Well, 2011 is officially over making this a fantastic time to look back, and reflect on the best red carpet dresses of the year.
TEN.
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| Blake Lively – Met Costume Gala – Chanel |
This sari-inspired Chanel dress looked stunning on Ms. Lively at the annual Metropolitan Opera House Costume Gala. It may not be one of her best looks, but I don’t think many people could have pulled this off, and for that alone, Blake makes the list.
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| Selena Gomez – MTV VMAs – Julien MacDonald |
NINE.
Selena took to the red white carpet at the VMAs wearing a gothic inspired gown that floored me. For a lot of people this dress was hit or miss – either you loved it or hated it – and I, for one, loved it. There’s so much detail, and Selena shed her Disney Channel good-girl image in one fell swoop, without throwing her dignity aside as well.
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| Gisele Bundchen – Met Costume Gala – Alexander McQueen |
EIGHT.
It’s Gisele. That’s pretty much all I’ve got. She doesn’t walk a ton of red carpets on a yearly basis, but when she does – she kills it. The mermaid tail on this dress teeters dangerously close to “wow, is that her prom dress from the 80’s” territory, but the dramatic trains helps to keep it on just the right side of the line.
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| Julia Styles – Emmys – Georges Hobeika Couture |
SEVEN.
Julia Stiles at the Emmys? I know, it caught me off guard
too – but then I remembered her amazing guest stint on Dexter, and all my confusion disappeared. Even if she had been there just to sit in the audience and had nothing to do with the awards, I would have still been thrilled – because this dress was gorgeous. I love the gauzy texture and the color (is it grey? is it lavender? I don’t know and I don’t care!). Her simple hair and statement jewelry complete the look perfectly.
SIX.
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| Mila Kunis – Oscars – Elie Saab |
Mila had a few amazing red carpet moments in 2011, but this is my absolute favorite. I love the color of this dress, as well as the intricate lace work (I’m a huge fan of lace). It’s also a super fun and flirty dress, which seems fitting because she seems like one of the most laid-back leading ladies in Hollywood.
FIVE.
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| Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge – ARK Gala – Jenny Packham |
Alright, I contemplated putting Catherine’s wedding dress on the list (I mean she DID walk down a red carpet into Westminster Abbey), but that wouldn’t really be fair because then I would be commenting more on her Princess status than her Celebrity status (although, aren’t they interchangeable in the end?). So here is my idol at one of her first official “red carpet” events, showing us that the future of the monarchy is firmly in good hands.
See the top FIVE after the jump! Click “read more.”
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| Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge – BAFTA Event (Los Angeles) – Alexander McQueen |
FOUR.
Ok – Catherine made the list again. Are you surprised? There is only 1 more official “red carpet” event for the Duchess in 2011, and it didn’t make the list (although it came damn close), but it’s pretty safe to say that everything Catherine wears is a hit. She sticks with classic styles and silhouettes while adding modern accessories and embellishments. This Alexander McQueen dress is absolutely gorgeous, and was perfect for introducing Catherine to the Hollywood set at the end of her first official Royal Tour in the Summer of 2011.
THREE.
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| Halle Berry – Oscars – Marchesa |
I honestly don’t have much to say about this except that I love the dress, and I don’t think anyone could have worn it better than Halle Berry. She just looks absolutely phenomenal in it. (That’s probably the worst review of something ever written…)
TWO.
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| Nina Dobrev – Emmys – Donna Karan |
Introducing Ms. Nina Dobrev. If you didn’t know who the Vampire Diaries star was before the 2011 Emmys you certainly did afterward. This red dress put her squarely in the spotlight, and on a number of Emmys Best Dressed Lists. She kept her jewelry simple and let her dress do all of the talking… and boy did it talk. It pretty much said, “Hey look at me – I’m hot as hell!”
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| Demi Lovato – MTV VMAs – Mandalay |
ONE.
Ok. I’ll be honest – this dress itself isn’t exactly one of my favorites, but I really, really love what it stands for. After spending the better part of 1 year in rehab for eating (and emotional) disorders, Demi made it known that she was back and better than ever. It’s fantastic to see that someone who previously had dealt with (and will probably continue to deal with) self-esteem and body issues was able to take what she learned in treatment to good use, put on this [gorgeous] dress and flaunt her amazing curves with 100% confidence. If she was nervous she certainly didn’t show it… she looks stunning. (Also, her hair and makeup are fantastic – sexy, but age appropriate [well, by Hollywood standards]!)