2011 Oscars Best Dressed

This year, actresses and starlets emerged pretty, feminine and glamourous in chiffon and lace, Swarovski sparkles, metallic sheens, feathers, tassels and good ol tulle. Overall the looks were safe, with no real risk takers on the red carpet, that included Lady Helena Bonham Carter, who's ode to the British flag seemed played down. Shades of purple in wine, dark and light hues were favoured and stood out the most. Best actress award winner Natalie Portman looked divine in her custom made  purple wine Rodarte dress, Scarlett Johansson in violet and pink lace Dolce & Gabbanna, Cate Blanchett and Mila Kunis were in lilac and lavender Givenchy Couture and Elie Saab respectively. Red, silver, black and white were the other prominent colours. Surprise of the night were the well dressed better halves of some of the actors, like Sunrise Coigney Ruffalo, wife of actor Mark Ruffalo who's statuesque figure created quite a stir, sent google search soaring; and who's dress id was hard to tag. Mark Walhberg's wife Rhea Durham went understated chic, Armie Hammer and Matthew McConaughey's dates, Elizabeth Chambers and model Camila Alves also shone in their pretty black numbers. Jennifer Hudson's squished her twins in a lovely tangerine Atelier Versace gown, Florence Welch and Anne Hathaway, both looked great in their Valentinos. Anne Hathaway was the real star of the night with her many dress changes, not so much for the lacklustre entertainment that she and co-host James Franco provided the audience. They should just leave hosting the Oscars to comedians like Steve Martin, Ricky Gervais or Chris Rock.

Jewelery was the other star of the night, some of the nuggets were a sight for sore eyes. Some actresses' gowns were nothing to write home about, but their jewelery shone irrespective. Amy Adams and Aishwarya Rai I'm talking to you. Other best dressed ladies who took your breadth away with their poise, elegance and gait were Hilary Swank in Gucci Première and Halle Berry in  Marchesa. Pretty teen Hailee Steinfeld wowed with her age appropriate attire and gleeful demeanour, she looked so happy to be on the red carpet, her excitement was infectious. Marisa Tomei doesn't age, Dame Helen Mirren is so sexy and Annette Bening sparkled in Warren Beatty's arms.

Best actress Oscar award winner for the movie Black Swan, Natalie Portman in a custom Rodarte dress, Tiffany & Co. tassel earrings and rings and Jimmy Choos

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Couture and Van Cleef & Arpels jewels. According to Instyle, her tassel diamond bracelet consisted of a 127 diamonds! And each of her earrings include 3 carat yellow diamond surrounded by white diamonds.

Mila Kunis in a lavender Elie Saab gown which paired with a loose chignon, Neil Lane diamond danglers and a tennis bracelet

Scarlett Johansson kept it simple in her Dolce & Gabanna fuschia wine lace dress and natural waves

Anne Hathaway in burgundy Atelier Versace Spring 2011, Tiffany & Co. jewels 

New mother Penelope Cruz in sequin L'Wren Scott with hubby best actor nominee Javier Bardem in Gucci

Jennifer Lawrence in custom made Calvin Klein by Francisco Costa with Chopard jewels and a Judith Leiber clutch

Last year's best actress Oscar award winner Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang and Harry Winston Jewels

Anne Hathaway in 2002 Vintage Valentino and Tiffany & Co.,seen here with the designer himself, the legend and master Valentino Garavani

Anne Hathaway in Armani Prive Spring 2011

Amy Adams in a sequin purple ink  L"Wren Scott and Cartier jewels

Gwyneth Paltrow in a Calvin Klein Collection silver metallic sheath dress and Louis Vuitton jewels

Hilary Swank, in Gucci Premiere with matching Gucci crystal encrusted heels, Anna Hu jewels and a Roger Vivier clutch

Anne Hathaway in an Oscar de la Renta silver tassel fringe dress

Anne Hathaway in Vivienne Westwood Couture corseted embroidered sequin and lace gown

Anne Hathaway in Tom Ford 

Anne Hathaway in a Lanvin Tux and Brian Atwood 'Fiona' pumps encrusted with Swarovski crystals

Anne Hathaway in Givenchy Couture and Tiffany Jewels

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman in Christian Dior Couture and Pierre Hardy shoes 

Michelle Williams in Chanel Couture, Harry Winston jewels and Jimmy Choos

Hailee Steinfeld in a ballet Marchesa tulle dress, platinum headband by Fred Leighton and Salvatore Ferragamo shoes and clutch

Mandy Moore in Monique Lhuillier tulle gown and Harry Winston jewels

Halle Berry in a Marchesa crystal and tulle corset gown and Neil Lane jewels

Melissa Leo in custom made Marc Bouwer with Jay Carlile jewels

Florence Welch in Valentino Couture Spring 2011

Marisa Tomei, in vintage Charles James from Lily et Cie couture, Van Cleef & Arpels jewels and Kotur clutch

Tim Burton with Helena Bonham Carter in an outfit by costume designer Colleen Atwood, and Solange Azagury-Partridge jewels

Warren Beatty and Annette Bening in Naeem Khan

Dame Helen Mirren in Vivienne Westwood, with Cartier jewels and Sergio Rossi shoes

Sunrise Coigney Ruffalo with husband best supporting actor nominee Mark Ruffalo

Camila Alves in Kaufman Franco with baby daddy Mathew McConaughey in Dolce & Gabbana

Armie Hammer in Giorgio Armani with Elizabeth Chambers

 Mark Wahlberg in Giorgio Armani with Rhea Durham in Naeem Khan

Jesse Eisenberg in Band of Outsiders

Justin Timberlake in Tom Ford

Designer Rachel Roy

Best Supporting Actor Oscar Winner Christian Bale and wife Sibi Bale

Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky

Susan Downey with Robert Downey Jr

The Social Network star Andrew Garfield in Louis Vuitton

 AR Rahman with wife Saira Banu 

 AR Rahman with wife Saira Banu 

Livia Firth with Colin Firth in Tom Ford.

Jennifer Hudson in Atelier Versace and $1 million dollars worth of Neil Lane jewels

Aishwarya Rai in Armani Prive holding a Jimmy Choo clutch with Abhishek Bacchhan

Virginia Madsen in Romona Keveza