2015 Academy Awards Red Carpet

Finally I've finished the red carpet post for the Oscars. The dresses worn to this event weren't as interesting as those worn to the Grammys, probably because this is a much more formal occasion. The Grammys are formal but people attending take more risks with the outfits they wear there, and tend to show off more of their bodies there. Oscar red carpet dresses are a little more staid and subdued (and covered up) in comparison.

There were a whole lot of nude-coloured dresses here: clearly that's a trend that isn't going away. Lace and embellishments are still everywhere, as are metallics. Interestingly, there aren't many black dresses: reds and navies are much more prevalent, after the nude/white/blush trend. Thankfully, the trumpet skirt (which hugs the hips and knees and flares out at the knees) trend appears to be pretty much over, and the strapless trend is also on its way out.  

Anyways, enjoy the dresses after the jump...

Rosamund Pike in Givenchy Haute Couture

An elegant, beautiful choice. The bodice scalloping and waist contrast not only add interest but also give her an hourglass figure. 

Lupita Nyong'O in Calvin Klein Collection

This is made of strings of pearls on the bodice and pearls scattered throughout the skirt. I don't know whether these pearls are real or not; I hope not, because pearls need to be worn against the skin to maintain their lustre. The colour is lovely on her, as is the style, but I do find the overlapping peal strands just a bit heavy.

Naomi Watts in Armani

This is so unusual and interesting. I love the fabric and the silhouette and I think the back view is gorgeous. 

Margot Robbie in Saint Laurent

The bodice is lovely but I think that it would be much more striking without the sleeves.

Reese Witherspoon in Tom Ford

I want to love this but every time I look at this picture I want to straighten out the black bodice/sleeve combination. It looks like there's an off-center curve there that's not supposed to be there. 

She did start an #askhermore campaign on twitter to encourage interviewers to ask women about more than just who they're wearing. It was a refreshing change to hear about the women's work instead of their clothes in the red carpet show I watched.

Cate Blanchett in Maison Martin Margiela

Black is much too harsh of a colour for her skin and she looks completely washed out here. If her dress had been the colour of the necklace this would have worked.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Ralph & Russo Couture

We can tell that this dress is too tight by the wrinkles at the waist and hips. I love the colour on her and the sleeve saves this dress from looking too bridal.

Sienna Miller in Oscar de la Renta

This was one of my favourite dresses of the night. I love the dark blue lace with the black accents; it fits her perfectly and I love the shape.

Anna Kendrick in Thakoon

The picture doesn't do this dress justice; on-screen, it looked much less washed out. That said, this dress isn't terribly flattering. The colour isn't quite right and the shape isn't especially flattering. I do love that neckline and the back view, however.

Jamie Chung in Yanina Couture

The blue overskirt looks like an add-on to me; I think I'd have liked this better had the bodice been blue as well. 

Faith Hill in J. Mendel

The fabric is a little too heavy where it meets the waist there. That's the danger of having a surplice neckline (where one overlaps the other) that's gathered like that. The dress is fine; perfectly appropriate for the occasion. Some more jewelry in that deep neckline would have made the look even better.

Anna Faris in Zuhair Murad

The fabric is gorgeous and the style is ok. There's way too much skirt there for her and the effect is heavy. Also, that is not red carpet hair.

Julianne Moore in Chanel

People loved this dress but it's not really speaking much to me. The black and pink rows make this look not so bridal. Well, that and the fact that this dress does nothing for her waist - a bridal dress would cinch that waist in. 

Kerry Washington in Miu Miu

The colour looks nice on her and the peplum adds interest. There's not much else to say about this dress... it's kind of boring, isn't it?

Dakota Johnson in Saint Laurent

I find the asymmetry of the bodice not quite asymmetrical enough. I want to pull up that lower side. The colour is fabulous on her and I do love the shoulder embellishment.

She appeared on the red carpet with mom Melanie Griffith, who hasn't seen her movie and has no plans to do so, which clearly was a point of contention between them.

Catt Sadler in Charbel Zoe Coture

Well, this is... revealing. And sparkly. At least it has sleeves without them, this dress might tip over into tacky.

America Ferrera in Jenny Packham

I love the Grecian goddess look to this outfit, and the colour is gorgeous on her. I wish she'd worn a necklace but it's still lovely.

Chloe Grace Moretz in Miu Miu

Everywhere she went, in every picture taken of her, she's got her hands in her pockets. We get it: the dress has pockets. The problem is that I can't tell if those weird bulges just below the waist are due to the dress or her hands in her pockets. I hope it's the pockets. Maybe she was dyeing fabric so her hands are all blue and she needs to hide them.

Karolina Kurkova in Marchesa

This is a welcme change from the usual Marchesa because there's no lace anywhere. I love the back view but the dress is a bit snug on her and I don't think the pleats on the bodice really work all that well. 

Zoe Saldana in Atelier Versace

If you're looking for a dress that will make your hips look huge and your bust look small, look no further: you've found it.

Marion Cotillard in Dior Couture

Many people loved this, especially the back view. It is definitely unusual, and it's kind of neat, but I do wish that the black appeared somewhere on the front, too. The way the dress fits from the front is exquisite.

Rita Ora in Marchesa

That train is rather huge. The bodice is interesting but the gold is too close to her skin so it ends up looking strange.

Rita Ora in Vera Wang Collection

I much prefer this performance dress to her red carpet dress. I don't love that it's a mullet dress but I do love the shapes the dress makes, the dropped waist, and the fabric choices.  

Felicity Jones in Alexander McQueen

I love the bodice, and I love the skirt, but I don't love the place they meet. I think a belt might help. Still, the colour is lovely on her and it works for her overall.

Chrissy Teigen in Zuhair Murad

I think this might be the tackiest dress on this red carpet. Attire at the Oscars tends to be somewhat demure; you might even say tasteful, and this dress is not either of those things. That slit goes way higher than any skirt slit should which would be fine if she weren't showing off her underboob. It's great that she's covered her bellybutton and arms but she's exposed way to much here.

Scarlett Johansson in Atelier Versace

This dress fits her like a glove, and I love the way the waist looks. I'm not a huge fan of the statement necklace, however but I don't love statement necklaces in general. Her hair is a little odd - it feels a bit rigid for the severity of the dress.

Giuliana Rancic in Mireille Dagher

This is all right. The colour isn't quite right on her but the silhouette is fine.

Jennifer Hudson in Romona Keveza

I love this; it's sleek and sexy, fits her really well, and I love the colour against her skin tone. A necklace would have made this perfect.

Gina Rodriguez in Manon Gobard for Red Carpet Green Dress

The Red Carpet Green Dress is a competition where designers create red carpet looks out of socially responsible fabrics. The colour is gorgeous and it fits her well.

Kelly Ripa in Christian Siriano

This is nice, if a bit much for her tiny frame. Still, it has pockets, and that's a definite selling point.

Nicole Kidman in Louis Vuitton

This is a nice enough although the colour doesn't suit her. The red belt makes it interesting.

Nancy O'Dell in Gauri & Nainika

I like the way the train is a separate layer from the dress itself. I also like the embellishment running from the waist to the shoulder. I only wish that the dress was a colour other than black.

Lara Spencer in Carmen Marc Valvo

This is very simple and flattering at the same time. It doesn't look as formal as most other dresses but it does look comfortable. And pink.

Carmen Ejogo in Houghton

Even though the dress is a little bit too long and she looks like she's sinking into a puddle, I kind of like this. I love that it's so delicate and that it hangs from barely-there straps; it reminds me of a dress from the 20s or 30s.

Joanna Newsom in Honor with Andy Samberg

What is it with bodices and skirts not matching up? As much as I like the bodice embellishments and skirt separately, they don't really go together much. There is also something a bit bridal about this, too. Still, it's not so bad.

Kelly Osbourne in Rita Vinieris

Even though this is a mullet dress, I love it. It's definitely one of my favoutrites. I love the pleats in the skirtl the underskirt of lace; the bodice; the lace over-bodice; and the overall proportions. It's gorgeous.

Kelly Preston in Gustavo Cadile

The colour is great for her but the shape is kind of boring and the bodice doesn't fit her well. She could also use some jewellery to make this outfit look finished.

Behati Prinsloo in Armani with Jared Leto

I love the contrasting bodice and skirt. It isn't often that the reverse if a fabric works as well as the main side but the two sides work equally well here. The fit is exquisite and the colour lovely against her skin. Her hair is just a touch severe, though.

Georgina Chapman in Marchesa

Now this is what I'd expect to see from a Marchesa dress: lots of lace and frippery. I don't think this dress is exactly attractive or flattering but it is eye-catching.

Laura Dern in Alberta Ferretti

I wonder if this dress has pockets. It sort of looks like it, doesn't it? I like this dress because it's got an interesting pattern of embellishments and it fits her perfectly.

Zendaya in Vivienne Westwood

This would definitely look like a bridal gown on anyone else but on her it doesn't look too bridal. I love the draping and the fit and her jewellery. And her hair.

Keltie Knight in Monique Lhullier

I don't think this is the most flattering outfit that she could have chosen to wear. The slit is a bit much, don't you think? And the bodice is nice but doesn't do anything much for her figure.

Patricia Arquette in Rosetta Getty

I love the sleeve/drape combination thingy - and it looks great with that skirt. This bodice and skirt combo works together in a way that others don't. Before the performance, her hair was a terrible mess, with flying bits all over the place but it was in place to receive her award. I loved that when she accepted her award for best supporting actress, she said that it's time for equal wages for women.

Ryan Hawke in Jenny Packham with Ethan Hawke

I love the fabric, her hair, the jewellery, the skirt, and the bodice. The sleeves, however, I don't love. This dress would be stunning without the sleeves.

Keleigh Sperry in Lorena Sarbu with Miles Teller

If she arched her back anymore her head would be bent back and she'd be looking up. I love the dress but I wish she showed a little more decorum. Aren't I the old fuddy-duddy?

Rene Russo in J. Mendel

I like this. What saves it from looking too bridal are the waist cutouts. The layers are interesting, the neckline is gorgeous, and it fits her so well.

Brooke Anderson in Leanne Marshall

Aside from the colour, the bodice, and the skirt, this is lovely.

Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji

This dress is perfect for her: the draping is flattering, the fit is perfect, and the colour is gorgeous. She looks amazing.

Ava DuVernay in Prada

The colour is perfect for her and the embroidery is lovely. The sleeves are a little odd but the overall effect is interesting.

Oprah Winfrey in Vera Wang

The draping is lovely except that it sort of looks like there's a band holding her bum up. We can all use a bit of help to keep our bums up but I'm not sure being that obvious about it is a good idea.

Roshumba Williams in Donna Karan

This is sleek and sexy and gorgeous. The bodice is spectacular and the skirt fits her like a glove.

Paige Butcher with Eddie Murphy

I'm not in love with the strapless look but I rather love the colour and the back skirt. It fits her perfectly and emphasizes her curves. I love it.

Hannah Bagshawe in Alexander McQueen with Eddie Redmayne

Those hip pad things are... unusual. If it weren't for those, this dress would be just beautiful. The colour is perfect for her and the gold neck and waist embellishments add interest.

Genesis Rodriguez in Vivienne Westwood

I can't tell whether this dress is supposed to look like that or if it's too big for her. I think the draping at the hips is supposed to go gently across, not sag in the middle, and the neck/sleeve combo looks like it's overwhelming her shoulders.

Shaun Robinson in Leanne Marshall

This is one of my other favourite dresses. I love the colour, the empire waist, the neckline, and the many-layered skirt. It's gorgeous on her.

Lousie Roe in Monique Lhullier

This is like a side-mullet dress with a train. I like the print and the style is ok. It fits her well and flatters her. I like this but I don't love it.

Meryl Streep in Lanvin

Calm, cool, and collected: this is perfect for her. She looks amazing.

Robin Roberts in Marc Bouwer

She looks put together and well-dressed, like usual. She always wears something that isn't too overwhelming. 

Dorith Mous

I think she's standing like that, with her leg way out, so that we'll all notice her shoes. I like it: the combination of the skirt and bodice really works for me. I don't love the shoes, however.

Rachael Harris in Nicole Miller

I love that she wears glasses on the red carpet, although I she wore more jewellery. Then again, with a dress this busy, too much jewellery would be too much.

Melanie Griffith

The dress fits her and looks fantastic. Her face is a little overworked, however. When she was on the red carpet with Dakota Johnson, her daughter, she looked like she'd had way too much bad work done.

Thea Andrews in Rita Vinieris

While the colour is lovely on her, the dress style is a bit too prom-like to be perfect. Plus to me it looks like the whole dress is slowly sliding down to the ground, which is never a really good look.

Andrea Riseborough in Jenny Packham

This is quite sheer, which is a bit of a trend these days. The colour isn't right for her and the bodice reminds me of a shaker sweater from the 80s with the ribbing look, slight blousing out at the waist, and what appears to be shoulder pads.

Gayle King in Vera Wang

This is nice enough but it's too short. A little longer would be better. 

Tracey Edmonds

A lot of people didn't like this because it looked like she was wearing armour and a skirt but that's exactly what I love about it. I rather love that bodice, and I love the overall shape of the dress.

Blanca Blanco in Lafonn

I don't know who she is or why she's wearing this dress. This is definitely different but I wouldn't call it attractive or especially flattering,

Lady Gaga in Azzedine Alaia

This was custom-made for her. It's more of an art object than a dress, and while I love the fabric and the skirt, the sleeves are a little much for my taste.

Lady Gaga in Azzedine Alaia

I preferred this dress to the red carpet dress; it's interesting and worked for the song. Not that anyone was really paying attention to the dress for her amazing performance.

Jennifer Aniston in Atelier Versace

This is interesting; I like the way the embellishment swirls around the dress. It's more gorgeous when it's on tv; the still photos don't do it justice. 

Jenna Dewan-Tatum in Zuhair Murad

Even though the neckline goes down to there and there's a but of underboob showing, this dress is lobely. I like the draping and sparkly bits, which add interest to the dress.

Sophie Hunter in Lanvin with Benedict Cumberbatch

I do like this. The slit is flattering and the metal embellishments are lovely; I also love the drape on the back. She's a few months pregnant here but you can't even tell: now that's a flattering dress.

Jennifer Lopez in Elie Saab

It's just like JLo to show up at the Oscars wearing something like this: too big, too revealing, and too much like her skin tone. She couldn't walk around in this dress; when she was interviewed on the red carpet, she talked about how she couldn't navigate the stairs. After she presented, as she was walking off the stage, she had trouble getting the dress out of the way.

Solange Knowles in Christian Siriano

What is there to say? I think this is a jumpsuit with layers. Oh - and pockets! That's the best part.

Jessica Chastain in Givenchy Haute Couture

Oh yes, I do love this dress, too - it's another one of my favourites. I love the cowl front and back, the bodice, the shape, the colour, how it fits, and how it looks. This is beautiful.

Emma Stone in Elie Saab Couture

I love everything about this dress except for the colour, which doesn't suit her. Imagine this in a blue - wouldn't that be perfect? This is gorgeous: great design and well-fitted.

Keira Knightly in Valentino

It kind of looks like she draped a sheer curtain around her, doesn't it? It's too long, too big, and too the wrong colour for her.

Viola Davis in Zac Posen

Although this has a bit of the bridal and prom look about it, I like the flap on the skirt and the sleeves. Plus the colour is nice on her.

Anna Wintour (L) and Bee Shaffer

You'd think that the editor of Vogue would let it be known who she was wearing but no. I don't think anyone else could get away with wearing a tiered white dress and fur cape to the Oscars. I love the print of Bee Shaffer's dress - there's something interesting and unusual about it and yet it's still perfectly appropriate.

Michelle Schumacher with J.K. Simmons

The colour is gorgeous on her and the dress is flattering - especially with that wide neckline. I don't love the sleeves  but they work, somehow, with the overall dress. 

photo credits: stylebistro.com, zimbio.com, vogue.com