The Oscar looks we loved (and the one we didn't)
Cynthia Erivo
Grande's sculpted dress may have been a miss, but Erivo's Louis Vuitton ballgown made of dark green velvet with exaggerated hips was wicked incredible (sorry, you knew a 'Wicked' joke was coming). There were subtle hints to Elphaba, such as an exaggerated collar that stood at attention, but this architectural dress was like a walking piece of art. The gown's voluminous proportions swallowed her up. It could have been a disaster (see Grande's umbrella dress). Velvet isn't necessarily forgiving, and there was a risk that Erivo could have resembled a curtain (
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Emma Stone arrives at the Oscars.
Jae C. Hong/Jae C. Hong/Invision/AP
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Emma Stone
There was a lot of playing it safe on the red carpet, perhaps too safe for a night that should be fun, glamorous, and accompanied by sartorial risks that become the stuff of Monday morning water cooler talk. Does anyone remember the water cooler talk? The colors spotted on actresses this year were mainly muted, with splashes of metallic silver and classic black, with an occasional shock of red or blue (thank you for the deep blue palate cleanser, Michele Yeoh). Thankfully, muted doesn't always feel safe or boring. To prove this, look at the details on Emma Stone's Louis Vuitton masterpiece. She glided across the carpet like an iridescent snake in a nude, 1920s-inspired gown that looked as if it was made from fish scales. It's all in the details.
Zoe Saldaña attends the 97th Annual Oscars.
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Zoe Saldaña
Please give Zoe Saldaña props for making sheer, opera-length gloves the sexiest accessory at the Oscars this year. Sadly, the gloves were the only part of her Oscar ensemble that worked. The 'Emilia Pérez' star wore a strapless maroon dress with a see-through bodice dotted with white crystals. The Saint Laurent dress, which looked more like a bolt of fabric placed in a carwash, did the actress no favors. The tiered dress seemed to gather in all the wrong places — in the most unflattering way imaginable. Perhaps if it were tiered in the opposite direction, it would have looked less like a maternity dress and more like something worthy of the red carpet.
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Timothée Chalamet arrives at the Oscars.
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Timothée Chalamet
Could any other actor have shown up to the Oscars, the glitziest, most glam night of the award season, in a butter yellow 'look' by Givenchy and pulled it off? Yes, definitely. But the idea of this suit seemed to fit Chamalet's brand to perfection. The suit (not quite a tux) was baggy at the leg and appeared ill-fitting to the untrained eye. But this was custom-made for the 'A Complete Unknown' actor, and the intention was to give him a casual, nonchalant, and young appearance. Why put a 29-year-old who looks like he's 17 in a stuffy tux? It takes a lot of time and money to look good on the red carpet while simultaneously appearing as if you don't care.
Lupita Nyong'o arrives at the Oscars.
Jordan Strauss/Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Lupita Nyong'o
Some actresses win awards almost annually (yes, Meryl, we know you'll be back), but Nyong'o consistently wins the red carpet, which is the most challenging contest in Hollywood. No other actress has been as consistently stylish or tasteful as Nyong'o year after year. On Sunday night, she wore a custom white pleated dress by Chanel, the fashion house named Nyong'o as ambassador last year. The ivory charmeuse dress featured more than 22,000 pearls. The bustier was embroidered with silver crystal bugle beads to give the dress a proper smattering of flash.
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Demi Moore arrives at the Oscars Sunday.
Jae C. Hong/Jae C. Hong/Invision/AP
Honorable mentions
This year, a metallic trend was on the carpet, with a parade of actresses donning silver frocks. Please hold your applause until all the nominees' names have been read. The best of this year's silver queens include Demi Moore, Mindy Kaling, Halle Berry, and Felicity Jones. From Moore's classic hourglass gown to Berry's modern broken mirror gown, these screen queens added some much-needed sparkle to the proceedings.
Halle Berry onstage during the 97th Annual Oscars.
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Christopher Muther can be reached at
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