For me the best dressed party of Oscars night wasn't the Oscars at all. It was the 2012 Vanity Fair Party. Beautiful dresses. Really, really beautiful dresses. Starting with classic black:
Olivia Wilde in Gucci, Emma Stone who changed into Chanel Couture, Elizabeth Olsen in Christian Dior and Kate Bosworth in Prabal Gurung. Awesome.

Then there were more alternative options - and these I must warn you are probably my favourites: Elizabeth Banks in Chadwick Bell, January Jones in Wes Gordon and Jennifer Lopez in a second Zuhair Murad of the evening - both with the plunging v-neck.

Then there were the ladies in bright shining colour - shades of berries, including the stunning Diane Kruger in Calvin Klein, Rosie Huntington Whiteley in Antonio Berardi, Kate Hudson in vintage Versace and Claire Danes in a bold pink Valentino gown. Yum-tastic.

And finally the ladies in white - Minnie Driver and Sofia Vergara - who to my mind looked better than all the other ladies in white on the night (except Gwyneth Paltrow and Dita von Teese). So who was my favourite of them all, you ask? Maybe Minnie. Maybe emma. Lovely ladies. But I am more interested in what you think. Let me know.

Charlene Wittstock, HSH Princess of Monaco Attends the Oscars 2012

You have plenty of Hollywood royalty on a Oscars red carpet, but how often do you have real European royalty? With a South African flavour? Well at the 84th Annual Academy Awards, they did. Her Serene Highness, Princess Charlene of Monaco (or onse Charlene from Benoni), attended with her husband Prince Albert, wearing white Akris. You like? I do. Well played princess lady.

2012 Academy Awards Red Carpet: 'Not Quite' Dressed

I've said it before and I will say it again, there were so many 'no quite' dressed people on the red carpet of this year's Oscars, or the 84th Annual Academy Awards as they like us to say. You know what I mean. People who look fine. And I really want to love their outfit. But I just can't. Like Natalie Portman. I mean it is vintage Dior so I should really love it. It is a soft black polka dot on a red background so it is a little daring. And yet...she looks old fashioned and dull. Maybe it is the hair. Maybe it is those short arms. I don't know. But no. I don't like this look. And then there was Angelina Jolie in custom Atelier Versace. She looks beautiful and happy. And there is some volume in the dress which I like. And it is black velvet. But what the what is she doing with her skinny stick of a leg?? In every single possible photograph. Weird, awkward and wrong. Like leg-gurning it was. Off-putting in the end. And one of my absolutely favourites Rose Byrne in a Vivienne Westwood shimmer of slickness. Looking a bit dumpy. And strange. When a risk doesn't pay off. But I still love you Rose.

Gold is definitely a new trend on the red carpet and what better time to bring it out than at the Oscars? Well, maybe not. The utterly magnificent and without peer, award winning Meryl Streep, was in gold Lanvin. On paper an absolute cracker of a combo. But she still landed up looking like a bit of a foil blanket. Which is not fair at all. Also trying out the gold was The Clooney's lady friend, Stacy Keibler, dressed in Marchesa. Which set the Twitter-a-tron on fire as apparently it was a knock off of a DKNY dress from a couple of season's ago. Well, I won't comment on that. I just don't really like it. She looks lovely. But just not to my taste you understand. Shailene Woodley is much more of a disappointment. Poor lass. She is only young. And she is dressed in Valentino couture. So she really should look beyond lovely. And yet. No. Fusty is the word I would use. Too covered up and drab, possibly more helpful. Do you agree?

But more controversial are these three ladies. You know I love me some Viola Davis. And I especially love her with her natural hair. She is dressed in Vera Wang. In a dazzling emerald green. But it is so tight and those boobies are so crushed and constrained it hurts me to look at her. It just isn't pretty even though she is. And I want to love Melissa McCarthy's dress of course. And the neckline is pretty. And I don't hate the colour really. Just the sack-like-ness of it all. No, man. You can do better than this. More structure necessary in your dress, ok? And then Penelope Cruz. Sigh. No it's not horrible. Actually she looks beautiful. Really beautiful in her Giorgio Armani whisper of thunder cloud. But it's the bust again that bothers me. This neckline is old fashioned and unflattering to a lady blessed with a rack like this. And so from the neck up she looks outstanding, below it she just looks a bit off. Or have I got this totally wrong? Let me know what you think. Do you totally disagree or do you get what I mean. Holler at me. 

2012 Academy Awards Red Carpet Best Dressed

And so let me take you though what I call as the 84th Annual Academy Awards red carpet best dressed. The 2012 Oscars didn't give us much to work with in this department, but here are my picks. Starting with this magnificent Alexander McQueen gown worn by none other than Jessica Chastain. I knew she had one more magnificent dress in her after that loooong year of great dresses, but a tiny part of me feared a repeat of the Globes. No. It wasn't to be. She was glorious. Magnificent. Sensational. Love this beyond. I die. I know it is controversial but I am also loving Sandra Bullock's Marchesa dress and high ponytail. The back of the dress has a deep cowl and the embellished drop waist really appeals to me. I think she looks fantastic.

Then there were the ladies in colour. Bright vibrant colour. Emma Stone - who apparently was the most delightful of all presenters - was in fuchsia Giambattista Valli. Many didn't like the neck bow. But I did. I like it. She stepped it up from her usual sweetheart style. And it worked. Also Michelle Williams. Let's take a moment to just reflect on her tangerine dress of joy. By Louis Vuitton. What I particularly loved was that tiny little diamond brooch on the waist. It seemed to be a bit of a trend - embellishing the waist. I think it is adorable. Also the peplum was a trend so MW managed to get both key red carpet trends in on one dress without looking too try hard or over-done. So winning.

Speaking of the peplum trend, ch-ch-check out the divine Ms Tiny Fey in her custom Carolina Herrera.  In deepest midnight blue. My favourite shade. She really does look like a star on this red carpet. Well played my most awesome funny lady. Also in that magnificent shade of midnight blue was Judd Apatow's wife, Leslie Mann dressed in skin tight Roberto Cavalli. And a pony tail. Winning hair. Wonderful. Jessica is my favourite favourite. What about you?
PS: Yes, Gwyneth's Tom Ford could have been on this list too, but it fitted better with the white dresses. It really was a great dress.

2012 Academy Awards Red Carpet: All White

I want to note three things as I kick off my red carpet coverage from the 84th Annual Academy Awards - or the 2012 Oscars as we like to call it. First, this was not a banner year. There were no stand-out dresses that made us weep with joy. Neither were there any swans as dresses. Therefore it is safe to say that this red carpet was, well, safe. Secondly, that there were a higher than average number of 'almost but not quite' dresses and I will post alllllllll of these later. So many. And finally, that the little black dress as the go-to outfit for all occasions has been replaced. By the little white dress. Again, so many of these. So let's kick off with the best of the pale frocks. Three ladies rocked it hard. Gwyneth Paltrow needs a round of applause. Tom Ford new season. With a cape. BAM. Later on the cape came off, but this elegant sheath of a dress was, to quote Kelly Osbourne, perfection. And it hurts a bit to say that. And it reminds me how much I liked her short bob hair cut. But moving on. Rooney Mara mixed things up and brought it with Givenchy Couture. Pity she was so cool that she only picked it out that morning as it would have benefitted from a bit of tailoring. But nice. So pretty. And Milla Jovovich was exquisite in Elie Saab. With so many ladies wearing Saab to so many red carpets now, it is hard to look special in his designs, but this really worked and she looks super-super-lovely.

Continuing in the pale-but-lovely vein were another three actresses (can one call J-Lo an actress? I guess you can but I will call her baby). Cameron Diaz and her new bestie Jennifer Lopez got ready together and presented an award together. And both wore off-white. Cammie's dress is Gucci Premier and is lovely on her. Baby's dress is Zuhair Murad - and she has the girls out and the upper arms out. I am not sure that there is a style rule on getting both of those out simultaneously but I have now decided there should be. Too much. The deep v-neck should have been enough. Ah, but then it is all ok because the glorious and very relatable Octavia Spencer (or the girl Phillip Seymour Hoffman as we have decided she is) turned up the ante on the little white dress and wore Tadashi Shoji, as she does, and looked amazing, beautiful and special all at once. What a year for Octavia. Plus she got a standing ovation when she won proving she is the actors' actor of the moment. Love her. (although Gwyn still takes the white dress prize)

W Magazine Best Performances: The Chaps

Look. I am never going to pass up an opportunity to post a picture of George Clooney. Ever. The Clooney is The Man. For all eternity. And while I don't really care what he wears as he is funny and charming and social committed and talented, the fact that he always looks nice is a bonus. And makes him The Man. Glad we got that cleared up. His portrait in the awards season special in W Magazine story by Lynn Hirschberg, photographed by Mario Sorrenti, is mesmerising. He wears Giorgio Armani, should you care.

Now this is a man I care very much about. His performance in Romeo is Bleeding back in 1993 may have changed my life. I can still feel it now. And that's not even starting on the whole Nil By Mouth writing/directing situation. Gary Oldman has been criminally overlooked by the awards shows, but not by W Magazine. If this image doesn't do it for you, you must be less twisted than I, but wrong. Learn to love it as we love him. And he wears Tom Ford.

I posted this one for you. I am not a Brad Pitt kind of lady. But I know you are. So enjoy the splendour.  He wears a Burberry suit and Tom Ford shirt. This is a class style act.

And then there was Will Ferrel. In his pyjamas (Derek Rose pyjamas, mind you) and sending in the clowns. I thought the image was magnificent in itself. Nothing more, nothing less. Word.

W Magazine Best Performances: The Good Girls

This story that Edward Enninful styled for W Magazine piece by Lynn Hirschberg, shot by Mario Sorrenti is stunning. Each image is individual and out of this world stunning. This picture of one of this year's breakthrough actresses, my favourite Elizabeth Olsen, plays her against type and brings a whisper of the late great Elizabeth Taylor to mind. She wears Calvin Klein.

Viola Davis is already an award winner this year. She has also been experimenting with her look. This one has her trussed up and sexy in her Dolce & Gabbana dress and diamonds.

Youngster Shaileen Woodley is the baby of the group and her innocence is toyed with here in her Eres underwear. Granny pants, but still sexy.

And then there is Octavia Spencer. The winners' winner. The actors' actor. The female Phillip Seymour Hoffman to my mind. Stunning in her range of beautiful Tadashi Shoji gowns for all the events. Witty and gracious and self deprecating on the red carpet. Everything we want in a favourite actress. And then she announces she wants a boob job. Maybe she is joking. 
Can't wait to see what they all wear on Sunday. Come back on Monday morning for the full run down, trends, best and worst dressed. It will all be here.