Controversial opinion: Reese Witherspoon was one of my picks for best dressed of the Oscars. Is that controversial? I think I liked her look so much because she’s Southern and I’m Southern and I appreciate that Reese makes it a (Southern) priority to have a complete look from head to toe, and she prioritizes looking “pulled together”. While her Louis Vuitton dress wasn’t the most amazing thing on the red carpet, she worked the hell out of it, the fit was incredible, and she was one of the few ladies wearing a really strong, bold blue. More blue on red carpets!!! I loved her hairstyle too – classic, chic and “done”. Her hair and makeup complimented the dress perfectly. This is a lesson she should have given Jennifer Aniston – how to look awesome at the Oscars while still looking “real”. Reese really was one of my faves!

And yes, Channing Tatum was another one of my favorites. I can’t help it, y’all. It’s a Southern thing. I love some Charming Potato. I like that after the amazing year he had, he got invited to the Oscars. I like that he didn’t consider it beneath him to dance with Charlize Theron in the opening. I like that he seemed really engaged with his wife Jenna DeWan too. Yes, he’s doing the belly-rubbing thing, but it’s cute. It’s his first child! He’s allowed. I don’t know who made Jenna’s dress.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Everyone was talking about Jessica Chastain’s Armani Prive gown last night, did you notice that? I think it’s because Jessica was one of the first big names to arrive on the red carpet, and she made sure she got photographed a lot on the red carpet. I think people were also talking about her because she got it mostly right last night, and that’s unique because Jessica has been completely underwhelming (if not downright awful) throughout this awards season. I had two complaints with this look: one, the gold/bronze shade was too light for someone so pale, and Jessica’s ginger extensions looked kind of cheap. But other than that… victory!! Her side-part with soft waves looked great, the dress had a beautiful cut, she looked comfortable and beautiful and I was genuinely sorry to see her lose the Oscar to Jennifer Lawrence. Sorry, Jessica!

Also wearing a shade of gold: Renee Zellweger in Carolina Herrera! Is it just me or does she look… healthier? We can debate whether or not she got bolt-ons (I think she did), but I think she’s just gained some weight overall and it’s throwing me off. Don’t get me wrong – the weight looks AMAZING on her and we need to encourage her. As for the bad stuff: the ruby-encrusted cuff doesn’t really work with the gown, her hair looks greasy (and the style sucks) and her face still looks really pinched. But overall… an improvement.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Salma Hayek and Halle Berry. Two ladies with crazy bodies and beautiful faces. Two ladies with Oscars/Oscar nominations under their belts. Two ladies who were on the knife’s edge of being total disasters and totally pulling it off last night at the Oscars. Let’s start with Halle Berry in this Versace gown. Was anyone else expecting Halle to announce that her gown was Zuhair Murad and that she had hired Jennifer Lopez’s stylist? If Jennifer Lopez had been invited to the Oscars this year (Why wasn’t she? She almost always comes), J.Lo would have worn this gown. Is that bad? Like, should Oscar winner Halle Berry be wearing something that looks so J.Lo? I guess it’s okay because it’s Versace, maybe? This gown would have been a total disaster on someone else, but Halle comes close to pulling it off maybe.

Salma Hayek wore this Alexander McQueen gown – I think only Salma and Amanda Seyfried were wearing McQueen last night. And neither gown was a very good example of the label (or maybe they were good examples of how the McQueen label is faltering under Sarah Burton’s leadership). Obviously, Salma’s body is crazy and she looks poured into this gown. But the whole high-neck thing is very drag-queeny to me, and I’m not sure about the black and gold combo. Also: her hair was a MESS. Is that a Q-tip in there? Did anyone else see Salma’s bitchface during the Oscar telecast? She was not pleased about her seat.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Jennifer Garner supported her husband Ben Affleck through his Best Movie win in this deep purple tight fitted Gucci gown accented by a bizarre ruffled back that continued into a train. In photos this dress looks better to me than it did on camera, particularly when she was being interviewed by Kristen Chenoweth. (Maybe that’s because I found Chenoweth supremely annoying. Did you see that stunt she pulled with Hugh Jackman asking him if she weighed more than an Oscar?) Garner explained that the gown was custom-made and that “They gave me other ones to chose from but I loved this from the minute I saw the first sketch. I save up all my fashion for red carpet events.” Garner has a banging body but somehow this gown didn’t flatter her and accented the wrong places. Also: matchy bridal shoes! Something nice: I like her statement necklace and her hair and makeup are pretty.

Jane Fonda brought the 80s back in this fierce canary yellow v-neck Atelier Versace complete with freaking shoulder pads and gold detailing around the waist. I’m not kidding, I love this look. This is some bold, dated styling and Fonda pulls it off. The dress looked sexy from the back when she was presenting, too. Work it, Jane!

Melissa McCarthy wore grey David Meister, a designer she’s used many times in the past, and I was underwhelmed by the fit and color of this dress, which was similar to her past red carpet looks. This designer hasn’t really brought it for her. When she was presenting I was struck by the pretty details of the gown, like the beaded sleeves and the cool black triangle inset panel on the gown where a slit would be. Also, I really disliked her huge poofy hair. It seems like everyone was doing that a few years back.

I loved Melissa’s presentation with Paul Rudd for Animated Short and Feature. They’re both excellent at deadpanning it. I was hoping that the show would keep up those staged awkward moments, but apart from the weird Avengers thing there wasn’t much.

I’m adding Norah Jones in here as she was also in grey and was just so sweet on the red carpet. I was impressed with how shy yet genuine she was with Ryan Seacrest. She told him that it was her first Oscars. I don’t have a designer ID on her gown yet, which was pretty but kind of plain to me, which may have been due to the color. Her hair was also too fussy piled on top of her head like that, but she still looked so pretty. Norah performed “Everybody Needs a Best Friend,” from Ted, you can see her performance here on The Oscar website. I felt bad for her because the sound for her vocals was being overwhelmed by the music. The engineers should have perfected the levels during the rehearsals, there was no excuse for that.

Bonus pic with Adele! We’ll have more on her shortly.

Photo credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet

A lot of the celebrities who were at the actual Oscars went back to their hotel rooms to get into their party dresses. And then some celebrities who were not at the Oscars came out last night solely for the parties. These are some selected shots from the Vanity Fair Oscar party, which is the ticket everybody wants. There were some surprises among the guest list, like Natalie Portman and Benjamin. I’m genuinely surprised they came out for the Vanity Fair party – surely they are WAY too private to deign to pose on the red carpet together? Natalie is wearing Dior – does anyone else think she looks pregnant again? Do you think it’s on or is it just a weird dress?

Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt. I just can’t with her plastic face anymore. Jon looks really tired here too. I still love him, but my love has waned a bit.

Lily Collins in Zuhair Murad. The dress is total J.Lo (for real) but from the neck up, Lily is giving me Rooney Mara vibes. God, she’s lost so much weight.

Miranda Kerr in Valentino, with a shellshocked-looking Orlando Bloom. Why are they everywhere these days? This is like the fifth big Hollywood event they’ve come to in two months. What’s the deal?

Anne Hathaway changed her dress for the party, but we don’t have any full-length shots. My bad! This dress seems okay – it’s just a sack, you know? A halter-sack.

Here’s Gerard Butler and his girlfriend of several months, Madalina Ghenea. I guess I’m happy that he seems to be in a relationship that has lasted longer than a trip to a Port-o-potty, but this lady gives me strange vibes. Drag queen vibes.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Jennifer Hudson came on strong last night at the Oscars in this blue Roberto Cavalli gown, which she described as “such a pop of color out on this Academy Award red carpet.” With an exaggerated, thigh-high slit in the center of the dress, it was clear that Jennifer’s figure was part of the dramatic entrance too. I’m not crazy about this dress because of all the sequins and the oddly-shaped (animal?) print as well as the various shades of blue that all collide into a big, messy mess. This dress is just too much, I think, and the non-matchy-matchy shoes add to the effect.

Also too much? Jennifer’s musical performance (you can watch it here because I can’t bear to embed it). I agree with Kaiser that Jennifer was almost screaming, and I think that over-singing is such a diva move. Just because you can hold those notes forever doesn’t mean that you should, you know? I did dig Jennifer’s drop earrings though (not the color, just the shape), and her hair and makeup are appropriate for the occasion.

Sandra Bullock didn’t fare well at all in this attack-of-the-beads, black-and-silver, Elie Saab gown. Nothing about this dress works for me, especially not those sheer leg panels. This look seems so dated on Sandra, and her flat-ironed hair doesn’t help matters. Poor Sandy.

Queen Latifah isn’t the Queen for nothing! She was absolutely stunning in this white Bagdeley Mischka gown. The dress is so simple and has a flattering silhouette, and her main accessory (other than tasteful diamonds) was her CoverGirl lipstick (remember, she’s one of their spokespeople). I’ve had a girl crush on Latifah since her “Living Single” days, and I was delighted to see her onstage with her Chicago castmembers. More of this, please.

Photos courtesy of WENN

Structurally, Charlize Theron’s white Dior gown reminded me of Anne Hathaway’s Chanel gown at the Golden Globes. Two-piece white gowns with faux-peplums, done in different ways and worn completely differently. I mean… for Charlize, you actually have to TRY to make her look bad, she’s such a red carpet goddess. While I don’t think this was her best look ever, I really liked it overall. What I love about Charlize is that she can wear Dior Haute Couture and it never overwhelms her. My favorite part of this look? Her hair. I LOVE her short hair and I love that she bleached it. She looked young and fresh and gorgeous. Also: I loved Charlize presenting with Dustin Hoffman. I kind of want them to work together now.

And here’s Zoe Saldana in Alexis Mabille Couture. I wasn’t into it, but I thought it was Givenchy when I first saw it. My mom loved it, if that makes any difference. I don’t think Zoe looks bad at all, it just wasn’t my favorite dress and I didn’t understand why she was there, unless she was just trying to create an awkward moment with her ex, Bradley Cooper.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

Best Supporting Actress nominee Amy Adams wore this pale silver Oscar de la Renta gown with a huge fluffy ruffled skirt, a fitted sweetheart bodice and a train that would have seemed excessive for a royal bride. I love to see Amy on the red carpet, she usually looks amazing, and she often mixes it up and takes calculated fashion risks that pay off for her. This dress feels uninspired somehow, like it’s over the top but in a way that’s not risky at all. There’s something “off” about the look. Plus the color of the gown washes her out, and her styling leaves something to be desired. This is better than last year’s Oscar look for Amy, but she went “too formal” where she was too casual in 2012. She’ll get her fashion and makeup exactly right when she does win that Oscar, and I suspect it won’t be long now.

Here’s another Best Actress nominee, Helen Hunt, who of course got shut out by AnnE and her unstoppable false humility. Unlike Anne, Helen went with a decidedly downmarket designer for her Oscar gown, H&M! She told Ryan Seacrest that H&M was “going green, they work with this company Global Green that I love. It’s a win-win.” Helen’s navy strapless gown wasn’t a standout, but coupled with her gorgeous jewelry and how pretty and comfortable she looked, it definitely was a win-win.

Catherine Zeta Jones wore this gold sequin and mesh mermaid Zuhair Murad gown that just looked trashy, especially on screen. There was too much going on with the complicated beading on the bodice and the curlicue throughout the skirt. Her hair was really fake looking too. When Ryan Seacrest interviewed her with Michael Douglas, I got the impression that Douglas was kind of drunk, but she seemed to hold it together.

CZJ performed “All That Jazz” as part of one of the many musical numbers that were like bags of pretzels handed out during a really long flight. (At least CZJ’s performance was. I would never say that about Adele or Babs.) She also presented Best Musical Score, along with her fellow castmembers from Chicago. (That movie came out 10 years ago. I don’t get it.)

Octavia Spencer was in her go-to designer, Tadashi Shoji, and I like that she went with a different fit than the Grecian dresses she was wearing last year. (Maybe that style is on the wane anyway.) Renee Zellweger said something last night that explained to me celebrities are so loyal to a specific designer. She said, about Carolina Herrera, “I love her and I love her team… I always look forward to those guys showing up.” That makes a lot of sense, they get to know and trust these designers. I get why celebrities form a relationship with one designer who consistently makes them look good instead of paying a stylist who may have her own motivations.

Octavia looks lovely and I like her asymmetric neckline here. The bangs are a little much, but her styling is otherwise pretty. This is the kind of skirt that I would have liked to see on Amy Adams’ dress – big and flowy but not comical.

photo credit: FameFlynet and WENN.com

The most notable red dress at last night’s Oscars was of course Jennifer Aniston’s Valentino, which Kaiser discussed earlier this morning. It was a real missed styling opportunity for Aniston, but aren’t they all? She’s nothing if not consistent. In contrast we have the lovely and talented Sally Field, who has mixed it up this awards season and took a calculated risk, also in Valentino. It’s a bold color choice in a full-coverage gown and it fits beautifully for the most part but I’m not fond of that tiered ruffled skirt and train, which looks huge and very Gone With The Wind. Maybe it was in homage to the Lincoln era. I like her hair and makeup, in my opinion this is how you do bangs.

Sally’s pre-recorded bit early in the night with Seth MacFarlane hitting on her, while he was in costume as the flying nun, was hilarious and well done. I loved how she was just snacking casually the whole time and was all “you’re making me uncomfortable.”

In comparison fellow Academy Award winner (not last night) Marcia Gay Harden did not work her bright red David Meister mermaid gown, which just fit badly around her bustline. Meister also dressed Melissa McCarthy, he’s her go-to designer, and I’m thinking that his gowns have great detail but poor fit. Marcia’s hair and makeup were lovely though, I like her loose curls and subtle makeup.

Olivia Munn was one of the few ladies in Marchesa last night and boy it really showed. I’m wondering why she was there at all. Her boobs looked like they were going to pop out of that too-small too-tight bodice and it looked very showgirl with gold brocade on top of yards of draped bunched silk. She obviously thought she looked hot, though, she always does (think that).

Bonus: wife of the guy who won for Brave, Mark Andrews. He was cute in that kilt and I loved how his co-writer, Brenda Chapman, gave a shout out to her daughter for inspiring the character.

Photo credit: WENN.com

I almost never guess Academy Award winners correctly, but this year, one prediction was actually correct — Argo won the Oscar for Best Picture. During the group acceptance speech, producer George Clooney actually looked pretty good (for him) up there on the stage. I know Kaiser really wanted me on the red carpet with a beehive as George’s (ahem) escort, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Sigh. That bitch, Stacy Keibler, still has her claws firmly intact. Sorry, George. Maybe next time.

As director of Argo, Ben Affleck seemed truly humbled that his baby won this huge award. During his speech, he appeared red-faced, flustered, and incredulous that he was back up there on that stage, and he included Jennifer Garner in his thank yous by adding, “I want to think my wife, who I normally don’t associate with Iran.” While a lot of people were surprised that Ben didn’t get a Best Director nomination, I don’t see that as a snub at all. Hey, it’s going to take a long time for the world to forget about Gigli altogether. In the meantime, Best Picture is absolutely nothing to sniff at.

In the Best Director category, Ang Lee won for his work on Life of Pi in a category that many thought would go to Steven Spielberg for Lincoln. Lee took great pains to thank his cast and his wife of thirty years, and he even enthusiastically exclaimed, “Thank you, movie god!” I’m glad that Lee won this year since he was practically robbed by not winning for Brokeback Mountain. I haven’t seen Life of Pi yet, but it’s one gorgeous looking film.

Photos courtesy of WENN