The following are my favorite dresses from the 2011 Oscars. I almost always tend to prefer classic lines over daring shapes and I feel that Red, Pink and Beige are traditional old Hollywood colors that always look great. That being said, I think that there were some exciting and inspired innovations in the dresses worn this year.
Classic Elegance - Anne Hathaway in Valentino
Anne's Red Valentino dress, which is similar to her previous Oscar choices is the epitome of classic elegance. The short train and rose-like gathering above the train adds just the right amount of seriousness to this fun, but classic dress. Anne is pictured below on the red carpet and with the designer, Valentino Garavani (right).
Inspired and Innovative - Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Haute Couture
Cate's dress from the Givenchy Spring 2011 Haute Couture Collection by Riccardo Tisci is stunning both for it's bold, but classic lines and innovative embellishments. Riccardo's inspirations for the collection were Japanese Robot toys and the Butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno. Cate's dress was not universally liked by Oscar fashion watchers, but it certainly was noticed by everyone. There's only a brief glimpse of Cate's shoes, not sure what they are, however the chrome does work well with the dress, especially in the context of the Japanese Robot Toy theme.
Coming-of-age Cute - Hailee Steinfeld in Marchesa
Hailee's Marchesa dress shows a fun and youthful look, which I think suits her well as she is still so young. Nonetheless, I feel that the elegant bodice and unique patterning on her dress give her a touch of old Hollywood glamour. I am not sure about her choice of shoes. The 4-inch Ferragamo heels seem to be too much for the dress, but they do match well with her Ferragamo clutch.
Vintage Glamour - Florence Welch in vintage Valentino
In keeping with her signature style, Florence Welch wore a beautiful layered vintage Valentino dress. The beige coloring and intricate bodice are pure old Hollywood and she completed her look nicely with gorgeous sequined medium height heels.
Stunning and Sophisticated - Jennifer Hudson in Tangerine Versace
Jennifer's Tangerine Orange Versace dress is a beautiful example of skillful draping and construction. The dress perfectly accentuates her amazing figure and the color is bold and unusual without being the slightest bit garish or out of place at the Oscars.
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