Oscars 2014 Red Carpet Review...

First, please note that I am reviewing the red carpet gowns for design ONLY...not the celebrity's talent, personality, or politics.  It seems that the overwhelming popular (Jennifer Lawrence, Lupita Nyong'o), simply can do no wrong in the eyes of the fashion police.  Or, the fashion police only focuses on the big name celebrities.  But, I think it is fun to review anything and everything that catches our design-minded eye on the Oscars' Red Carpet.  Furthermore, as I always emphasize, if you ever see me around town in workout pants, you know I am no fashion expert...so take the following opinions accordingly ; )  Finally, please proceed ONLY if you share a geeky-love of fashion, as the following will otherwise be tedious and boring.

In terms of speeches (I have not yet heard them all), I look forward to the acceptances from Lepita, Jared Leto, and Cate Blanchett, among others.  I adored the brief clip I heard from Jared Leto, with the inspirational homage to his mother.  

How fantastic is Ellen's selfie!  Record-setting twitter pic, apparently. I love that Lupita's brother is right in the midst of this star-studded action.  

Also, can we talk about how hysterical Ellen's pizza ordering/serving was?  Brilliantly funny!

Jared Leto

Lupita Nyong'o

OK, onto the fashion...Top 10 Favorite Gowns...

(photos by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

What can I say? Cate Blanchett almost always nails it on the red carpet.  This gorgeous nude Armani beaded gown is just ethereal, feminine, and heavenly. 

This is one of my favorite-of-all-time Angelina Jolie gowns (Elie Saab Haute Couture).  Love the glamorous subtle-yet-sparkly chevron pattern, neutral hue, elegant balance of sheer and coverage with the high neck and long sleeves.  Perfection! 

What a statement neckline!  Loved Charlize Theron in this Dior black statuesque gown.  The photo does not do it justice. In addition to neckline, I loved the intricate pleating (silk chiffon?) detail in the hemline...just stunning!

I absolutely LOVED Bond girl, Olga Kurylenko's red/rose colored gown by eco-friendly designer Suzy Amis-Cameron.  The asymmetrical pleated detail over the shoulder provided an interesting/unique detail, and the fitted waist and loose skirt were very flattering on her.

Olivia Wilde takes the best pregnant look of the evening, in my opinion!  She looks so elegant-yet-relaxed in this simple-yet-beautiful black halter Valentino gown.  I also love how she accessorized with the bold white drop earrings and bangles.  Gave it a playful, chic, and quirky vibe.

Loved Jennifer Garner in this silver/(actually looked more gunmetal, live) fringe column Oscar de la Renta gown.  She looked so beautiful and natural (esp with her relaxed, loose waved hair) and literally glowed on the red carpet.

LOVED Kate Hudson's beautiful metallic Atelier Versace gown.  Although, I do like the cape, I actually thought it looked better overall without (while presenting in the below pic).  The plunging neckline just works on her and the gathering of the gown at the waist was very flattering.

Loved the combination of simple silhouette + beautiful crystal beadwork detail of Calista Flockhart's Andrew Gn gown.  The subtle puff cap sleeve was elegant and feminine.  Also, love the emerald stud earrings, but her hair could use a restyle perhaps...

Adorable Kelly Ripa looked cute as always in this orangey-red gown by Roland Mouret.  Both the bold color and sporty style gave it a very modern and chic vibe. Also, LOVED her wavy bob!

This photo does not do Kerry Washington's gorgeous lavender Jason Wu's gown justice.  The rich color was beautiful against her skin and hair tones and the drapery of the fabric perfectly complemented her adorable baby bump!

10 MORE favorites...

I am going out on a limb here, as I am sure this is going to be highly unpopular ...I loved Lupita's 'Nairobi-Blue' silk georgette Prada gown, HOWEVER, since she has set the fashion bar so high after prior red-carpet appearances, this one fell a little flat for me.  And, I may be the only person on the planet that did not love the headband.  It was a little too ice-princess/Cinderella for me.  Nevertheless, she is stunningly beautiful with a killer fashion sense, a brilliant actress to boot, seemingly humble and kind, so it is easy to see why we all adore her!  Furthermore, I love to hear her speak, for both the endearing accent and eloquent speeches.

(I preferred this bold turquoise blue gown she wore to the SAG Awards...)

I am not very familiar with actress, Kristin Cavallari, but I adore her Alexander McQueen gown and the metallic feather-like detailed cap sleeves and simple white column gown that shows off her baby bump...adorable!  

I don't care what (I can only assume) Joan Rivers will say about this...I loved Anne Hathaway's edgy, modern, Epcot-Center-inspired? Gucci gown.

Naomi Watts typically nails her red carpet fashion, and she was stunning as always last night, in this crystal beaded Calvin Klein Collection gown.  She also had an interesting 'spider-web' like choker necklace that I thought looked a bit restrictive, (perhaps it could have hung a bit longer?) but it added an interesting, geometric, modern element to her ensemble.  Reminiscent of Sharon Stone, perhaps?

The photo does not do Jessica Biel's Chanel Couture nude embellished gown justice...you had to see it live (well live, on TV that is)....it fit her like a glove and she looked gorgeous!

Jenna Dewan-Tatum looked beautiful in this whimsical, elegant, feminine Reem Acra gown...Loved the feather-like detail in the skirt.

Viola Davis' emerald Escada gown was brilliant on her.  This bold color was so flattering against her skin tone.  Also, I love the asymmetrical line on top.

Similar in style to Naomi and Calista, loved the simple cap sleeves of Maria Menounos' Johanna Johnson gown...

I think we are all over Kelly Osbourne's purple hair, (this look would have been stunning in her natural hair color) but I loved her Badgley Mischka's gown with beaded and lace capelet, giving a Downton Abbey-esque vintage glamour vibe...

I know, she can be painstakingly annoying to watch, but I still loved Giuliana Rancic's pale grey Paolo Sebastian's gown....the top had gorgeous floral embellished detail and the full chiffon skirt was fun in an old-school way.

Love the following, BUT with exception...

This deep blue COLOR and overall silhouette of Sandra Bullock's Alexander McQueen gown was beautiful, BUT particularly when viewed live, the fabric gathered to the side was a bit too voluminous and drapery-esque...

Jennifer Lawrence's tomato red Dior Couture peplum gown was certainly a gorgeous color and shape on her, but I think she has overdone the strapless look..I would love for her to change it up once in a while.  Incidentally, I loved her simple delicate necklace draped down her back.

Lara Spencer's Kaufman Franco gown would have been in my top FAVS, if the beadwork had solely been on top.  The drop-waist and hip level horizontal beadwork was a bit distracting and competed too much with (what appears to be) the focal point: the gorgeous geometric beading along the chest.  Nevertheless, I loved her easy-going/fun-loving approach to red carpet interviews...she seemed natural and sincere.

Portia de Rossi's Naeem Khan's gown was simply a work of art!  I loved everything about it EXCEPT the awkward thick waistband.  This would have been one of my top FAV gowns, if the silhouette was slightly more streamlined.  But, the geometric cutout fabric design was exquisite!

Camilla Alves' blush colored Gabriella Cadena's gown was very interesting and sophisticated...Yet, a bit too much drapery/coverage for me.  I wish perhaps it was either sleeveless WITH the dramatic shoulder drape, OR long sleeves without the drape, but not both.  But, the soft color beautifully complemented her skin and hair tones.

Again, too much going on with Jada Pinkett Smith in this Versace pink chiffon gown, but would have loved a more simplified version of this dress.  Both the color and fit were certainly very flattering on her!

The cleavage was a bit much, but Alfre Woodard's midnight blue Badgley Mischka's gown with beaded bodice detail was stunning... Perfect color for her!

Love the gold metallic and art deco vibe of Kristin Chenoweth's Roberto Cavalli gown...but if you could see it live, it appeared very rigid, stiff, and uncomfortable for her delicate and petite frame.  This gown seems better suited for someone like Margot Robbie....But, I loved the geometric detail and modern lines.

Similarly, Lady Gaga's Versace's deco gown was very interesting and modern, but appeared stiff and restrictive....More importantly, how can she possibly pull off her dance moves!?

Robin Roberts looked stunning in this violet purple Dennis Basso gown.  I love how sweet and sincere she seems while interviewing on the red carpet...

How endearing and entertaining are these two former Olympic figure skaters, Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski?!  Her look is a bit 80's prom with the big hair AND big dress, but they are both adorable nevertheless.

Amy Adams looks beautiful in this deep sapphire color, but this Gucci gown was a bit boring for me.  I do appreciate the clean lines and simple silhouette, but something just seems amiss.  Perhaps a more natural wavy hair to balance the sharpness of the dress?

Jared Leto looked his typical quirky self in this white-on-top/black-on-bottom tux, but somehow it worked on him, and loved the red tie!

NOT my favs...

Not sure if he was concerned about flash flooding, but I found Pharrell William's tux-shorts absurd.  Nevertheless, I love his 'Happy' song!

Margot Robbie's Saint Laurent gown had an interesting back detail, but her overall look appeared harsh and unauthentic, when compared to her blond look at the Golden Globes...

Margot Robbie in Saint Laurent (LOVED the back of gown with large bow)

Although I loved the back of Anna Kendrick's J Mendel gown, I was not a fan of the front...Just too much directional and embellishment detail, and the slit had too many ruffles reminiscent of bad 80's hair or curtains, or both.

I wanted to love Julia Robert's Givenchy Haute Couture gown, as it was a 100% improvement over her Golden Globes pick, BUT, somehow the way the excessive fabric gathered between her bust line and waist created an awkward silhouette and droopy boob illusion.  But, otherwise, the v-neck, black lace fabric, and peplum were fun details.

I adore Meryl Streep (who doesn't?)  BUT, the top of her Lanvin gown just appeared sloppy and ill-fitted.  But, let's face it....she is gorgeous and ridiculously talented, so anything goes!

Emma Watson's Vera Wang gown had potential...the color-blocking, dark slate grey color, etc., were great details, BUT the top just seemed too-casual-tank-top, for the Oscars...


Which were YOUR favorites?