As soon as we’d pulled together the Best Dressed list, each style editor at PEOPLE.com immediately used this tool to make her own personal top five list and share it on Facebook. (If you haven’t made yours yet, what are you waiting for?!)
As it turns out, we each gave the coveted number-one spot on our lists to a star because we were won over by one very specific part of her look. Below, we call out that one special thing that caught our eye and prompted us to give the complete look our style seal of approval.
Style Director Andrea Lavinthal: Brandi Glanville’s Neckline: I picked this one before the red carpet even officially started. The Real Housewife, who arrived so early I suspect she slept outside the venue the night before, stunned (no, really, I was stunned) in a plunging gown that she designed herself. Okay, okay, I’m kidding (though I couldn’t resist another opportunity to talk about the craziness that is her gown). My real vote goes to Charlize Theron, specifically the shade of her Dior Haute Couture creation. It’s proof that white doesn’t always have to look bridal-y.
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Senior Style Editor Zoë Ruderman: Naomi Watts’s Cold-Shoulder Cutout: I love sequins. I love metallic. I love baby trains. And I love messy updos. So I probably would have picked this Armani Privé gown even if it hadn’t featured that half-cap-sleeve/half-sweetheart-neckline situation. But that amazing cutout is the reason I’m still talking about the gown two days after it appeared on the red carpet. (And why, when I got home at 3:30 a.m. Monday morning, I woke up my boyfriend to show it to him. He wasn’t as impressed, though. His reaction: “Didn’t Lil Kim wear something like that with a shell sticker on her boob?”)
News Editor Alex Apatoff: Zoë Saldana’s Tricolor Train: I adored the Alexis Mabille Couture confection the actress wore. And while I agree that the belt didn’t add much, what the waist cincher took away from the ensemble, her beautiful multi-tone chiffon train more than made up for. Add that to the floral appliques at the neckline and it’s the perfect balance of striking and surprising — just want I want in my Oscars dress.
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Contributor Jennifer Cress: Kerry Washington’s Coral: My reaction when I saw the Django Unchained star hit the carpet in this gorgeous Miu Miu number? A sigh of relief because she wasn’t wearing a pale pastel! The bold shade made it feel fresh in a sea of pretty — but not super-interesting — hues. And sure, the dress itself was amazing, but she probably could have worn anything in this unexpected color and I still would have voted for it.
Your turn: Make your top five list and let us know why your number-one pick earned that spot in the comments.
