Youthful, understated Hollywood style was the big winner on the red carpet at the 83rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles.
From drop-dead shades of red and violet to sheer champagnes and silvers, the night's best fashion picks dared to play with classic, go-to hues and red-carpet styles in striking ways.
Oscar co-host Anne Hathaway epitomized that playful, glam spirit as she walked the red carpet in a vintage Valentino gown. The 28-year-old actress kept her hair, makeup and accessories to the bare minimum. That style strategy paid off, keeping all eyes on Hathaway, not just her spectacular bustled gown.
Other stars like Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lawrence and Nicole Kidman followed the same fashion trick, keeping the glam factor high, the hairstyles simple and the accessories to a minimum.
Actors like Robert Downey Jr., Jesse Eisenberg and Christian Bale also kept it sleek and fresh on the red carpet in crisp tuxes accessorized with white-on-white ties, narrow ties and black-on-black details.
Across the board, Oscar's style message for 2011 was simple: modern elegance rules in Hollywood.
Red alert: Jennifer Lawrence may have been a dark-horse contender in this year's Best Actress race. But she won everyone's attention on the red carpet in a sexy, body-hugging red halter dress from the Calvin Klein Collection by Francisco Costa.
Violet vision: Best Actress frontrunner Natalie Portman had the perfect Oscar glow with a violet, draped chiffon gown by Rodarte and Swarovski crystal earrings to show off her beautiful face.
Perfect blush: "True Grit's" Best Supporting Actress nominee, Hailee Steinfeld, conjured up memories of a young Audrey Hepburn from the movie "Sabrina" in an ankle-length Marchesa dress, an elegant up-do and pretty pearl hair band.
White lightning: Best Actress nominee Nicole Kidman stopped traffic in her white, structured Dior Couture gown embellished with dramatic silver beading. "It's actually quite comfortable," Kidman told reporters about her dress. "It doesn't look it but it is. Kidman's accessory of choice? A fresh, simple ponytail.
Lavender girl: "Black Swan" co-star Mila Kunis turned heads in a low-cut, lingerie-style gown in lavender chiffon and lace from designer Elie Saab.
Champagne tastes: Halle Berry chalked up yet another fashion triumph in a blush-toned strapless gown with silk, feathery details from Marchesa.
Black beauty: Reese Witherspoon stole the spotlight in a black-and-white strapless gown from Armani Privé topped with a Bardot-like fall of long, blonde hair.
Tangerine dream: Jennifer Hudson wowed the Oscar crowed in a bright, tangerine halter gown by Valentino topped by a sleek up-do and svelte new curves.
Class act: Best Supporting Actress nominee Melissa Leo looked like a winner in a white cut-lace dress with shimmery details from designer Marc Bouwer.
Red vision: Sandra Bullock kept it sleek and simple in a strapless red gown from designer Vera Wang.
Shine on: Gwyneth Paltrow gleamed like an Oscar statue in a metallic embroidered sheath with plunging collar from American designer Calvin Klein.
Blue lady: Marisa Tomei married modern simplicity with old, Hollywood glam on the red carpet in a vintage blue-black gown from American designer Charles James.
Golden girl: Mandy Moore pumped up the drama in a sheer, gold-beaded gown from Monique Lhuillier topped with this season's hottest beauty accessory: tangerine lipstick.
Pale perfection: Cate Blanchett pulled off a master-class in Hollywood glamour in a pale, wisteria-colored Givenchy gown by Riccardo Tisci.
Oscar's man of style: Robert Downey Jr. made the perfect red-carpet entrance in a sleek, Cary Grant-cut tux perfectly accessorized with a white shirt and white-on-white tie.
Oscar's fashion miss: Florence and the Machine singer, Florence Welch, looked like she rolled out of bed and onto the red carpet in a pale, yellow Valentino dress topped by messy, non-descript waves of hair.
"It's so glamorous," Welch told eTalk's Ben Mulroney on the Oscar red carpet. "I feel like I should have had a chignon or something." Perhaps you're right, Flo.
