Felicia's Picks:
Best Dressed:
GwynethPaltrow in Tom Ford
What can I say? This dress was absolute perfection on every level. First, the cape on the red carpet was not only chic and elegant, but also practical. There's nothing more unglamorous than shivering like a drowned cat in your haute couture dress! While others complained of the slight chill, Gwyneth stood tall. The color white went perfectly with her skin tone and the sleek lines remind us why we love Tom Ford in the first place —modern and sexy, but never vulgar. The column silhouette it gave is absolute perfection.
Worst Dressed:
Melissa McCarthy in Marina Rinaldi
Now, first of all, I adore Melissa. On the red carpet she was poised, genuine and elegant, while in "Bridesmaids" she was the most delightfully free and fearless woman I have seen in a very long time. But her dress simply did not do her personality justice. The sleeves just could not make up their mind. Were they waving in the wind? Was it a kimono-esque affect? Most importantly, the pale nude color made her disappear — she should have been in a vibrant turquoise or emerald, like a few of the other nominees. It would have made her eyes sparkle even more than they did in the nude Marina Rinaldi. The collar and belt were lovely, though. Any time you wear a Brian Atwood shoe, you need a dress that packs as much punch as your footwear.
ShaileneWoodley in Valentino
Princess Leia called — she wants her dress back. Enough said.
Best Pose-Inducing Dress:
Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace
Angelina never disappoints, and neither does Donatella. The black color added to the whole effect by deceiving the audience into thinking it was a simple design. But as soon as Angie turned around, you saw the thigh high slit (hello gorgeous legs!) and the delicate folding in the bodice. The red lips made it totally pop — classy and fabulous.
Jennifer Lopez in ZuhairMurad
In my opinion, this dress is right up there with the wow moment of her 2001 Grammy Versace gown. No one does plunging neckline like JLo and she looked amazing. I think it is safe to say that we fashionistas would do simply unspeakable things for those curves. And the cut outs on the sleeves were the cherry on the sundae — it was sleek and modern, yet so sexy and stunning. And it fit her like a glove, which is so important.
Rose Byrne in Vivian Westwood
Now this dress I love because it is perfectly acceptable and wow-inducing for any event we college fashionistas may attend. Black, sequins, backless and it hangs on her like a dream. Plus, I love the way she did her hair. This whole look is completely attainable and it's a subtle sexy.
Women I want to be in my 60s:
Glenn Close in ZacPosen
All right — a bustier top, tuxedo jacket, long train and in green? I hope I look this amazing at her age. Seriously. Glenn Close set the bar for what a mature, successful and confident older woman looks like and I will totally be copying her. Imitation, is after all, the sincerest form of flattery.
Meryl Streep in Lanvin
Pitch perfect — a gold wrap dress in stunning fabric. Meryl was her own statuette. She's an Oscar legend — who needs a statue when she's on the show?
Contact Felicia Caponigri at fcaponig@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Sean's Picks:
Best Dressed Woman:
GwynethPaltrow in Tom Ford
She looked amazing. No one can disagree with that. It was simple and chic. That is often hard to pull off, but she did it flawlessly. I would be remiss if I did not mention the cape. If you would have told me that someone would wear a cape to the Oscars and look amazing, then I would say that you should go back to Comic-Con.
Worst Dressed Woman:
Emma Stone in GiambattistaValli
Oh, Emma Stone! Oh my dear, dear Emma. After your last appearance on the Red Carpet at the Golden Globes, I had such high hopes for you. And then, you showed up wrapped like a car in a Lexus commercial? Come on girl, you need to represent us red heads a little better than that.
Best Dressed Man:
Brad Pitt in Tom Ford
Congratulations on winning the best-dressed-guy-wearing-exactly-what-every-other-guy-is-wearing award. Unlike many of the others, his bow tie was actually straight and he pulled off the long hair look well. He gets major kudos for that. And, unlike Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt's facial hair didn't look completely creepy.
Worst Dressed Man:
Jonah Hill
Apparently Jonah forgot that Black Tie attire actually means that you can wear white. I am still debating what color that shirt was. Was it purpley-brown, plum, blackish-purplish or is there some shade of indigo in there? I think I am going to contact Crayola and ask them what that color is. Maybe they can name it ‘The Jonah Hill.' At least when kids grow up, they will know the difference between black and whatever color that shirt was.
Honorable Mention:
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks went with the non-traditional double-breasted tux, and it looked really good. It stood out in the sea of traditional tuxes. Glad to see that the Oscars are no longer being completely dominated by George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
Contact Sean Fitzgerald at sfitzge3@nd.edu
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
