Intricate beading, much like the Swarovski crystal curtains that fell around the Kodak Theatre's stage, and wrapping creations of tightly cinched material that highlighted only the most perfect of features, bedecked the stars as they took their place on the 81st Academy Award's Red Carpet. From the million-dollar Cartier earrings planted on Anne Hathaway's lovely ears to the multicolored jeweled necklace fastened around Amy Adam's fragile neck, the gems came out of hiding for the Oscars. Unlike this year's Golden Globes where noticeable jewels were a rare find, the biggest awards show of the year dabbled in a mixture of class, elegance, and originality on Sunday evening. In a sleek midnight black Elie Saab gown that wrapped lithely around her flawlessly toned body, Angelina Jolie owned the red carpet making Brad Pitt look like a dispensable accessory at her side. Balancing her vixen-esque allure in a never-ending array of comparisons was the glowing Jennifer Aniston whose silver gown complimented her radiant smile as she presented awards alongside Jack Black. Amy Adams' red Carolina Herrera gown brought a modern twist to the goddess look with black lining that highlighted her narrow waist and material that flowed from the center of her bust. Best Actress Winner Kate Winslet made a stunning statement in an embroidered one-shoulder charcoal gray and black Yves Saint Laurent design that left viewers intrigued by the mix of multiple styles and themes classily combined into one shimmering piece. The night's failures were Jessica Biel who looked like she might fall over in her strapless tapered ivory satin Prada gown that fell short of accentuating her fantastic shape, and Heidi Klum whose origami confection by Roland Mouret and awkwardly slicked back hair made her look like a tacky Malibu Barbie doll.Impeccable beading and crystal details bedecked the stars as they sauntered into the Academy Awards, a trend capitalized on by Anne Hathaway who wore a strapless champagne Armani Prive dress. Following this trend was Miley Cyrus who finally dressed her age in a Zuhair Murad V-neck gown that cinched at the waste and tiered out like frosted petals near the bottom. Though the gown wasn't the most beautiful one on the red carpet, it was a nice change of pace for the star who constantly seems to be trying to act older than she is. Freida Pinto, whose blue one-shouldered John Galliano gown explored unique necklines with an unexpected strap that darted across her right collarbone and a see-through lace sleeve that crawled down her left arm, also jumped on the beaded bandwagon. Sarah Jessica Parker brought a little bit of Carrie Bradshaw with her as she rocked the red carpet in an off-white strapless beaded Dior gown that took a would-be prom look and made it high fashion with a modern center-buckled belt.Twists and turns, like the exciting performances that kept the night's awards show entertaining throughout, were the other noticeable trend for the evening. Replicated in some of the most important stars of the night's gowns, no one embodied this look better than the young Evan Rachel Wood whose pale ivory Elie Saab haute couture gown made it impossible to look away. Natalie Portman in Rodarte and Alicia Keys in Giorgio Armani shined in the similar pink and plum hues of their strapless twisted and cinched airy gowns. The Oscars provided a fantastically adequate escape from the recession-ridden world many face every day. The magic of the performances, the people, and most importantly, the fashion were certainly intriguing enough to keep this writer from getting her Politics homework done Sunday night. Sorry professor! But for all who were too busy being good students and didn't get to see the glamour of the evening's events, be sure to catch up with the fashion section of the papers so you too can dive into the fabulous world of the Academy Awards.
