Red Carpet Flashback - 2007 Academy Awards

Originally posted 2/26/07

Okay, it’s the Monday afternoon after the Oscars and I have already been asked a dozen times what I thought of the last night's Oscar fashions. 
 

It’s not as fun as it used to be to bash the stars on the red carpet thanks to Joan Rivers. But we can all still have our faves and least faves. There were a lot of beautiful dresses out there and very few horrible ones (thankfully!)

Onto the Oscar Night Fashions!

 

The Awful Dress Awards:

 

1) Penelope Cruz – just too much going on here. I also had a feeling, true or not, that this Versace dress would shed like a hairy dog. 

2) Beyonce looked like she was attending a cotillion. I have never seen her use the “less is more” adage. Maybe she should.

3) Best Supporting Actress winner Jennifer Hudson in Oscar de la Renta. I think she was nervous and putting her hands in the pockets wasn’t the best way to show off the lines of the dress. The color didn’t pop on her and what was up with that wacky jacket? It looked like an afterthought because she didn’t want to show her shoulders.

4) I hated this Chanel dress Kirsten Dunst wore. I hated the bangs and the dark red vampy lipstick. A loser all around.

5) Anne Hathaway’s giant bow distracted from how beautiful she is, and the antique lace of the gown was really dated. Felt to me like an Oscar dress from the 70’s. Not something a bright young star should be wearing.

6) While the dress Jennifer Lopez wore was gorgeous, I’m not sure it was the best choice for her. Graciously curvy, the draping and flowing fabric made her seem larger than she is, and threatens to start more pregnancy rumors. It would have better flattered one of those stick-thin actresses.

7) Jada Pinkett-Smith – usually one of my red carpet favorites, this dress reminded me of an Oscar itself, and also of that golden torso shield choreographer Debbie Allen wore many years ago. Jada knows her body, knows what makes her look great, and this was a rare misstep. But, her son was super cute, so that (slightly) redeems her.

 

The Best of the Best:

1) Perennial favorite Nicole Kidman – Helen Mirren may be The Queen, but Nicole is the undisputed queen of the red carpet. Never a misstep, and this gown didn’t disappoint. Wow! (It also doesn’t hurt that she has the perfect body to show off her clothes to the maximum advantage.

2) Cate Blanchett is one of my favorite actresses and is coming into her own as a style icon. She seems to have an innate sense of what looks good and more importantly, what looks good on her. She favors understated looks with a little bit of bling. This pewter dress was a bit of a risk, but looked spectacular.

3) The midnight blue of this gown beautifully balanced Maggie Gyllenhaal’s alabaster skin and dark hair. The lines were perfect. Can you believe she just had a baby?

4) Kate Winset’s mint green Grecian dress was a winner. After 5 nominations, she better know how to dress for the Oscars! One of the finest actresses today, I’m sure her award is coming!

The Better Bad than Boring Awards go to….

1) Reese! The dress is pretty enough, but YAWN!

2) Rachel Weisz – Yes, pretty, but completely expected on the red carpet.

3) Naomi Watts – a version of what we’ve seen her in a number of times. We get it, Naomi, you like feminine and flowy! Give us something a little different next time.

And now, the Just Yucky Awards!

 

1) What was Meryl wearing around her neck? Didn’t she learn anything by playing the editor of a fashion magazine?

 

2) Elisabeth Shue’s big hair was too much for that high, cluttered neckline.

3) Please be blonde again, Cameron!!!

And finally,

The two dresses I absolutely loved. They were contemporary and still appropriate for the Academy Awards. They weren’t in the traditional Oscar mold, but they were equally fabulous.

Jessica Biel (lt.) and Celine Dion