Beware: Long Post Ahead...Unless You Like Your Oscars Talk That Way

Yesterday was the first time I did live commentary on the Oscars. First time = amateur, and I'm pretty sure I pissed off my friends on Plurk, but yeah, that was the closest I'm going to get to becoming a correspondent for the biggest entertainment event of any year.

True to my fashion-mad personality, most of those Plurks were centered on the looks that stars strode down the red carpet in. I'm not a huge fan of the E! Fashion Police, or any other kind for that matter. Sure I read them, but usually it's because I want to see if my favourites are crowd favourites or if I'm totally alone in liking something.

Personally, I'm over the period of dissing people whose styles aren't immediately accessible to me, because every one has their own reasons (and flair), and as long as they are in something that makes them feel at - and look - their best, there's really no reason why one should pass their own highly personalized judgements on them, all the more so if they're not even fashion icons.

Khloe Kardashion Odom, I'm looking at you. Roar.

Anyway, this leads me to my post todayyy. Here, I'm going to post my favourite looks of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, and give my two cents worth as to why they're sitting in my 'Looks I Love' folder, ready to be whipped out anytime I'm in need of some visual glam pick-me-up in my life.

Carey Mulligan in Prada. The dress, thanks to its collection of embellishment strewn all over the front - cutlery included- and its asymmetrical hemline, perfectly shows off this Oscar nominee's elegant yet unconventional sense of style. Oh, the hemline is also great for showing off those pretty ballerina-inspired shoes~

Diane Kruger in Chanel couture. Granted, this number was never going to be most people's cup of tea, but then again a)Diane has always been known for doing a superb job of rocking unusual couture pieces and b) it's refreshing to see something else aside from another variation of the Model Oscar Gown. Personally, I love the cream-and-black colour combo, plus the chiffon and tulle used are fabrics right up my alley.

Elizabeth Banks in Versace. The first time I saw Elizabeth in this, my immediate thoughts were: 'She looks gorgeous, but pity the dress has such a drab colour.' However, once the camera zoomed into the entire dress, I was sold. Once again, tulle manages to cast this spell on me no matter who or where it appears on. The gun metal (I sure like that name better than ol' gray) colour was great against her blonde hair and nude makeup as well.

Gabourey Sidibe in Marchesa. Lots of stars wore Marchesa this year, which is fantastic 'cos it's a label that really knows feminine glam. My favourite things about this gown are its sapphire colour, the silver leaf detail and the ruched texture. It all comes together to hug Gabourey's curves perfectly, and accentuates the best points of her figures. All in all, it was a wonderful dress to be seen in for a first-time Oscar attendee and nominee.

Helen Mirren in Badgley Mischka. Now wouldn't it be fantastic to look like Helen when you're her age? This dress, made of satin crepe and tulle(!), was sophisticated and age-appropriate without being snooze-inducing. A real feat, I say. It also makes her silver hair the perfect colour to complement it.

Jennifer Lopez in Armani Prive. Another personality-matching yet event-appropriate number. The cascading ruffles brought out the diva side of her, but the pearly white colour and otherwise modest silhouette made sure that it was fitting for a grand event such as the Oscars.

Kate Winslet in Atelier Yves Saint Laurent. When I first saw her, I thought she looked just beautiful. It might not be as dramatic as the gown she wore in her winning year, but nonetheless I felt it was modern and flattering enough to not fall completely into the boredom zone. Silver was a great colour against her blonde waves, and overall it felt like an update on the Classic Hollywood look.

Kristen Stewart in Monique Lhuillier. This could be the most glamorous we've seen Kristen in, and she definitely works this side of her without deviating from her indie casual punk style. Her pale, but nonetheless glowy complexion emphasized the black colour of the gown to great effect, and the sweetheart neckline added a young twist to ensure she didn't look older than she really is.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Dries Van Noten. Kudos to Maggie for taking such a bold risk! Maggie, being one of the most unconventional Hollywood beauties there is, was perfect for this floral print dress. The collision of black and blue was like nothing else, and it made sure she got her fair share of sartorial attention on the red carpet. Her fuchsia lips were a highlight as well. In short, she was wonderfully unusual.

Meryl Streep in Chris March (yes, the Chris March of Project Runway). Meryl is yet another woman who has grown well into her age (is that how you say it?), and that topped off with all her achievements, makes her one outstanding figure. Thus, she could have gone with something flashier, but instead opted for this low-cut, draped white gown. It may be modest, but it didn't stop her fab-ness from showing through! ;)

Miley Cyrus in Jenny Packham. Okay, posture issues aside (I sincerely hope she had something going on with her back), the dress on its own was certainly a stunner. The beige colour was soft and went well with the floaty quality of the gown, plus its potentially aging effect was countered by its fun bustier top. I'm not a Miley fan, but this was a good choice for sure.

Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab. I don't think I've ever found Rachel wearing anything that doesn't make her look beautiful, but that's another story. I wished she had let her hair flow over her shoulders to go with the flowy feel of her gown, but I'm assuming the updo was to give some structure to it. Even so, that tiny blemish didn't stop this gown from being fab. I loved how the fabric criss crossed to hug her upper curves and form the sweetheart neckline, as well as how the tighter upper half slowly dissolved into layers of blue dreamy material.

RDJ (seen here with wife Susan Downey). My main gripe about this look was that he had to be in those tinted glasses all night long and keep us fangirls from looking into his eyes, but aside from that I really loved how he set himself apart from a sea of luxury label tailor-made penguin suit-ers, thanks to his glasses, turquoise bow tie and kicks. How can I not love such eccentricity? Plus, his wife had on a complementing blue, glittery dress. Could they have been the best dressed couple of the evening?

Ryan Reynolds. I think my friend and I must have screamed our heads off when we saw him. Well, virtually anyway. Any OMG-s I had were saved in the history of our Skype Chat, as well as immortalised in my Plurks. The point is, Ryan doesn't have to do much to look good. He just has to show up.

Sam Worthington (seen here with girlfriend Natalie Mark). I liked how Sam opted to go with a skinny tie instead of a bow tie, and IMO skinny ties are sleeker and more modern. Oh, Natalie also had a lovely, grayish-blue gown which shone without grossly outshining anyone. They looked good together.

Sandra Bullock (congratulations!) in Marchesa. Well, it's Marchesa, so what am I gonna say? Like Gabourey's dress, it came with flowery details, and the glittering lower half was a good contrast to the feminine upper. Didn't think the bright lip went too well with the platinum shade of this number though, but generally it was one of the most glamorous I had seen Sandra in.

Sigourney Weaver in Lanvin. She may be reaching into her 60s, but it wasn't something that showed with this red outfit. Much like Helen Mirren's outfit, it was fresh and nowhere near boring. I mean, come on, it's impossible to be bored by Grecian-inspired silhouettes. The bow in the middle of the dress was also great for reining in its flowy nature.

SJP in Chanel couture. This was somewhat toned down compared to that belted Dior dress she wore last year, but it's nice to see that the style icon can pull off almost any variety of dress. I love, love, love the detail on the neckline, and the clingy satin of it helped her to stand out from the more dramatic gowns sweeping the carpet. Her slightly tousled updo also went well with her outfit, and I'm guessing the comfort she experienced wearing something like this helped her to carry the whole look off better than ever.

Taylor Lautner. A.k.a the other guy of the night who was responsible for filling up my Skype and Plurk with fangirl-ing. I still sort of prefer seeing him decked out preppy chic style though, or hey - forgo the top altogether, eh? :P

Zoe Saldana in Givenchy Couture. Tulle was utilized in a pretty unusual way, but darn it if that's going to stop me from loving this dress! Purple looks great against Zoe's mocha skin, and knowing my love for things that shiiine, the glittery pinkish-golden top added to the winning quality of this dress. Plus, I loved how the tulle layers came in varying shades of indigo and purple. In short, it was prettiness personified.

Cameron Diaz in Oscar de la Renta. Again, one of my big favourites for the evening. To compare it with her fairly drab - personally speaking - look of last year's makes this an even bigger improvement, and why wouldn't it be? She may not have been nominated, but she is a strong contender for Best Dressed. That voluminous hair! That dress! Those lips! Dare I say this is the best Ms. Diaz has looked in some time?

Anna Kendrick in Elie Saab Couture. Another Grecian-inspired creation that won me over simply because of the inspiration behind it and how that influence was applied. From the soft pink hue of the dress to its modestly flattering (is that an oxymoron?) of Anna's figure, this shows her off as someone with relative industry innocence, but with possibly great things in her future anyway.

Amanda Seyfried in Armani Prive. I have to agree with some when they say that the silvery white colour of the gown washes out her pale complexion and nude makeup, but that doesn't mean it's an utter failure. On the contrary, it shows that Amanda is someone who is starting to take more risks with her fashion choices, and who has the versatility to pull that off (anyone remember that deep plunging blue dress she wore to the premiere of 'Dear John'?). This look of her exudes an air different from her past ones in that it gives off a stylishly icy exterior, all without dampening the ray of sunshine that she is.