Oscars - who was divine and who was disappointing

February can mean only one thing - The Oscars.  I look forward to this night weeks in advance; not to see who wins Best Actress, but rather to see what all the lovely A-List ladies are wearing.

There was a real old Hollywood vibe this year - lots of red lips and exquisite silhouettes. 

I know Hollywood is filled with awards ceremonies and parties every week of the year, so its no great change or surprise to see the stars all glammed up.  But what I love about the Oscars is that it's all about full length dresses - rather than bum skimming, boob revealing outfits.  It's a time to show that you don't need to flash the flesh to look amazing.

And in my humble opinion these were the winners and losers in the red carpet style stakes......

Milla Jovovich - giving the cold shoulder never looked so hot

This was the dress that made me take a intake of breath and think - wow!   I'm a huge fan of a one shoulder (be it on a dress, top, playsuit - or my wedding dress)  I think they give a glamorous yet cheeky feel to an outfit, and they are ideal for photographs - nothing screams more Hollywood then a sultry over the shoulder look and pose in a one shoulder creation, showing off your back and arm definitition to perfection.

Milla rocking Elie Saab

The dress was embellished with heavy sequins that made it sit and hang beautifully.  The way that the sequins were positioned; swirling at the top then diagnoal towards the hip all helped in creating a beautiful silouhette.  The capped sleeve was very flattering and unique.  

The dress was by Elie Saab for the Autumn/Winter 2009 haute couture collection.  I am a huge fan of Elie, he always delivers breathtaking collections (and his wedding dresses are to die for).  Last year my Oscar best dressed lady was Mila Kunis and she too wore an Elie Saab dress - whe was a vision in lilac.

Milla finished the look off beautifully with her attention to detail accessories - diamond drop earrings, delicate bracelet, a whopper of a diamond ring (all by Jacob & Company) and a cute box clutch bag.  She let the dress do all the talking by keeping her hair and make up simple - with a glamorous, soft updo hair style, a deep red pout, lightly pink flushed cheeks and barely there eye makeup.

just look at the intricacy of the sequins, their positioning and direction
have been carefully considered

the accessories are the icing on the cake

sometimes all you need is a slick of red lipstick

Mila Kunis at the 2011 Oscars

Jennifer Lopez - Jenny needs to go back to the (starting) block

The last few months I have been loving J-Lo's outfit choices, she's been rocking glam looks left right and centre and her body is banging right now. 

But this whole look just doesn't work for me.  I don't get the gaping arms of this Zuhair Murad dress; they're not flattering at all and the plunging front makes her boobs look flat and like that are taped onto the dress for dear life (which they probably were - coz no one wants to be remembered as the girl who had a "wardrobe malfunction" at the Oscars!)  Then it's topped off with a croydon facelift hair do, way too severe a look for an event like this.

even that peachy bum can't redeem this fashion flop

Two other ladies that caught my eye that I wanted to give a special mention to were Guiliana Rancic and Kelly Osbourne - both were reporting on the Oscars for the E! network and both rocked very different looks.

Guiliana looked ethereal in her fishtail dress.  I loved the shoulder details, the sequins on the body and the netted bottom.  A simple matching pair of earrings was all that this dress needed.  After a very difficult few months (Guiliana was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and has recently undergone a double masectomy) it was lovely to see her looking so happy and beautiful - I wish her all the best with her recovery.

In contrast, Guliliana's E! colleague Kelly Osbourne sported a black Badgley Mischka dress.

I love this dress soooooo much.  I love the floaty sleeves, the  sporty halterneck shape of the neckline with the sheer panels and the gorgeous gree sequins that are placed perfectly on the top of the dress then come down and out at the hips showing of Miss Osbournes teeny waist.  I would "die" (copyright Rachel Zoe!) to wear this dress.

The only reason Kelly didn't pip Milla to the divine post is the hair and lipstick.  I do really like Kelly's take on the purple rinse and I love a bright pink lipstick but for me, they just don't work with this dress.  I would have pared back my hair and makeup and let the dress and my figure (if I had her waist!) do all the talking.  But hey, she's an Osbourne - so she's always going to be kooky - and that's why we love her and her family

the girl's come a long way since her "Papa Don't Preach" days

So they are my thoughts for now on some of the red carpet dresses.  I'll be back later with my take on some of the after party outfits......