Red Carpet Moment- The Academy Awards

Every year, award show season comes around, but the only one that I get genuinely excited for is the Academy Awards and it's all for one reason: the fashion. Even though other award shows are far more entertaining and recognize people I actually know exist, the other shows just never seem to have the magic and prestige that is the Oscars. There's a special sort of pageant and fairytale that comes to life on that Hollywood red carpet.


Once upon a time, when I was a little girl, I would get the TV guide with all the nominees in it and pick which ones I thought would win ( even though I had no idea what they were) and I would beg my mom to let me stay up until 11 to watch the entire show. Not because I cared who won best score in a short foreign film, but because to my childish eyes the Oscars were the royal ball and all of the presenters, hosts, and nominees were like Cinderella and Belle. And for one night, I could pretend my pumpkin (Big Wheels bike) was a crystal carriage (limo with a driver and a ticket to the after party).



The Oscars is an event known for ultimate Hollywood glamour and guests dressed in over the top princess gowns that make my heart melt, but this year it seemed like the stars' fairy godmothers didn't show up with their magical pairs of glass slippers. While there were a few dresses that made my jaw drop, for the most part everyone played it safe and looked like each other: I swear I just saw the same pretty but plain, straight, floor length, short sleeved dress over and over again. 


Plus side: every one wearing the same thing made my job of picking out trends a lot easier- the red carpet was littered with white, red, silver, bold solid jewel tones, short sleeves, column dresses, intricate details, less is more jewellery and simple hairdos.  The outfits at the Academy Awards, and the award show itself (sorry, James and Anne!) could have really used the wave of a magic wand, because I just sat there waiting for the clock to strike midnight so that the curse of boredom the show cast me into would finally be over. So instead, I'll make up my own fairytale about the characters I saw on the red carpet:

 Natalie Portman not only won the Oscar for best actress but also won the Oscar for best dressed in my books in a plum Rodarte off the shoulder gown. Mirror mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all? Definitely Mila Kunis in lavender Elie Saab. And newly single Scarlet Johansson didn't leave with Oscar but she will have no problem finding a prince charming in that stunning lace covered Dolce & Gabbana column dress.



Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine looks like a medieval princess in an ivory, ruffled Valentino, a colour reminiscent of her Grammy's dress but somehow working better here.  And all Halle Berry in Marchesa and Hilary Swank in Gucci Premiere need to make these gowns royal ball ready is a tiara because their dresses are the perfect combination of classic glamour and modern day detailing.  



Didn't the evil stepmother always wear black? Well obviously not because all three of these nice ladies look like royalty in their black ball gowns.  Left to right- Elizabeth Chambers in Armani with some Social Network actor arm candy, Camila Alvez in Kaufman Franco that made me not even look at the gorgeous Matthew McConaughey next to her.  And Oprah commanding the stage in Zac Posen.

It was a bright red apple that poisoned Snow White, but Anne Hathaway in Valentino (with the designer, whose skin colour matches the carpet), Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein, and Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang look delicious enough for me to want to risk it and take a bite.



Finally a princess-worthy poofy gown on Marisa Tomei! Thank you Charles James! And no tiaras necessary for Penelope Cruz and Amy Adams, both in L'Wren Scott (and both new moms!), because their dresses already have the perfect amount of sparkle.



Future princess Kate Middleton still looking for a white wedding dress? She should talk to these ladies! Cate Blanchette was a lot of critics' choice for best dressed in art deco inspired Givenchy Haute Couture. Melissa Leo caused a little controversy by dropping an F-bomb during her acceptance speech, but we forgive her because she looks elegant in a lace scalloped Marc Bouwer.  And Michelle Williams lets her natural beauty shine in this plain beaded Chanel Haute Couture.

Celine Dion (left) in Armani Prive and Gwenyth Paltrow (right) in Calvin Klein show that silver can sometimes be better then gold. Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman (center) is forcing me look into my magic mirror for an opinion- I am undecided about her white Dior Haute Couture dress and orange shoe combination.

Sharon Stone must have been riding with the top down in her carriage because it looks like a bird flew into the top of her dress. I wouldn't want Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter in Colleen Atwood to be my wicked step siblings; who knows what kind of crazy pranks they would come up with. And Virginia Madsen obviously is against the killing of cute little forest animals so she went with a nice fun fur Romona Keveza dress instead.

I'm confused if Jennifer Hudson in Atelier Versace is going to a royal ball or her high school graduation? Kathryn Bigelow must have gotten a ride to the Academy Awards in the Starship Enterprise because her Yves Saint Laurent dress is screaming Captain Kirk (or someone attacking a sweater with a pair of scissors). And when Mandy Moore showed up in  Monique Lhuillier who did they call? Ghost Busters! She's definitely the phantom lady in the castle- but the dress is a work of art.

**All images from style.com

-Maeghan