Fashion critics spend hours upon hours dissecting red carpet dresses, breaking down cut and color and fit to determine which stars looked the best in their fashion choices.
But if we've learned anything from watching the 2014 Oscar outfits waltz down the red carpet this Sunday night, it's that the dresses look best when they reflect the joyous women wearing them. If you're squeezing into a dress so tight you can't speak or are wearing a neckline or hemline that just doesn't feel like you -- no matter how elegant the dress, it won't be worth the best-dressed title.
Forget the sparkly clutches, sky-high pumps and million-dollar bling. As the song goes, you're never fully dressed without a smile.
All photos by Getty Images.