The Fringes: Best and Worst Dressed of the 2012 Academy Awards

Last night was a bit of a task for me bouncing between NBA All Star game and the Oscars Red Carpet coverage but oh so worth it! It's always about the gowns at the Oscars. And then there's the actual show but psh! There were was a lot of black, nude and white (and variations of white) looks on the carpet with few splashes of colour in between. I must say, initially the gowns were disappointing because almost everyone played it "safe" and I was also really hoping for more colour on account of the brilliant hues I've seen on the runways recently. Having said that, two of my hands-down favourite looks of the night were in fact white.

And so begins my best dressed!

BEST DRESSED

Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab

Milla is all the way old Hollywood glam in this stunning beaded Elie Saab number. You can always see a dress and say "oh that must be Elie Saab" because of the impeccable attention to detail and beading work. No one does dresses like him and Milla was the perfect person to showcase this gown in all its splendid white glory with her understated jewels and Edie Parker clutch.

Gwyneth Palthrow in Tom Ford

I won't pretend to be sure of whether the cape was attached to the gown specifically for the Academy Awards or if it was originally designed like that but either way - stop the press! When I saw Gwyneth I literally stopped and sat gawking at the screen. Unlike Rooney Mara, who had to comment on how cold she was in her Givenchy Couture gown, Gwyneth had all the bases covered. Literally. She had a cape to keep her warm while still looking as graceful and elegant as any starlet I'd ever seen.

I must say I generally like to see more gems on the red carpet but the minimal jewellery works for Gwyneth and Milla because it helps ensure that their beautiful gowns are the real focus.

Now that we've seen the best of them let's take a look at the (not at all painful) worst dressed.

WORST DRESSED

Sandra Bullock in Marchesa

The issue I have with this look is not the dress itself. It's the dress on Sandra Bullock. If you've seen her at all in gowns you know she has an amazing body and this dress does nothing for it. I wouldn't have necessarily wanted to see her in something too tight or sleek but the silhouette of this dress makes her seem square, and square she is not. I'd like to see her go back to sexier looks like her 2010 and 2011 Oscar dresses. The white on her also seems a bit too white and washes her out.

I would've liked to see her in this Monique Lhuillier Pre-Fall 2012 dress which isn't too body hugging but accentuates all the right things.

Shailene Woodley in Valentino

Shailene Woodley has been a hit and miss on the red carpet for me but she's young and it's understandable that she may now be finding her red carpet style. Not all young starlets could be as gifted as Hailee Steinfeld. That being said, a key part of the reason Hailee was always so perfect on the red carpet is the fact that she always dressed in accordance with her age which I don't think Shailene did with this look. She looks very matronly in this Valentino Sping 2012 Couture dress not necessarily because of the sleeves, I think it's the detailing and the neckline also.

In keeping with the theme of sleeves, I would've instead liked to have seen her in this Michael Kors Fall 2012 dress for more texture and colour. This look will also perfectly compliment her figure.

Sherri Shepherd

While it was refreshing to see such a bold colour on the carpet, I personally don't believe anyone as top heavy as Sherri Shepherd should wear mermaid type silhouettes like the one she wore to the Academy Awards. I know she isn't there as an actor or anything but I couldn't let this dress just slide by. She and/or her stylist for the occasion should have gone with a look that would balance out her figure a lot more (and not show that particular kind of cleavage) like this Monique Lhuillier Pre-Fall 2012 dress.