Movie Awards, What? I Was Distracted by the Tulle, Art Deco Sheaths, Metallics, and Sheer Beaded Mesh!

If the Internets tell it true, all bloggers are required to dish on their favorite Oscar fashions. I'm glad to oblige! This year, some of the best dresses weren't on the red carpet; they were at Elton John's after party. I think red carpet fashion is slightly more modest than in years past, and I like that. Skin is fine, but dresses that double as works of art are just more interesting to me than limbs, limbs everywhere! My favorite dresses this year boast some combination of sleeves, floor-length hemlines, intricate beading or embroidery, and Art Deco lines. My absolute favorite dress, worn by Lily Collins at Elton's AIDS bash, has it all:

Everything about this long-sleeved gown is perfect: The combination of floral print and stripes, sheerness and shine.
Her makeup and midnight blue manicure are perfect, too. This is hands-down my favorite Oscar look.

Sleeves just make sense to me; it's February and these women are standing outside for hours having their picture taken!

Jennifer Hudson's dress is the most beautiful shade of blue. I love the color, pattern, shine, and especially the sleeves.

Those dark blues are so alluring, but maybe redder is better?

Sally Field nailed it! Can you believe this woman is SIXTY-SIX years old?!
She's earned a spot as Hollywood royalty, and her gown makes her look like a queen.

Hilary Swank's dress is almost exactly like Sally's, so of course I love it.
Imagine if it was strapless. Boring, right? Those sleeves add class and style.

How about a filmy combination of black and nude?

Miranda Kerr's gown kind of looks like a dressing gown, but that's why I like it.
It's sexy without being skintight, and I'll bet it swished and moved beautifully as she walked through the party.
Also, I wore a knee-length, sleeveless version of this to Homecoming in 1997. God, I loved that dress!

Emma Roberts has it all: Sleeves, shiny gold beadwork, and black lines that recall Art Deco styles.

But where are the real Art Deco dresses?

Okay, wait for it... 

Drumroll please...

These are amazing!

Isn't it gorgeous the way these lines accentuate Stacy's hips and Halle's shoulders, bust, and waistline? And those vertical lines make them both look impossibly tall. Stacy really IS an Amazon, but Halle is only 5'6. Doesn't that dress make her look statuesque, though? I'm so jealous! As much as I'd like to look that tall, when I really think about it, I'm pretty sure I know whose dress I'd borrow to wear to the Oscars. I love Lily Collins' dress, but I'd probably trip on the train. And I'm not crazy about Zooey Deschanel's manically cutesy image, but her Valentino gown is lovely. 

I'd definitely lose the little girl purse on a chain. And if I could change the color, I'd make the dress
midnight blue from the bust down, and keep the delicate nude mesh on the neck and sleeves. Can you imagine it?

Think about it. This is the most excellent dress ever, because...

Unless a dress fits all these criteria, I'm not interested!

What was your favorite look on the red carpet this year?