Oscars 2012: The Best and Worst Dressed

Best: Jessica Chastain: Jessica Chastain was our best-dressed actress of the evening with her stunning black-and-gold bespoke Alexander McQueen gown. The Help actress had been sticking to form-fitting, solid-color dresses this awards season, so the dramatic haute couture flair of this patterned gown was a welcome change.

Best: Rooney Mara

The Oscar-nominated actress picked her white Givenchy dress on Sunday morning, proof that procrastination can pay off, at least in fashion. We just love how the architectural cuts on the gown take inspiration from angular Lisbeth Salander, the badass character Rooney Mara played in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Best: Octavia Spencer

She wore Todashi Shoji to the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, so we weren’t surprised to see Octavia Spencer choose the Japanese designer again for the Oscars. But we couldn’t have predicted how downright statuesque she would look in this sparkly silver number.

Best: Gwyneth Paltrow

Wearing a white Tom Ford dress under a long cape, Gwyneth Paltrow stood out from the other actresses (and stayed warm!) on the red carpet. The menswear-inspired outfit so flattered her figure, we were almost tempted to try a Goop cleanse.

Best: Michelle Williams

It seemed a bit boring for the Academy Awards, but Michelle Williams’ coral Louis Vuitton dress was nothing if not pretty. The super-feminine crepe layers were a nice detail and made it more than just another red dress on a red carpet.

Best: Jennifer Lopez

This neutral Zuhair Murad dress would be considered a daring pick for anyone but Jennifer Lopez. With sleeves and a relatively modest V neckline, it is one of her more conservative choices. The simplicity of the stripes lent sophistication to the shift, while Lopez’s big bun was surprisingly complimentary.

Best: Judy Greer

Between the trains and sparkles that dominated the night, the simplicity of Judy Greer’s sleek column dress was a breath of fresh air.

Best: Emma Stone

Many critics said Emma Stone’s red Giambattista Valli dress looked too similar to the Balenciaga gown that Nicole Kidman wore to the Oscars in 2007. We're not convinced. Sometimes silhouettes look better the second time around. 

Best: Cameron Diaz

The best part of watching Cameron Diaz walk a red carpet is the fact that she always looks like she’s having The. Best. Time. The pleated ruffles didn’t overwhelm the otherwise clean lines of the dress, and the pastel tone was appropriate with spring around the corner.

Best: Milla Jovovich

For her Academy Award debut, Milla Jovovich nailed it in a white Elie Saab gown. The one-shoulder dress showcased beautiful, detailed beading work, while the actress’s pulled-back hair and red lipstick oozed of old Hollywood glamour.

Worst: Angelina Jolie

Because one can’t ever really say Angelina Jolie looks bad, we’ll blast her for simply looking boring. We’ve lost count of the numerous plain black dresses she’s worn on red carpets, and this velvet Versace number is no exception.

Worst: Viola Davis

The Help actress’s Vera Wang dress was flattering until the camera zoomed down — at which point it looked like someone had gone crazy with a pair of scissors.

Worst: Natalie Portman

The spokeswoman for Miss Dior Cherie perfume, Natalie Portman was expected to wear Dior to collect her Oscar statue last year, before John Galliano’s anti-Semitic remarks reportedly changed her decision. She picked Dior this year, but it was too little too late. Out of all she could have chosen from their historical

Worst: Meryl Streep Meryl Streep appeared to be drowning in her ill-fitting gold Lanvin dress, and the exaggerated shoulders dated her look .

Worst: Shailene Woodley

On the red carpet, The Descendants actress told Ryan Seacrest that this dress was so her, but we think the dowdy Valentino gown made Shailene Woodley look like a 40-year-old.

Worst: Kristen Wiig

The Bridesmaids actress wore a trio of nude dresses to this year’s awards shows, finishing with an underwhelming beige J. Mendel dress for the Oscars. Something about the excessive tulle skirt felt very middle-school ballet class to us, and we wish Kristen Wiig would have picked a color that didn’t blend in with her skin

Worst: Glenn Close

We get that it was a little cold in L.A. on Sunday night, but Glenn Close would have done well to lose the jacket for the red carpet — the strapless top was the best part of her outfit. But the most offensive area was the huge train, which added too much volume to this already fabric-heavy outfit.

Worst: Bérénice Bejo

In the battle between her severe, too-tight braids and sequin-saturated mint gown, Bérénice Bejo was the real loser. It just looked like she was trying too hard.

Worst: Wendi McLendon-Covey

We fear Wendi McLendon-Covey looked at one too many ugly bridesmaid dresses while filming Bridesmaids. Why else would she have picked this busy, tulle-crazy frock, which seems more appropriate for a prom queen?