Let’s face it: this year’s Oscars were not really a buffet of brilliant fashion choices. During the red carpet show, I even bitched about how this was possibly the most boring and worst-dressed Oscars in recent memory. I stand by that. So in a shallow pool of options, I honestly didn’t hate these two dresses, despite some Twitter angst about them. Scarlett Johansson went for this colorful, patterned Azzedine Alaia gown which – by virtue of the sea of beiges and creams on the carpet – really stood out and looked fresh and pretty. Is this a perfect gown? Not at all. The bust is… odd, and the fabric really isn’t that special. It looks sort of ‘70s-key-party. But I still like it. I don’t even mind Scarlett’s hair here, even though I still say she’s channeling Kate Gosselin.
Another imperfect but likeable gown was Brie Larson’s Oscar de la Renta. I love everything from the waist up and I respect the structure and origami-like stuff at the bottom. I like that she made everything about the dress – her styling is incidental to the big statement dress. I actually think this is my favorite neckline of the Oscars!
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
I love Scarlett but that dress looked cheap and the hair is aging her.
Brie’s dress was spectacular but I feel like she could have worked it better – she seemed to have low energy.
Probably because she spent the whole award season handing out awards to Casey Affleck. I would probably not be enthusiastic about it either, hence the low energy.
ScarJo’s Ocean-Spray-wave ‘do is a Don’t for me.
I don’t mind her hair–I think it was the best part of the look. What is going on with all of the fabric at the top of that dress though? How was that not fitted properly? Or IS it fitted properly and just looks horrible?
To be clear, I love her haircut and hope she keeps it forever. I also usually love how she styles it. But the wall of curl above her forehead last night took me right back to 6th grade in ’89 when we all laid down on our pillows, sprayed our bangs into a stiff wall of hair, and then curled the tips down and back. It will never be a good look to me.
@derpshooter I love your description! I so remember doing that same thing in ’89!
I totally agree the dress is not an Oscar dress. Her hair and styling just wrong for her image and that is a real waste because she has so much going for her. Now Brie’s dress is a statement dress and she worked it extremely well. It reminds me of the Madame X portrait with material and the form. Well done!
I am tired of Scarlett’s 1950’s pompadour.
I love her hair. Maybe because i also cut my long hair and feel really comfortable and good with it. Probably even feel prettier now. I think that belt is making that dress look cheap. Overall, I agree that the award season this year was really underwhelming for fashion. I called it right after the globes. That was the first sign the fashion is lacking this year
I hate Scarlett’s look. She looks awful and she needs to change the hair.
Brie looked amazing but her makeup was a bit harsh, she’s slowly disappearing… she’s so thin!
I hate it too. The bust on the dress is weird, and that BELT. MY GOD. Pure early 2000s emo kid horrible. Doesn’t belong anywhere near that dress.
I was just about to say that Brie seems to be disappearing right before our eyes. Every time I see her she is thinner than before.
ITA on Scar Jo’s hair. She needs to make a change. Don’t like the dress either; to me it looks too big on her.
Her hair is the most ‘nope’ thing about this.
Her hair rocks! I am not a fan of bleaching out the tips but I think she looks great from the neck up.
But IMO the hair needs a more fashion-forward statement dress and not this breezy non-sense with a belt bought at the teen section of Top-Shop.
She has Tilda hair… And she’s not owning it! 😡
The hair, dress and whole look she’s rocking actually made me think of Pink
Scarlett looks like someones mom. I like her look thought, I would have liked to see her dress, jewellery, hair and make-up in person, it is all really delicate. That was my first thought when I saw the pics.
I dont like Bries dress, it is too reminiscent of the “A. Jolie leg of doom” dress and hides Bries perfect figure. Something lighter in both fabric and color I would have liked more.
Scarlett is someone’s mom. I think she looks great. Brie is obviously channeling the Victoria Beckham “well I’m here but I’m bugg@ered if I’m going to smile” persona.
I thought Scarlett’s dress was very pretty. It was layers of shear which floated and was illuminated when she walked on stage and the light hit it. Picture doesn’t do it justice.
I really liked it, too, although I’m sure I like the belt. I think a tie made of the fabric might have been nicer.
Her hair is a big no.
Agree, I loved this dress, even liked the hair. Concur with Esmom about the belt though. I don’t mind the idea of a belt, even some contrast, but this one didn’t work imo.
I liked the dress just not the belt. It needed something elaborately braided from the same fabric. I like her hair a lot when it’s more loose and spikes straight, not this wave but that wouldn’t have gone with flowing sweet dress.
I was surprised she went with Alaia, he’s not a common red carpet choice and I don’t think he’s dressed anyone for an awards show in years.
The colour is gorgeous but the bust looks strange with all that floaty fabric. And her hair looked much better the year she wore the bombshell green Versace.
Scarlett’ s hair is awful, and her dress looks like a fancy apron. One of the worst dressed
Brie borrowed her dress from Ursula the Sea Witch
Ha, I know, right? Dreadful.
Haha but I love Ursula. There is something fabulous about her for me as an adult versus when I was a child.
I love the colors of scarlets dress but for me the blinqblinq belt is hideous. the neckline could’ve been better because how it is it makes her even more top heavy looking. bries dress is something beautiful and I love black velvet but it doesnt fit her type. They should’ve switched dresses and it would’ve been perfect.
There are some photos of Scarlett out there where you can see her spanx-whatever straight through the dress, maybe certain camera flash or something. Not a good look.
yes, was waiting for someone to mention her almost snow white booty shorts you could totally see whenever she walked. not good.
That Azzedine Alaia is such a disappointment. He is such a master at his craft that I cannot believe that he put his name to something this mess. This looks like a beach cover up. Sad trombone.
Of all the gowns from the new De la Renta collection Brie could have chosen, why would did she choose the most snooze-worthy. It is a well-constructed gown, but she fails it with her greasy looking hair. The orange lip is fun.
Scarlett’s dress reminds me of popcorn. Rainbow multi flavoured popcorn…..
Omgosh. Thank you! I’m sick off the same silhouettes the last few years. You know who I miss? Penelope Cruz. She always went full glam.
If Kate Gosselin and a Max Factor make up truck collided, you’ll get Scarlett’s look.👎
Well that’s just about the most perfect description of this I can imagine. Bravo! 😂
Brie’s is good. Fine. A presenter dress. I would have worn black to present to Creepy Affleck too. 🙄
Brie’s dress is gorgeous, but she looks so tired to me. Scarlett’s hair is much too “hard” for her features, and the dress looks like a J-cloth (dishwashing rag). The belt is absolutely awful.
I don’t like either of these….. both are very 80’s and cheap looking. I do think Scarlett’s makeup is very pretty here (but I can’t stand her hair.) I HATED Brie’s makeup and hair. She looks like she got caught in the rain or something.
Love Brie’s dress. My 2nd favourite from last night.
Both are really pretty.
I don’t know why but I am really over Scarlett Johansson.
Scarlett was a big nope to me, it looked Mrs. Roper 70s cheap poly chiffon and fitted poorly in the bust.
Brie was ok, the bust wasn’t fitted great, the skirt was interesting with the folds but overall not exciting.
I agree Kaiser, last night’s red carpet was one of the most boring and badly dressed in years, many fails and fugs.
Scarlett lost me with sodastream. But even with that, and in that hideous dress she is undeniably stunning.
I thought Scarlett looked stunning. I loved the dress and the hair. I recently grew my undercut out to an asymmetrical bob, and her hair made me want to go back to the undercut.
Now, the belt, I didn’t even notice the belt last night (was too busy loving the hair and dress). Now that I’ve noticed it, I’m not a fan of the belt.
Scarlett is always a hope for me. I usually can’t stand her street style,or her red carpet style. I pretty much think she’s overrated across the board.
I love Brie, though. I follow her on IG and she’s super sweet. And she’s a genuinely good actress.
I think Scarlett looked amazing last night. She’s A very beautiful woman. The dress could’ve been better, but compared to others at the show, it wasn’t that bad.
This was such a bad Oscars red carpet (apart from Kiki!)
I like Brie’s look, but she is too thin now. Scar Jo’s overall look doesn’t work for me. I really don’t like her hair or her dress. Who is the guy Scar Jo brought as her date? Anyone got an ID?
These two were my favourite looks of the night up there with Ruth Negga. Scarlett always looks great and love this color on her. Brie pulled off this look with style.
Scarlett is a huge nope. The belt looks bad and the hair is NOT a good look on her.
I like Brie’s dress, the velvet and ruffles make it.
what I really love, though, is her ‘over it’ look every time she had to hand an award to Casey Harassfleck. She is SO not happy about it.
I love this on Scarlett, love the hair, love the 90s throwback belt, and both the color and fit are great. Even though Brie Larson’s look is a bit of Ursula here, it was my favorite of the night. The cut and elegance were unrivaled.
The movie camera loves short people with big heads. If you look closely you will see many actors are like that . Scarlet being one of them.
When she poses, it’s such a boring look, but Scarlett’s dress moved beautifully, (when she crossed the stage to present, it was heaven) which was such a starch contrast with her frozen Bob’s Big Boy hair. Brie’s dress was gorgeous and sculptural.. but the hair…. ohmygod! That hair was a travesty. It was bad bridal hair. It was a bad prom updo the next morning after waking up hungover in a hotel bathtub, not knowing how you got there.
Brie is disappering. Is it because Captain Marvel or Hollywood stricking back? I love Scarjo but needs to stop that hair nonsense.
I love both dresses esp., Scarlett’s. I love the colour, I love the fabric and the floaty, pretty look of it. The belt and bracelets are the perfect accessories as well. I’d love to wear something like this. Reading the comments, I see I’m the only one loving the belt. Oh, well.
I’m really tired of this haircut on Scarlett, I wish she would grow it out. I hate the gown, it looks like an MTV awards dress… and ill-fitting in the bust area to boot. I feel like Pink has done this exact same look before?
Brie’s look was incredibly underwhelming.
Oh, I love Scarlett’s dress. It’s so floaty and pretty and looks like it’d be super-comfortable to wear.
I loved Scarlett’s dress. In some pictures it looked a little disproportionately wide on her small frame, but in motion it was so light and pretty, and her hair kept the whole look from being too sweet.
THAT. HAIR. It is the completely wrong cut her bone structure and facial features. NO
I liked Scarlett’s dress (it must have been awfully see through under the stage lights for them to not cut to a full shot of her walking) but can we talk about her sitting with Chris Evans? I know they’ve been friends for years, but that had to have been intentional.
Sorry ScarJo, the only woman alive who can and does pull off that hairdo is P!nk.
I don’t know what’s up with Scarlett. She used to have a pretty exciting red carpet style until 2007. It went downhill from that moment on and now it’s totally gone. The dress isn’t so bad in itself, though it’s totally not an appropriate choice for the Oscars. But it could’ve worked for someone more amazonian like Charlize Theron.
I have never liked Brie Larson but I have to admit she was absolutely the best dressed. This is a very elegant and adult dress. It could’ve swallowed her whole but she carried it with great maturity and without any frills. I miss actresses looking like grownups on the red carpet. I find it refreshing.