Best and Worst Dressed at the 2012 Costume Institute Gala

Monday, May 7, 2012

Best and Worst Dressed at the 2012 Costume Institute Gala

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There is no costume party quite so celebrated as the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Costume Institute Gala, a star-studded benefit that encourages sartorial creativity from its attendees. Take note: This what "going all out" looks like.

My Best Dressed for the Night goes to Beyoncé!!

Not one to suffer discomforts like chilly feet lightly, Beyoncé Knowles showed up to the party with her own personal shag rug ruffling around her ankles. The singer's long furry purple train distracted us almost long enough to miss all that sheer black Givenchy goodness attached to it.

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Newlywed Carey Mulligan, the evening's co-host, showcased her impressively tiny waist in a Prada frock smattered with silver and gold fish scale paillettes of different sizes. Nothing beats a classic silhouette paired with an intensely modern texture.

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Classic beauty Camilla Belle looked ready to party with Howard Hughes and the grand dames of old Hollywood in her slinky beaded Ralph Lauren gown with its sheer tulle yoke. Belle's art deco earrings, shiny side-parted bun, and deep wine-hued lipstick augmented the decadent flavor of her look. The lady is a fabulous, fabulous vamp.

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Elizabeth Banks is straight up fearless. When she zipped into this intensely architectural Mary Katranzou gown, she had to have known she'd end up in the back pages of Us Weekly above lame jokes about her being able to balance her drink on her peplum.

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There was nothing inviting about MaryKate Olsen's self-designed black gown, a stark, cool piece that looked particularly dramatic juxtaposed with her new platinum blonde hair. How long do you think it took her to get that fresh-out-of-soccer practice updo disheveled just so?

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Taking a cue from her latest music video, Rihanna vamped it up in a sexy form-fitting black gown by Armani that fit the songstress this like second (alligator) skin. While the front of the dress was demure, the back dipped low to show off RiRi's stream of stars back tattoo. I have to admit I hated the hair though.

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Emma Stone looks like a perky little child star in this Lanvin dress—which isn't to say it's not fabulous. Stone matched the playful vibe of this palette and jewel-encrusted piece with a bouncy up-do and a bright blue manicure.

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Cameron Diaz made Stella McCartney proud in this golden beaded creation, which weighed a whopping 30 pounds. The heavy dress got the final stamp of approval from Anna Wintour, although we're not sure she OK'ed the towering pompadour.

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Color blocking is in this year, but Kristen Stewart couldn't quite pull off this kicky Balenciaga number. It's hard to tell if she was the victim of a bad fit or just bad posture, but whatever the case, her over-the-top lace-up pumps didn't help her cause.

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Amy Adams turned to one of her favorite designers, Giambattista Valli, for a Met Gala gown this year. The cream Grecian gown was accented by a hint of black and a metallic bow at the waist. The actress' best accessory of all was her flowing red hair, carefully styled in sexy curls.

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Renee Zellweger surprised us all by opting to wear a backless Emilio Pucci number instead of her regular go-to designer, Carolina Herrera. The dramatic gown featured sheer sleeves and train made up of rows and rows of tiny ruffles. Worth noting: The actress also wore a backless dress with a train to last year's event.

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Kate Bosworth arrived in a short, feathered ombre gown by Prada. The actress paired her garnet and navy frock with sky-high stilettos, a sleek bun, and matching blood red lipstick to create a darkly sexy look.

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Sofia Vergara is normally a fashion knock out, but we're not sold on this fussy Marchesa number. The beaded dove gray gown suffers from an overabundance of tulle around the bust and waist, which are normally the parts of Sofia's gorgeous figure that she likes to show off the most. In the actress' corner? her vibrant pink lipstick and her sleek brown tresses.

oh yea.. & these notables attended as well...