Red Carpet Review: Academy Awards 2013

There are only two things I will say about the hosting and show in general: there were segments that seemed to stretch out for eternity, and why can't Tina and Amy host everything, because MacFarlane was lame. Moving on.

I've been seeing and saying this for a while, but the 20s are and will be strongly referenced in fashion this year, and the Oscars certainly showed that. It's not the straight-up flapper references that you might expect, but instead Art Deco becomes the star. There was plenty of beading and column dresses to help stars look like charming versions of the Chrysler building.

Jessica Chastain and Catherine Zeta Jones were both in Deco beaded gold, but each having different success. Chastian's is subtle and lovely, and while Jones's beading was neat, it was not the best silhouette for her body.

Halle Berry's Deco dress was the most architecture-like. I love the minimal structured shoulder that has been more popular in recent years. It's strong without being 80s big or overly masculine.

Other Deco dresses included Stacy Keebler and Michelle Obama, and Nora Jones' and Nicole Kidman's dresses showed small winks to Deco.

 

Worst!
I didn't consider any dresses in my deliberations from red carpet interviewers or other stars who are always poorly dressed, bless their hearts. Aside from the usual suspects, my bottom three are Anne Hathaway, Kristen Stewart, and Renee Zellweger.

I know, Stewart should probably be one of the usual suspects, but she just looked so sloppy, from hair to dress to posture, that I couldn't not put her on the list. The fit is terrible and the dress looks like it's sliding down her body. Plus she cleared her throat into the microphone at least twice while she was presenting. Ew.

Renee Zellweger looked sloppy too. The color was wrong for her and the silhouette did nothing for her figure. She looked like she felt really uncomfortable.

My boo-iest boo goes to Anne Hathaway. I have to admit that the dress looks passable in this picture, but it was worse when she moved in it. It looked like student work to me with the odd fit, that tortured looking fabric, and eight different straps in the back, and I'm always disappointed when dresses don't have or don't facilitate bust support. However, I loved her necklace.

Dishonorable mention!
I have to mention both Jennifer Lawrence's and Amy Adams' dresses. While they both had lovely elements, they were simply too much dress. The ladies looked uncomfortable and cumbersome when they moved, and I can't even imagine trying to sit in a theatre seat for four hours with that much fabric to contend with.

 

Speaking of volume, Jennifer Aniston's dress had a better proportion of volume, and she looked lovely in that perfect red.

Best!
I wrote down a lot of dresses that were good to great, but nothing was a stand out for me. I suppose my four favorites were Jessica Chastain (pictured above), Sandra Bullock, Charlize Theron, and Naomi Watts. (Yes, Naomi Watts.)

I have been loving designer Elie Saab lately, and Bullock wore it well. Lace is rather a tricky medium, because it can quickly turn old fashioned and dowdy, but Saab has the magic touch.

I just love that Theron's dress is dramatic with exceptionally clean structure and lines. I could've done without the vee in the front, but it didn't ruin the look.

I will get flack for this, but I applaud Watts' dress. It was different from anything on the red carpet, it had those clean lines and asymmetry that I love, and it was a nice balance of classic with something unexpected. Not just anyone could've worn this dress, but Watts pulled it off in my book.

Honorable Mentions!
In no particular order, all of these ladies looked lovely. Octavia Spencer, Kerry Washington, Queen Latifa, Jamie Foxx's daughter in dark teal, and Daniel Day Lewis' wife.