Australian model Jessica Hart — who actually writes a moderately entertaining style blog, and for us, those last two words are almost never modified by those first two — rocks a perfectly accessorized backless, strapless LBD.


Hart and her sister, fellow model Ashley Hart. We like Ashley's turquoise nailpolish and the fact that the leopard-print thing Jessica is carrying reveals itself to be a shirt she can throw on later. That's thinking ahead.


This guy, Rhys Uhlich, was on the Australian Make Me A Supermodel when we were last in Sydney. We always thought him quite cute. Nice to know he ended up...going to these kinds of parties. Nonetheless, we have to put him the The Bad for those strategically-ripped jeans, and for the collar that is trying, trying mightily, to pop.


Zoe Badwi is a singer, apparently. We say Release Us from the bonds of sub-starlets wearing studded denim. Amen.


Not only did Kasia Z apparently not get the dress code memo, she opted for ill-fitting acid wash denim — clue: acid-wash denim dresses are always ill-fitting, unless they have so much Lycra that they can no longer properly be considered denim — which is like a bad '80s flashback for those who don't remember the '80s.


We are torn. Television meteorologist Brodie Harper, of all people, really needn't be wearing tall black leather boots and tights with her dress in the middle of the Australian summer. On the other hand, her dress, with its wide stripe of fringe, is quite lovely and, we imagine, moves beautifully with dancing. What's your verdict?

Whenever I mention the weather, someone is like, "you don't know cold/heat/snow/rain." I live in [insert region of extreme weather.]" But in the immortal words of my college friend Ben, "because it's cold one place, doesn't mean it isn't also cold somewhere else." (I was suggesting that he should find a cold day a cakewalk after growing up in the Klondike.) Anyway, all I'm saying is, single digit temps was awfully chilly for Blake Lively to be sporting an 1890s showgirl costume.


Can anyone see model Michelle Hicks' faux-imal extravaganza and not think of the immortal Singin' in the Rain lyric, "the sleeves are lined with monkey fur to lend a dash of drama."


The proportions of Ashley Greene's getup are dubious, highly dubious - but it's still a positive refinement on Jessica Biel's infamous Oscars "sauna towel", yes?


Jessica Szohr shops her closet, to good effect. I don't know how these other dames were functioning sans tights, frankly. Let alone sleeves.


I mean, take Eva Mendes: wouldn't you agree that the combination of wispy dress, tights and structured jacket actually looks cooler? (As well as warmer.)


Rachel McAdams is Adler. Rachel McAdams is also wearing a molded cornice around the bosom.


I kind of dig both Robert Downey Jr.'s Sherlock country house getup and Susan's Studio 54 costume - but I find myself wishing they were dressed for the same party.


I'll give Cody Horn (with President of Warner Bros. Alan Horn) the benefit of the doubt and assume her derby is in honor of the movie, because this is a trend so absurd as to be beyond parody.


Jonny Lee Miller wears a suit well, say what one will.

[Images via Getty]

It's Ripley! And looking absolutely action-hero splendid.


Speaking of ass-kicking chic, check out Jamie Lee Curtis' sleek LBD - and gorgeous silver crop!


Zoe Saldana manages to look stunning in a futuristic scrap-metal majorette's uniform, which is saying a lot.


Virginia Madsen's classic LBD is ready for a mid-century holiday party, complete with Tom & Jerrys.


Michelle Rodriguez is a vision in fuschia: the contrast with undone hair keeps it casual.


I might have been tempted to not put a spotlight directly on my bosom, but Cheryl Tiegs knows what she wants.


Everyone's favorite Rorshach couple, the DeVito-Perlmans.


Audrina Patridge is identified as an "actress" here. I don't know about that, but I do know that this "suit" looks ridiculous.


Leona Lewis is thisclose to a "happy birthday, Mr. President" moment.


CCH Pounder takes "drapery" to a whole new level. Even Rami bows his head in shame before its sheer scope.

[Images via Getty]

Loving the Iris Apfel thing that both Mary-Kate (L) and Ashley are rocking here!


Would it be a New York red carpet without Rachel Roy's sleek separates? No, it would not.


It's gotta be hard if, like Fergie, you spend hours on a full-out Aphrodite...


...only to find Marion Cotillard doing this far more elegant version of white...


And Penelope Cruz just doing "goddess" better than anyone else in the history of the world.


I'm guessing Kimora Lee Simmons (with Djimon Hounsou) has no moral qualms about fur. Just a guess.


Is the bandage still fresh? Maybe not, but as Emmanuelle Chriqui shows, it can still be sleek, sexy and very festive.


Melania Trump's bitch-face says, "that's right, I'm not wearing pants. And you'll take it and like it."


If you gotta ride the DeLorean, Naomi Watts shows what to wear.


It's gotta be hard to have a mom who can say, "Oh yeah, I invented that. 1984. Feel free to raid the closet!"


Nicole Kidman channels the original Barbie. I wouldn't be shocked if there's a striped bathing suit underneath.


"Honey, I thought we agreed "Ascotte Gavotte," not "Truman Capote's Black and White Ball!""


Judi Dench: what, it's cold.

[Images via Getty]

Rachel McAdams: Studio 54 Olympus.


How dapper is Ozwald Boateng - controversial stripe and all? Man, the Brits.


Robert Downey Jr (with wife Susan Levin) does not seem to have profited from his proximity to Savile Row. Unless, that is, muscle tees and fedoras are being cranked out by bespoke tailors.


The combination of little girl's party dress and medieval chatelaine's girdle somehow works on Jenni Falconer.


A good rule of thumb is probably "union jack purse" or "leopard pumps." But Zara Martin knows rules are made to be broken.


Jude Law skews oddly "Little Tramp." Having seen him on Broadway in yoga togs not a few weeks ago, however, I can assure you that he is in fact still both handsome and extremely handsome.


A free imaginary cupcake to whoever can interpret the allegory on Kelly Reilly's dress.


It's like Heather Graham is channeling Roller Girl: the later years.


It's like Gwen Stefani creates a cool whirlpool that draws all coolness into her orbit. This is how to do easy winter!

[Images via Getty]

Okay, obviously Rihanna's retro-futuristic bellhop is awesome. But what do we think of the metallic hedgehogs on her feet?


Yawn. Taylor Swift is flawless, so what's new?


Cape: check. Rat's nest: check. Claws: check. Pants:? Ke$ha knew she forgot something.


Corinne Bailey Rae always pulls off elegant - but interesting. Harder than it sounds.


Allison Iraheta, apparently, just wants to have fun. Time after time.


Sheryl Crow: James Dean on top, Audrey on the bottom. No wonder she looks agonized.


The only question? What's Ciara superpower.


It's not just that Adam Lambert's being bold in rocking ombre pants: it's that the white part's on the bottom. This is a man who can afford cabs.

[Images via Getty]

Let's face it: Susan Sarandon has earned the right to wear flats if she feels like it.


Ariana Grande is in the brief window where it's acceptable to wear shrink-wrapped velvet.


I'm over the 90s-floral, as modeled by Courtney Ford, but I guess given the film's subject matter, it's kind of apropos.


Speaking of current retro-trends: the early-90s/late 80s mini (on Rose McIver) has the virtue of (when worn with tights) being relatively warm.


Oh noes! Olivia Munn forgot her shoes!


Nikki Soohoo is so ready for Radio City!


Saoirse Ronan makes her official debut as the one of the chicest, awesome young actresses on the planet.


I think what AJ Michalka was going for...


...was done better by Stefania Owen!


Lea Thompson, you see, believes in Love.


Kat Kramer believes in being on every red carpet anywhere, in a houndstooth marching-band hat.


And Rachel Weisz? Subscribes the the school of gently daring pretty!

[Images via Getty]

Padma Lakshmi is someone whose cosmic-joke beauty demands envelope-pushing. Like, just how much can she get away with? Well, her 70s tattered "Leather and Lace" ghost-bride is the answer to that question.


I get where Rachel Roy is coming from. Sometimes you start the "whimsical layering" and it's hard to stop. Unlike some of us, however, I presume she has a full-length mirror.


Uh oh! Kevin Bacon has been watching Felicity again...as have I!


Don't you love it when Madonna just gives in to "aging diva?" In a way, isn't that what she's been training for her entire life?


Julianne Moore has embraced the ankle-irons shoe with suspicious enthusiasm.


Judy Greer - with Lee Pace - has "not trying too hard" so down.


Olivia Palermo begs the question: is a leather tunic "timeless" or just "appropriate for a Medieval guildsman?"


Ellen Barkin has the New York bitch face down more than any other actress.


Terry Richardson and Tamara Mellon, looking exactly like themselves. Make of this what you will.


Let's face it: Colin and Livia Firth have every right to look smug.

[Images via Getty]

Not many women can look this poised and elegant while superimposed against a large, golden faun. Kate Winslet is that woman.


Katja Burkhard's flamenco-chic is oddly festive.


You know how that old saw about understated, Jackie O-style elegance has it that you take one thing off before leaving the house? Well, actress Dennenesch Zoude's version of that is, "add a feather necklace."


See, you'd think that if you were going to put a giant "bullseye" in the middle of your dress, you'd want shoes you could easily run in. But Shakira disagrees.


German actress Diana Amft apparently doesn't associate raw silk with 60's-style balloon drapes. Which I concede may be personal.


Actress Nadeshda Brennicke would like you to know that she is whimsical in a roaring-20s-gaiety sort of way. Message received.


Isa Graefin von Hardenberg models the 1980s, in sartorial form. This is like fabric pesto-and-raspberry-vingear. Or the German equivalent!


Nina Eichinger knows that sometimes you can't beat classic Deco. And this would also make a gorgeous wedding gown.


Mareile Hoeppner's gown is either a work of amazing artistry or rank folly. I'm leaning towards "both."


Frauke Ludowig sports the old Ethereal Mid-90s-Mrs.-Roper look.

[Images via Getty]

Natalie Portman can do "perfection" better than almost anyone. And is that the night sky?


Julia Koch got the memo about "lady in red" patron-of-the-arts chic.


So did Fe Fendi!
And Paula Zahn!


Assuming she wasn't really famous, could you guess what Aurelie Dupont does for a living? It starts with "baller" and ends with "ina."


Candace Bushnell is here, obviously, because she's married to a dancer. I can't think of an equally logical explanation for her necklace. She's been ordained into the Eastern Orthodox priesthood?


The question: is Mila Kunis sporting her own dinner jacket, or was someone being chivalrous?


There are very few things apropos for both Studio 54 and the NYCB. Carol Mack's dress is one. "Baryshnikov" is another.


Let's add "Catherine Malandrino" to that list!"


Sarah Sophie Flicker: fun or folly? It makes me smile.


Michelle Herbert is, I think, going for Goddess of Love. Well, that or Ivana Trump.


Alexandra Lebenthal is doing the near-impossible: wearing yellow and not getting washed out.


And...Pamela Joyner's skirt will come in handy when the can-can starts later. (No, not joking. The dancing got wild.)


On the one hand, kind of loving Erin Fetherston's late-Poiret silhouette. On the other, the print's a tad Mrs. Roper -in-a-dogwood-tree. In other words, LOVE it.


Elise Overland and Diana Picasso: "So, flowing robes tonight?"


And just to give you a sense of the 'do: that's Darci Kistler and Peter Martins cutting a rug!

[Images via Getty]

Geraldine Zivic sacrifices style for warmth, which I totally respect.


Monique Gardenberg shows how winter chic is done. Well, that or CSA reenactment.


Actress Carmen Soo may or may not have pulled a Scarlett O'Hara with this one. But we admire creativity!


Actress Mar Saura's gown is either "timeless" or "mired in the 80s."


Actress Stephanie March's dress needs to be on my back, right now. Well, maybe we can share it, since she wears it so well.


Katharine McPhee's dress needs a Kors runway critique, stat.


Ok, there are "fit issues" with actress Juliana Paes' winter white, but how much do you love her 60s-glam hairstyle choice?


Keke Palmer's dress falls into the "if you can't say anything nice" category.


Actress Angel Locsin does not shy away from drama, the Swan Lake costume shop.


Actress Emma De Caunes snuck in with her.


Rachel Roy can do very little wrong.


And...Moby.

[Images via Getty]

Know what's great about Carrie Underwood's dress? You just know from sense memory that it feels like one of those Barbie gowns.


Don't worry, Selena Gomez, there's enough glitz to go around!


So, over the weekend I was considering the purchase of a pair of silk tap shorts. And the saleslady said to me, "the great thing is, when you can't decide between a skirt or pants, you reach for the shorts." Wonder if that was Chani Christie's process.


I like how Melissa Etheridge always puts just enough thought into her selections to make you think. Think about...life. And sequins.


Ah, the barber pole. The last refuge of a scoundrel.


Reba McIntyre may or may not have ridden here. Through a briar patch. Western-style, presumably.


Shakira looks adorable, is apparently going to walk through a Medieval town square filled with excrement for an audience with the king.


That's good: otherwise we might not have been sure where Kelly Clarkson's breasts were.


It's like Toni Braxton's leg is about to perform a Gypsy Rose Lee-style striptease.


What Phoebe Price has to do with American Music, I can't say. What she has to do with "never disappointing" is a lot.


Oh, but you know what's apparently over my head? Leona Lewis's dress.


Paula Abdul, once again, dressed for a ball that only she is attending. This may be genius. It may be tragic.


Rihanna's die-cut doily: the evening's most creative - and prettiest - look.


Is Alicia Keys' frock a) for a figure-skating engagement later in the evening b) a bet she lost c) Andy Kaufman-style performance art or, and I very much fear it's this, d) none of the above?


Kristen, psst...there's a strip missing from your dress. Oh, it's supposed to be like that? I'll just...walk over here. There's Val Kilmer. In a hat.


Remember those weird "toys" where there were a bunch of pins in a box and you stuck your hand or, if you were brave, your face in, and it sort of hurt, but at the end you had a really neat, ephemeral impression of it? Fergie does!


I'll say this for Bobby Trendy. He's gotten his picture up on Getty.

[Images via Getty]

The one context in which Taylor Momsen's teen goth makes sense! Besides, you know, high school.


Jessica Szohr goes topical, too: this is vaguely Interview with the Vampire. Retro!


Hey, if there's one place you can do steampunk spinster, this is it. Not that Agyness Deyn needs an excuse.


Rachel Roy boldly disregards the Tim Burton dress code, and as a result wears one of the more interesting - and certainly cheerful - outfits here. Dig the mixed patterns.


The lovely Ashley Greene plays a clairvoyant vampire. Her dress plays angry shag carpeting.


Alexa Chung's eyes sparkle with the unholy light of the true fan.


Kristen Stewart looks chicer and more comfortable every time we see her. No mean feat at 19.


Genevieve Jones' shoes are altogether too gay for such a serious event. Does she not realize that young girls are dying with love all over the world?


Fabiola Beracasa is...camera-ready. And yes, it is a teen vampire movie! Whatever, who doesn't love costumes?


Lydia Hearst is 1920s ethereal. The "good" to Fabiola's "evil," if you will.


I can't think of a single nice thing to say about Veronica Webb's getup, so let's move on for karmic purposes.


Haha, Natalie Portman thought she could sneak in the back way, did she? Not on our watch, sister! Admit that twi-love!


Ivanka Trump has the look, and the getup, of one who's just realized, wait, this isn't a charitable fundraiser?


Amber Rose just refuses to leave home without her dunce cap!


There are many embarrassing things about this event. This is obviously one of them.

[Images via Getty]

But, man, can January Jones work a red carpet. Love the hit of 60s polish with totally modern styling.


Jennifer Carpenter. Strapless. What more is there to say?


Jamie-Lynn Sigler. Strapless. But this time we can say, "booties."


And when it comes to Shenae Grimes? "Necklace."
Maggie Grace's dainty little retro number has a decided "Anthropologie" vibe. Not that there's anything wrong with that.


When I did a scroll-up of Amanda Seyfried my thoughts went something like, "cute, shorts! Stevie Nicks' Belladonna! Pumpkin muffin!" (That just happened to be in my head though.)


Gabrielle Union is basically saying, no, this is how you do LBD!


Someone had to fill the disco-ball-mini quota, and Danielle Panabaker took one for the team.


Can't take my eyes off the arrows on Zoe Saldana's frock. "Spleen here!"


Olivia Wilde often fails the beatific palette. Digging with the sharp futuristic-trophy-wife angles!


All I can say is, having attempted to drape a toga, Emma Stone's isn't too bad! It's hard!


Rose McGowan: sweet, simple and pretty.


See, this front-gather trend is one that will never make it to reality - at least that portion of it with breasts. But what say you about Jamie King's red carpet iteration?


Like Alice Eve, I enjoy convent-ready eveningwear.


Jessica Stroup refuses to choose between statement pieces: she shall have the gold short-shorts and the mesh booties!


Trench dresses always scream "flasher." But as Marley Shelton shows, cute flasher!


AnnaLynne McCord's skirt is almost invisible to the naked eye.


It's always fun when Kim Kardashian just does classic bombshell. Yes, "fun."


And...the man of the hour. Some stylist obviously crammed this saffron square into his pocket, and this stylist is obviously a Palin supporter.

[Images via Getty]

Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton, per usual, bring the Gothic deshabille.


Designer Nanette Lepore knows that if there's one crowd that won't blink at vaguely tribal girly armor, it's this one.


Michelle Harper is a fixture on the social scene and, yes, she always looks this fabulously deco-glam.


Aww, it's Danny DeVito and daughter Gracie!


Jeez louise, is Gabourey Sidibe batting 1000, or what? Nary a misstep, folks! Nary a one!


Brooke Shields can do simple elegance. She was a Calvin girl, after all.


Say what you will about Anna Wintour, say what you will about fur...man, those hems are aligned with a military precision!


Is Ashley Greene's LBD breaking any hearts? No, but I can't take my eyes off her face, so it all works out.


You know what I love most about this pic of MK and Ashley? That they're both carrying briefcases, in case they might need to have an impromptu meeting. Moguls, people.


It's true that Rose Byrne is a special favorite, but come on: this is cool. Would I wear it? Could I wear it? No and no. That's why stars: are nothing like us.


Somehow in the context of this event it would seem strange if Johnny Depp hadn't shown up with Patti Smith as his date, and if they hadn't looked exactly like this. Yes, quizzing glass, hankie and all.


We'd say Helena Bonham Carter had been in one too many Tim Burton movies, but she was always an eccentric, and she's ended up in exactly the right place and, at the end of the day, it's pretty wonderful.


Hamish Bowles (Vogue's European Editor at Large) is one of this town's most reliable and natty dandies.


David and Julia Koch do "artistic socialite." Okay, not him so much.

[Images via Getty]

Julianne Moore channels either a giant clam or a Georgia O'Keefe painting. Same diff, really.


Actress Madeleine Martin is 16, going on 17. Innocent as a rose. Eager young lads and grueways and cads will offer her fruit and wine.


It's simply not fair that Blake Lively should be able to pull off embellished Gibson Girl with short-shorts.


Keanu Reeves needs a shoe-shine. That is all.


Shannon Elizabeth: take from her, her lace.


Robin Wright Penn continues the CPR-couture trend.


I guess this is what theatrical royalty like auteur Rebecca Miller wears. Traditional imperial garments for state occasions are allowed to be over-the-top, to our modern eyes.


Olivia Palermo, as a ladymag would have it, "models this season's trends." Perhaps with a random male model.


Helen Lee Schifter, a Best-Dresses List fixture, clearly likes the "statement necklace." What say you?


Zoe Kazan rocks my favorite frock of the evening. That's right: frock.


Although Marion Cotillard (quel surprise) is a serious contender, too! Avert your eyes - although from the combined force of the beauty or the sheen of Penelope Cruz's boots, is open to interpretation!

[Images via Getty]

The question on everyone's lips: did Daphne deliver? Oh, hell yes.


Hey, if, like Selita Ebanks, I were one of the most beautiful women in the world, I'd use my powers to pull off highly risky numbers too.


Amber Valletta is well on her way to another slot on the highly prestigious "year's best getups" list.


Fabiola Beracasa joins the Miuccia Prada school of enlightened frumpiness. Dig the Stevie Smith frock.


Model Heather Marks is apparently a fan of Fair Warning-era Van Halen.


Model Anja Rubik channels one of those handcrafted fairy dolls from the pages of Doll Reader.


Dayle Haddon represents old-schools socialites everywhere.


Waris Ahluwalia is a jewelry designer, man-about-town and regular in Wes Anderson films. That's why he can dress like he's guesting on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.


Cassie: the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees called. He wants his wrinkled knees back.


Lisa Marie Smith's tights are really...I mean, that gathering is strikingly...I'm sorry, I can't take my eyes off the guy vogueing in the corner.


Far be it from me to argue with someone who's had a guest spot on Gossip Girl, but Lydia Hearst's mod nightgown looks like a mod nightgown. Not that there's anything wrong with that.


Erin Fetherston has the knowing, power-mad look of one who's skinned a bunch of snakes and is hoping to gain their powers through wearing their skins. You know, that look.


Simon Doonan, in classic Simon Doonan costume.


Amanda Lepore, a famed NYC drag diva, adds glamour to any occasion.


Men of the hour: Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone. And maybe I'm just really used to the kilt, but it's the shadow-fade jeans that are grabbing my attention.

[Images via Getty]

One day when I have the energy (or am drunk), I really want to do an entire installment of GBU in the style of US Weekly's "Fashion Police." And so, when it came to Ashley Judd, I'd have some pun about either De-Lovely or Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. As it is, let's just say, congrats.


Naya Riveria is one of those women who can actually wear American Apparel's fashiony items, which is very misleading to the rest of the world.


Digging on Molly Sims' LBD, don't have the energy to object to shoes anymore.


On the fence about Mandy Moore's getup. On the one hand, I get it. On the other, that doesn't mean it doesn't age her. But on the third hand (work with me), maybe that's okay.


If it's November, dammit, you can wear tights. Debra Messing thinks so, too.


Ambassador Swanee Hunt is also an Ambassador of whatever land Snakes and Ladders comes form. Or, "shoots and ladders" as the sanitized version is known.


Are people getting sick of the slightly retro mini yet? Not TV host Catt Sadler.


In case there was any confusion, Tami Farrell removes it.


"Class act" is, of course, in the genes for Eva Amurri. (We're ignoring The Banger Sisters.)


PSI's Kate Roberts has a lot going on. A multi-tasker, even.


Ellen Burstyn works flowing robes like no one else.

[Images via Getty]

I like that the detailing on Anna Kendrick's dress can double as a deterrent to close-talkers.


Here's the thing: doesn't Dana E. Glauberman's dress defeat any and all purposes of having sleeves? But to each her own.


Do you think director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) deliberately matched the fall of her necklace to the slit in her skirt? Or is it serendipitous?


Tippi Hedren looks Melanie Daniels pulled-together. (Pre-birds, I mean.)


Diane Kruger can wear flats and a jumpsuit. This is the sort of thing a fairy gifts you with in the cradle.


Zoe Saldana's really running with the whole futuristic thing. In this case, futuristic bombshell!


Susan MacLeod is a special effects supervisor. Which is maybe how she supervised the theft of this Klimt.


Nikki Reed needs the jacket to tone down the blinding brilliance of her frock. It's like looking at the sun.


Her bracelet strikes me as confusing, but given that Zooey Deschanel I'm going to go ahead and assume it's actually adorable.


Well. It wouldn't be a Hollywood event without Kat Kramer propping up the red carpet. And by "wouldn't" I mean, "would."

[Images via Getty]

Beyonce Knowles, the ultimate modernist bombshell, in classic form.


The Hoff - in one place where he's always appreciated.


Juliette Lewis is intent on making everyone remember, at every turn, that she is not a rocker. Apparently she does put on a killer show!


Leona Lewis' getup makes me ponder the wide range of human tastes and likes.


Doda's outfit might be called "representational." "Literal," even.


But eh voila! The bomb contracts into a...large, random black circle.


Luckily for Lil Kim, there is a great deal to be said for consistency in this unpredictable world.


Is the, um, border of Shakira's arm-hole intended to evoke an Edenic serpent? Can she sit down in that dress? Or walk in those shoes? So many questions!


Now that she's 25, Katy Perry is an elegant grown-up lady. Or at least a Gibson Girl.


Asia Argento models the latest in Flintstones chic.


Elena Paparizou, meanwhile, models last year's iteration.


Not sure why Miranda Cosgrove needed to come to Berlin, but I guess Nickelodeon likes to represent. As do harlequins. And she's doing them both proud!


Shadow-tie-dye and high boots? If anyone can work it, it's a tall drink of water like Joss Stone.

[Images via Getty]