Finally, the big finale to the year’s awards season: the 84th Annual Academy Awards. We didn’t see many ballgowns on the red carpet, but what the dresses lacked in volume they made up for with beautiful fabrics and chic detailing.
LBD: Lovely Black Dresses
Tina Fey, in Carolina Herrera, Rose Byrne, in Vivienne Westwood, and Glenn Close, in (an almost-black deep green) Zac Posen showed black isn’t so basic when a peplum detail, sequins, or a smart tuxedo jacket is added.
Whites that Wow

The dresses above were the most gush worthy to us. Rooney Mara, in a Givenchy dress she says she picked earlier that morning, Mila Jovovich, in Elie Saab Couture, and Gwyneth Paltrow, in Tom Ford all exemplified simple elegance.
Gold Standard

Wendi McLendon-Covey, in an embellished strapless gown, Stacy Kiebler, in Marchesa, and Kristen Wiig, in J. Mendel all looked fabulous in nude and metallic toned dresses.
Bright Hues
Michelle Williams, in Louis Vuitton, Maya Rudolph, in Johanna Johnson, Viola Davis in Vera Wang and Emma Stone (below) in Giambattista Valli Haute Couture all lit up the red carpet in pretty technicolor hues.

A Little Sparkle

Octavia Spencer, in Tadashi Shoji, and Jennifer Lopez, in Zuhair Murad wowed us in their sparkle plenty dresses that hugged their curves in all the right places.
Tell us: who was your favorite?
photos via InStyle.com