At the Oscars, for some, the red carpet is just as important as the awards themselves. The Oscars are all about celebrating the amazing work done this year in film, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the fashion as well. So who was hot, and who was so not? Hypable writers Marama Whyte and Brittany Lovely discuss their favorite and least favorite looks.
You can check out our Oscars predictions to see who we think will take out the top honors, and compare those with the full list of nominees and winners. And don’t forget our drinking game.
Anna Kendrick
Marama: Miss. With the color, the style, the hair and the glitz, it’s all very pageantry. It’s not that she looks bad (that’s objectively impossible), she just looks terribly bland.
Brittany: Miss. I think this color drains her and feels more high school spring fling than Oscars. I can get behind the neckline. Her accessories and her hairdo work wonders to grab the attention. But the bottom half of the dress is a pool of loose fabric.
Gina Rodriguez
M: Miss. She has been killing it this award season, so I suppose it was bound to happen. The color is stunning, but the top isn’t doing her any favors. There’s a nice drape at the back that you can’t see in this picture, but it’s not enough to save this dress.
B: Hit. I love the conservative feel of this dress. You don’t need to reveal the cleavage to grab all the attention of the night, ladies! The color is also amazing.
Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
M: Hit and Hit. Aren’t these two just adorable? David Burtka is looking very classic, and I am obsessed with NPH’s color choice here, down to his slightly askew bowtie. I wonder how many costume changes he’s going to have this year. Either way, this is a great start.
B: Double hit. It’s hard to put NPH and David Burtka in anything and have it go wrong. The combination of white and grey does not exactly grab the eye right away, but it works well on the couple who could pull off wearing their sweats to the red carpet.
Patricia Arquette
M: Miss. She looks all right; she also looks like she’s ripped Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes dress off her back. I always enjoy this tuxedo-inspired look, but Meryl wore it better (natch).
B: Hit. Comparative to her Golden Globes gown, the two tones are doing wonders for Arrquette tonight. It is a sophisticated look for the nominee who will most likely need to make her way to the stage to get her much deserved Oscar.
Dakota Johnson
M: Hit. Very well played, Dakota Johnson, but it’s not enough for me to forget the atrocious film you’re a part of. I wonder if her color choice is inspired by the Red Room of Pain? I can’t fault her look, only her film choices.
B: Hit. I love the detailing on the neckline and sleeve, and red isn’t a color we are seeing much of on the carpet tonight. It makes her stand out, and not for her questionable career defining role.
Marion Cotillard
M: Hit. Let’s all take a minute for the back of this dress. It might not be the most flattering silhouette, but I kind of love it, even with the vaguely shower-curtain vibe it’s giving off. It probably helps that Marion Cotillard could make anything, even a shower curtain, look elegant.
B: Miss. I want to love this dress so much, but what is going on with the back? If this was a simple white gown, combined with her hair and makeup, I’d love it. But the bottom black band looks like it is creating a pocket of fabric to make her seat more comfortable for the evening.
Felicity Jones
M: Miss. I know Brit likes this, but I do not. At all. Which is a shame, because I love Felicity Jones and I love Alexander McQueen. It’s very Cinderella-gone-wrong. The two parts are totally disconnected and neither of them are working on her.
B: Hit. The high neck is GORGEOUS on her. The rest of her looks for this awards season were forgettable. This icy blue/grey gown finally sets her on a level playing field with her blue tuxed co-star Eddie Redmayne.
David Oyelowo
M: Hit. Obviously men get an easier ride on a red carpet; it’s pretty difficult to mess up a tuxedo. But sometimes, they go above and beyond. David Oyelowo should have been recognised for Selma, but at least we can recognise him now for his fabulous color choice and tailoring.
B: Hit. Although Selma may not be making huge waves in the nominations, Oyelowo’s red tux is not shying away from breaking the mold of the black and white of the evening. Love the red, just wish he’d lose the vest.
Lupita Nyong’o
M: Miss. Lupita has set an insanely high bar for herself on the red carpet, and this look doesn’t come anywhere close to some of her previous gowns. I completely agree with Brittany that she looks best in color, and while the detail on the dress is stunning up close, from this vantage point it almost looks cheap.
B: Miss. Close up the dress is gorgeous. But from a red carpet photography standpoint, color works better on Lupita as a statement maker. The gown does not photograph well, nor does it allow Lupita to play with her accessories much.
Julianne Moore
M: Hit, just. Lupita and Julianne are clearly shopping at the same places. The softer silhouette makes all that beading a little more bearable, and I like the patterned inserts. My only big issue is the color, which is totally washing her out.
B: Miss. Again, if Lupita can’t pull it off chances are Julianne can’t either. The beading? I don’t get it. I don’t think I ever will. Not only does it look heavy, but it the minimal detail makes it look more like bathroom tiling than an Oscar gown.
Lady Gaga
M: Miss. Someone explain this to me. Why is there so much fabric? Why is she wearing dishwashing gloves? Why is this happening? It’s like she tried to wear something Oscar-appropriate and then halfway through remembered she is Lady Gaga.
B: Miss. It’s hard to even give Lady Gaga a hit or a miss, but I can’t stand it when she dresses down. The gloves and hair accessory are what break it for me. I love the gown and I think it works wonderfully on her, but the red of her lips is enough of a pop. If you are going for less, keep it less.
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