Oscar fashion: Muted, quietly luxurious

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The magic of Oscar gowns was in the detailing of skirts.

This year's Oscar gowns were quietly luxe, in some cases grand, but fashionwise not nearly breathtaking.

Still, the frocks were a beautiful amalgam of architectural, one-shouldered looks. The magic was in the detailing of the skirts, some of them tiered, others pleated, and a few fluted.

And while the dresses were somewhat muted, the celebs didn't think twice about adding chunky, colored jewels to the strapless, deep-V designer creations.

Some standouts: Sarah Jessica Parker's pale Dior haute couture, Marisa Tomei's white one-shouldered Versace; Heidi Klum's origami-style, pinkish-red Roland Mouret; and Taraji P. Henson's multitiered strapless white gown.

Kate Winslet's one-shouldered Yves St. Laurent was beautiful despite being surprisingly metallic. Another favorite was Tina Fey's liquid-gold choice.

While it was clear the women had paid careful attention to their gowns, it was as if the red-carpet coverage opted not to focus on the fashions. Ryan Seacrest must have decided he didn't want to be bogged down asking the celebs what they were wearing, even though that's the whole point of covering the red carpet.

Tim Gunn, Project Runway's fashion fairy godfather, hosted ABC's preshow, but he rushed through the fashion questions. Is fashion just frivolous in a year when moving epics such as Slumdog Millionaire and Milk were nominated?

But we will not be deterred. We have comments even if we don't know who designed each frock. Miley Cyrus' super-jeweled gown looked as if it weighed more than she does. We could have done without Vanessa Hudgens' black-and-white Marchesa, the white peekaboo breast detailing not a good look. And Freida Pinto's one-shouldered navy-blue John Galliano was quite matronly for such a beautiful woman.

Whoopi Goldberg wore a dress? Whoopi! But there is such a thing as too much animal print.

We did like Viola Davis in her pleated Reem Acra. Of course, Meryl Streep was appropriate in her long-sleeved, slate-gray gown.

A big no-no goes out to Beyoncé Knowles, whose black, gold-leafed mermaid gown was way too much. Angelina Jolie's green teardrop earrings were a nice addition to her sleek black dress.

Jennifer Aniston was angelic in her strapless white dress with circular silver detailing. But something about that dress just didn't work.

As for Mickey Rourke, well, let's just say an all-white tux probably wasn't his best option. And instead of a tie, he wore a photo pendant of his recently deceased dog.

As for host Hugh Jackman, we don't know which tuxedo he looked better in. The one with tails, or the one without? You choose.


Source: philly.com