Trend Report: Red Carpet Fashion At The 2012 Oscars

A true fashionista, Jenny Feldman is the Senior Fashion Editor at MyHabit.com. Her experience in the fashion industry spans from Nylon to The New Yorker, with her most recent position as the Senior Style Editor for Glamour. Here is Jenny's fashion re-cap of the red carpet, with her personal picks for best and worst dressed, as well as the style trends seen on the carpet.

[Photo: Meryl Streep via]

The Best

"My top five red carpet gowns: Meryl Streep, Shailene Woodley, Michelle Williams, Berenice Bejo, and Sandra Bullock."

Meryl Streep

"Meryl Streep is one of my favorite women in Hollywood and I was thrilled to see her at her best last night for her 3rd Oscar win. The Lanvin gown was goddess-worthy. I loved the on-trend metallic and the long-sleeves What was especially lovely about the Lanvin was the drapey silhouette and gorgeous neckline."

Trend #1: Conservative Look

"It’s nice to see celebrities looking more covered-up on the red carpet.

I liked Shailene Woodley’s high-neck, long-sleeved Valentino—very chic and grown-up. I also liked Gwyneth Paltrow’s Tom Ford cape, which lent major presence to her white column dress, and Meryl Streep’s gorgeous Lanvin goddess gown.

These three stars, who are all of different ages, prove that a classy look works if you’re 20 or over 50. You can incorporate this into your everyday style even if you are not going to a black tie function, as you can pair a formal skirt (sequins, metallic tweed, etc) with a conservative sweater. It’s an elegant, no-fail solution."

[Gwyneth Paltrow, Shailene Woodley via]

Trend #2: Red dresses

"It’s fairly common that stars work next season’s trends on this season’s red carpet, so I wasn’t surprised to see the flurry of red dresses.

Michelle Williams’ corally-red Louis Vuitton was my favorite – strong color and beautifully accessorized with the pink clutch for a fresh, spring mix.

Emma Stone also wore a fuschia-y red, a daring move for a redhead. Natalie Portman looked demure in red Christian Dior polka dots.

Finally, I loved Claire Danes in red – she’s really been making a fashion comeback. You can work this look into your wardrobe immediately by investing in a red dress and punching it up with fruity color accents."

[Emma Stone, Michelle Williams via]

Trend #3: Deco-Inspired

"Another one of my favorite trends from the Oscars was the Deco-inspired look – beading, drop-waists and sequins. This form of smoldering dark glamour is easy to pull off if you’re a celebrity (case in point: Milla Jovovich’s white gown with red lips and softly waved hair).

Sandra Bullock looked divine in her black and white graphic Marchesa. You can try the trend by opting for inspiration in the form of jewelry, a clutch or just the drop-waist silhouette, which is not only chic but really comfortable."

[Sandra Bullock via]

What didn’t work

"Stacy Keibler dressed as an Oscar lookalike was too obvious, Angelina Jolie had too much leg and I’m over the 'arm cutout' trend that J. Lo went with."

[Stacy Keibler via]