Best Dressed Oscars 2014

Time for my annual best-dressed Oscar's post.  Where I list out my favorite Oscar's dresses.  And unlike 99% of Oscar's best-dressed list, I do not limit myself to A-list actresses.  I have this theory: A-list actresses get to borrow amazing dresses from amazing designers.  Which is fine, I have no problem with this.  However, because the focus is on showcasing an amazing dress, they don't necessarily find the BEST dress for their body.  My list is composed of women who found amazing dresses that they look great in.  Dresses that are interesting, and fit well.  Dresses that I love.  And not just the same old-strapless, or slit up to there dress that is expected, and rather boring.

Red:

Karen O, P!nk, Adele Fassbender, Bette Midler

Ruby red dresses are always stunning.  These were my favorite red dresses of the night.  Starting with the beautiful red dress worn by Karen O, who performed "The Moon Song," from the movie Her. The dress has cap sleeves decorated with ruffle flowers, a flowing ball gown skirt falling from the belted natural waist, and a simple sweetheart bodice.  It's romantic without being over the top.  Her hair and make-up are a perfect counterpoint to the dress: simple, without being plain.

P!nk's dress showcases a major trend of the Oscar's this season: the deep-v.  P!nk, who sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," as part of a tribute to The Wizard of Oz, shines in this brilliant red dress.  The dress is embellished with beading to give it shine under the lights, like the ruby-red slippers from the movie.  Like Karen-O's dress, P!nk's dress has a belt at the natural waist, and a flowing ball gown skirt.  However, P!nk's dress has demur sleeves and a detached train that make this gown more sophisticated than Karen-O's.  P!nk's hair is elegantly swept back, reflecting the elegance of her dress. 

Both Adele Fassbender (mother of Michael Fassbender), and Bette Midler wear red lace dresses over an underlay: Adele's underlay is nude, and Bette's is white.  Nude underlays were big this year at the Oscars--and Adele's dress is great example of the counterpoint of simplicity of the nude underlay against the decadence of the overlay.  Both dresses were fitted close to the body, with simple cap sleeves.  These dresses were elegant and refined.  Both Adele and Bette complete their looks with perfect hair and make-up.  Adele wears her hair down, her bob nicely framing her face, while Bette has her hair neatly swept back.  

Pink:

Kristen Bell, Jada Pinkett Smith, Camila Alves McConaughey, Olga Kurylenko

From the palest pink to deep rose, pinks showed up in every color this season at the Oscars.  Kristen Bell's dress, so pale pink it appears almost white, was more than the simple, expected strapless dress.  Covered in gorgeous, shimmering bead-work down to her mid-thigh, sweeping ruffles covered the remainder of her mermaid skirt, flowing down onto her train.  With a thick diamond necklace, and her hair pulled back--with just a little poof to the hair-- she looks elegant, sophisticated and glamourous.  

Jada Pinkett Smith glowed in her pale pink satin gown.  The dress gathered at her neck, and then flowed down her back into an elegant train the pooled behind her.  The skirt draped close to her body, falling down into a full skirt without overwhelming her small frame.  Her hair is neat, and her jewelry simple.  Her look is both sophisticated, and smoldering.

Camila Alves McConughey dress was extremely elegant.  From the long sleeves, to the high neckline, to the flowing cape, her pale pink dress screamed high society, and Old Hollywood.  One could almost imagine Cary Grant coming to sweep her off her feet instead of her dapper husband.  With her hair loosely pulled back, she is the picture of grace. 

Olga Kurylenko glowed in my personal favorite dress of the evening.  A rose colored dress with a simple skirt and cap sleeves, it would almost be boring except for the daring slit across the chest and the ruffles cut diagonally across the bodice, and piled high on one shoulder.  Her hair is pulled back, and she is wearing just enough jewelry to complement the dress without competing.  Also, she had one of the best accessories of the evening in her date Kellan Lutz (the very best accessory of the evening was, of course, Chris Helmsworth.)  

Blue:

Lupita Nyong'o, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Sari Mercer, Naomi Nelson

First year Oscar attendee and nominee Lupita Nyong'o glowed in her duck-egg blue gown.  With the deep-v, and ball gown skirt draping from a belted waist, this dress is on point for the season.  The skirt is pleated and shot with lines of sparkles running up the pleats, so that when she moves, it falls around her like a glittering waterfall.  Her accessories were simple, allowing her dress to shine.  Her simple hair is accented with a thin gold headband, framing her face beautifully. 

Producer and president of the organization in charge of the Oscars, Cheryl Boone Issacs was appropriately elegant in her periwinkle blue gown.  Embellished lace draped close to her body, highlighting her curves and pooling behind her in a train.  The cap sleeves, another trend of this year's season, and sweetheart neckline gave this dress interest, while maintaining a lady-like elegance appropriate for the woman ruling over the evening's festivities.  

Sari Mercer, date to nominee Chiwetel Ejiofer, stunned in her navy blue satin gown.  The trumpet skirt, draped neckline, and dart detail at the waist combine into an elegant dress that made her shine.  Her statement necklace and Old Holywood hair put her over the top, into one of the best dressed women on the carpet.  

Naomi Nelson stunned in her navy blue gown.  An empire waist, and lace illusion neckline, this dress is on trend this season.  The deep navy color highlights her complexion, without washing her out, the way blacks dresses sometimes do.  Her look was simple, elegant, demur, yet stylish and stunning.  Perfect combination for the red carpet.    

Embellished Nudes:

Jenna Dawson-Tatum, Kate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson

These women took the nude underlay trend to the next level with an embellished nude overlay on top of the nuder underlay.  Jenna Dawson-Tatum (with another excellent accessory in her husband) shone in her trumpet, cap sleeved gown.  A million ruffles below, similar to Kristen Bell's gown, and beading above, her dress was a princess-inspired vision.  Her simple hair and jewelry allowed her dress to shine.  

Kate Blanchett embodied stylish elegance once again on the red carpet.  Her full skirt, falling from her natural waist was on-point.  And her statement earrings perfectly complemented the exquisite beading on her dress.  Yet another woman channeling Old Hollywood, her hair hair shone with fingerwaves, neat and elegant.  

Sarah Paulson also shone in her embellished nude dress.  Her demur sleeves, similar to the ones on P!nk's ballgown, were a perfect complement to her high neck and simple skirt.  These elements combine to create a simple understated dress, a beautiful counterpoint to the beading covering the gown. 

Metallic:

Georgina Chapman, Maria Menounos, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Angelina Jolie, Alex Martin

Metallic dresses graced the red carpet this year.  This year, the dresses focused on pale, almost platinum, metallics.  Georgina Chapman, always exquisitely dressed, wore a white ostrich feather off the shoulder trumpet gown.  The dress was taken to the next level with the addition of metallic sparkle to the ostrich feathers.  

Maria Menounous's cap sleeve trumpet gown was scattered with a million metallic sparkles over the white dress.  Beautiful, and elegant, her simple up-do was a perfect complement.

Sydney Tamiia Poitier, daughter of former Oscar winner Sidney Poitier, wore a gorgeous silver gown.  The mirror like cloth shown brightly, and reflected the colors of the carpet.  Her deep-v, and full skirt falling from her natural waist were exactly on point.  She allowed the dress to be her statement piece with minimal jewelry and leaving her hair to fall loosely behind her.  Understated elegance.

Angelina Jolie, as always, was a picture of elegance.  Her gown, over a nude underlay, was a series of parallel rows of metallic beading, forming elegant stripes to lengthen and given her height.  Her long sleeves added to her Old Hollywood glamour.  Her simple accessories and hairstyle complemented her dress.  

Alex Martin, daughter of Whoopie Goldberg, also had a nude underlay dress with metallic design overlay.  The design of her metallic overlay was art-deco inspired, yet again nodding to Old Hollywood.  Her cap sleeves and square neck beautifully framed her face.  

Black:

Emma Watson, Mackenna Millet, Helene Reinaard Neuman, Glenn Close

Normally I do not enjoy black dresses.  Normally, they are boring, and expected.  However, several women at the Oscar's this year took black to the next level.  Emma Watson paired her black trumpet skirt with an elegant metallic shell.  Gorgeous, with minimal jewelry and her hair pulled back simply into a low pony.  

Mackenna Millet, a winner of a short film competition, embraced the nude underlay trend.  With a layer of black chiffon elegantly draped over the top, pleated across the bodice into a simple v neck and cap sleeves, she embodies elegance and highlights her curves.

Helene Renaard Neuman, wife of the director of The Hunt,was stunning in another nude underlay gown.  The black lace over lay and peplum train were stunning, high fashion details.  Her simple hair and makeup were beautiful counterpoints to the gown.  

Glenn Close stunned in her black gown.  The fabric had a geometric design woven into the fabric, adding interest to her beautiful trumpet gown.   

Brights:  

Leslie Mann, Selma Vilhumen, Philomena Lee

Leslie Mann (who was at the Vanity Fair Oscar's viewing party, but she is included because E! talked to her during their Oscar's red carpet show) stunned in a gorgeous chartreuse gown.  Chartreuse is trending again this year, and Leslie embraced the color in her gown.  Elegant, refined, yet light and romantic, this gown stunned.  Like Glenn Close's dress, the fabric had a pattern, this time raised dots, that gave interest to the gown.  

Selma Vihumen, director of the nominated Do I have to Take Care of Everything?, stood out in her bright yellow gown.  She stood out among the crowds on the red carpet.  In every aerial shot, you could clearly see where she was making her way down the carpet.  This was a woman who embraced the moment, and did so in a gown that highlighted her curves in a ladylike, refined manner.

Philomena Lee, who served as the inspiration for the movie Philomena, was gorgeous in her orange gown.  Tangerine, which has had a moment these past few years, looked gorgeous on Philomena as she walked the carpet.  The gown, with its gathered details, v-neck, and demur sleeves, was lady-like, elegant, and refined.