Sidney Poitier. Serious actor? Of course. Stone-cold fox? Yup. His omission is criminal!


Serge Gainsbourg. You really can't use the word "sexy" in any context and not think of Serge.


Kerouac/Cassady. Assholes? Surely. Overrated? Maybe. But this is about mid-century "sexiness," people - and the Beats had that down.


Marcello Mastroianni Have you seen 8 1/2? Then you won't question this.


Jimi Hendrix. Another no-brainer.


Jean-Paul Belmondo. You don't need to be a student of the New Wave to appreciate that no list would be complete without a healthy dose of insolent JPB.


Howard Keel. Who? You say. Adam Pontipee! Say I. To say nothing of Fred Graham, Frank Butler, Gaylord Ravenel...


Yves Saint-Laurent. The man was the cologne of the 1970s for a reason.

Sexiest Men Of The '50s, '60s, '70s [Life]

[Images via Getty]

Gabourey Sidibe has "regal" so down.


Sidney Poitier brings the regal; his guest (daughter Sydney) brings The Belt.


Xosha Roquemore the kind of woman who can work an unadorned shape, clearly. Man alive, as gramps would say.


Woman of the hour: Sapphire.


Lisa Edelstein is ready for a garden party, should one arise. And really, you never know.


Gayle King is unquestionably elegant, but I'm just obsessed with figuring out whether she's sporting boots?


Sherri Shepherd: Party in the front, after-party in the back!


If Olivia Wilde was going for an "Uptown Girl" costume for a Billy Joel-themed party that I just made up, well, this would be really good.


It's funny how a dress like Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon's can make one more aware of the breasts than something plunging. This is not to say she doesn't look great: just musin.'


Paula Patton's style of corset, for instance, always makes me think more "engineered."


I strongly suspect that Star Jones' dress is unflattering. But I see what she was thinking and, it's true, that would have looked wonderful. And we've all been there.


How is it that Mary J. Blige can combine a distracting print and a gratuitous slash and still work one of the best looks of the night?


Speaking of! Has Mo'Nique ever looked more totally glam? (Compulsory in Hollywood when one has played a non-glam character!)


Paula Abdul goes a little job interview, a little Bowie, a tad New Wave, a bit crazy...and yet, I dig.


I'm sorry, Oprah, I think you're under-dressed!


I mean, do you see Mimi over here? Doing classic bombshell absolutely flawlessly? This is an occasion for festivity! (Thoughtful festivity.)


How Kat Kramer and her omnipresent pantyhose made it here, I don't know...but I stand in awe.

[Images via Getty]

[LAX, October 5. Image via Bauer-Griffin]