresses. I like the cutout shape but I don't like the neckline or shoulder because it's weirdly unbalanced to me. The floaty skirt is pretty but the waist seam needs a belt to really make this dress work. If she's not careful she'll trip on her extra-long skirt. I know that these dresses are usually borrowed but there must be a way for the dress to be taken up for the event without ruining the dress.

Bojana Barovic

Now THIS is an elegant gown. I love everything about this dress except for the train which doesn't add to the glamour of this dress. The fit, silhouette, and colour are spectacular on her.

Paulina Rubio

She could have time-traveled from the 70s to now for all we know. That dress, that necklace, that fur thing, that hair - all very, very 70s. Too bad the dress gives her no waist because that makes her look fat.

Leah Remini

The skirt is a touch too long - or too short - and doesn't balance out the bodice. While the dress fits her, it's a bit simple for this event. Had the dress been floor length or had more in the bodice or sleeves it would have been better.

Ashley Bell in Catherine Deane

Here's another pleated-and-ruched-to-an-inch-of-its-life bodice with a goddess-type skirt. It's pretty and it fits her but the colour isn't perfect and there's nothing all that special about it.

Chaka Khan

Poor lady has no neck! I'm fairly certain that Prince (or the artist formerly known as, or whatever he's calling himself these days) is going to want his look back. A person would definitely be noticed wearing this outfit.

Cheryl Tiegs

Between the mother-of-the-bride vibe and the fact that I've seen this type of outfit at parties I've attended, this outfit doesn't look fancy or upscale enough for this kind of party. Sure, the neckline of the top is nice. The rest of the outfit, especially the short hem, does nothing for her figure.

Holly Robinson-Peete

This is a pretty dress and it's definitely flattering on her figure. The cowl neck adds volume to her bust and balances out her hip while the ruched waist minimizes any figure flaws she might have there. 

Tori Spelling in Evolution Vintage

She used to have giganto boobs but they seem flattened here; I wonder if she was wearing a good bra? I have to say that this dress isn't all that flattering on her. The waist is too loose, the neckline isn't quite right, and the fabric is hideous. The Tammy Faye Bakker makeup look doesn't work for her, either.

Sharon Osbourne

She looks lovely. I love the slit neckline and the sheer insets on the sleeves because they break up the solid expanse of black without revealing anything except for a hint of black bra. The dress is quite body conscious without being too tight and is definitely flattering.

Garcelle Beauvais

You know, just because corals and reds are current "in" colours doesn't mean that everyone should be wearing them. This particular shade doesn't quite work for her colouring. The dress is quite flattering and I love the central column effect.

Lorraine Bracco

Oh, dear. Did that shoulder strap fall down or does this dress have an asymmetrical neckline? A long gown should fall to the floor and this one is too short. The shiny fabric is also an unfortunate choice because it shows off every lump and bump she has. Had the dress had a more clearly asymmetrical bodice, been longer, and made out of a non-shiny fabric it would have looked fabulous on her.

Ashley Fink

I love this dress on her, and I love that she wore it all night to both parties! The way the fabric is gathered to the waist makes her look curvy. I like the shawl collar, too, and the skirt, and I love how she's accessorized the dress. I think the armhole is cut a bit too deeply, making it hard for her to raise her arms. I think this dress would look even more amazing if it was sleeveless but it definitely works for her as-is. She could also use some tips about posing for the camera.

Jenna Ushkowitz

And yet another too-long dress. This one skims her body but doesn't add anything to it or make it look curvier or anything. It's also a touch sheer but that's probably because of the camera flash.

photo sources: stylebistro.com, guardian.co.uk, glamour.com, starandstyle.com, nydailynews.com, osoblog.tv, tomandlorenzo2.blogspot.com, zimbio.com