As you all probably know, the 84th Academy Awards aired on ABC this past Sunday evening. As a lover of not only fashion, but also the movies, the Oscars bring together two of my strongest passions...and I happened to think that the show itself was particularly good this year. As far as this blog is concerned however, the red carpet was not the most daring it has ever been, but it definitely was not dull. Angelina Jolie's black Atelier Versace dress was seductive through a high slit that her entire leg could pose through, but the voluminous shape overwhelmed her petite frame. Brad Pitt: get a haircut.
Glenn Close proved that sexy can exist at any age in a very flattering Zac Posen dress that hugged her curves with edge. And had the bust on Penelope Cruz's custom Giorgio Armani gown not looked as off, she would have been at the top of our charts for classiness. Is this the year of "channeling Grace Kelly" red carpet moments?
Meanwhile, Kelly Osbourne took a step in the right direction in Georges Hobeika. The gown was not for the faint of heart, and was a classy play on the red carpet critic's sassy style. Speaking of underdogs who really shined, Jonah Hill looked fabulous in a black-on-black tuxedo. But Robert Downey, Jr., get rid of the weird glasses. But now on to what all of you are really looking forward to: the best and worst dressed of the 2012 Academy Awards.
The Worst:
5. Rooney Mara: While many people went gaga over the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo star with short bangs and Givenchy, The Mannequin did not. We're sorry to break it to you, but she has not quite reached Audrey Hepburn status yet.
4. Jennifer Lopez: Sometimes showing skin isn't even slutty...it's plain unflattering. J. Lo's suffocating Zuhair Murad gown with arm cut-outs and quite the display of decolletage left nothing to the imagination.
3. Bérénice Bejo: She may have charmed us in The Artist, but Miss Bejo did not sparkle on the red carpet. Dressed in a grayish mint Elie Saab gown, it seems like Miss Bejo fell prey to the trend of aging yourself with the swish of a dress this year.
2. Shailene Woodley: While I do appreciate a young female celebrity who isn't always trying to sex it up, Miss Woodley's Valentino gown was dowdy and age-inappropriate.
1. Anna Faris: Diane von Furstenberg may have proven that she can do wrong with this one. The normally female-figure-flattering designer's concoction left Faris looking like she had just rolled around in a pile of shape-erasing grease. The severity of her hair diminished any chance of recovery for this ensemble.
*Virginia Madsen would have made the bottom of our Worst Dressed list, but The Mannequin prefers to recognize people with at least a little daring.
The One I Have to Mention That Does Not Fit a List:
While it was definitely not age appropriate or the right dress for her, Nancy O'Dell's yellow and black Chagaury Couture gown captivated The Mannequin's senses.
The Best:
5. Octavia Spencer: It had the same kind of flow as Jennifer Lopez's gown, but Octavia Spencer's Tadashi Shoji gown was a golden example of the art of dressing for your figure.
4. Kristen Wiig: At first I wasn't sure what to think, but the more I stared at the screen, the more I fell in love with Kristen Wigg's nude J. Mendel dress. The ethereal flow and lightness of the fabric softened Wiig's occasionally tougher appearance.
2. Milla Jovovich: She sparkled in HD and looked every bit as regal as someone at the Oscars should. Jovovich's Elie Saab gown was just the right mix of daring slink and sparkle.
1. Jessica Chastain: There's a reason why the cameras loved Chastain in the Oscars' audience and there's a reason why we're all still obsessed with Alexander McQueen...and this is it.
No matter what you gain from this post, whether it be entertainment, fashion inspiration, or advice, do remember this: In their introduction to the award for Best Costume Design, Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez quoted eight-time Academy Award Winner Edith Head: "Your dresses should be tight enough to show you're a woman and loose enough to show you're a lady." No wonder Audrey Hepburn is still considered to be a style icon.
