Met Ball 2012: The Best Dressed, Part II
Courtesy of Prada, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, JustJared

As I said this morning I couldn't just post about my five favourite looks from this year's Met Ball. Last night I would have sworn I didn't like too many looks but after having a look at images of everyone I missed on the red carpet I changed my mind.
There seemed to be mixed feeling about Kristen Dunst in her Rodarte ensemble. But I loved the fact that it was unlike anything she has worn before and completely different from everyone else. I loved the colour, the cut, the lace detail under the blazer and the belt. It was perfectly styled and she looked ultra cool.
It kind of bothers me that no one ever puts Anna Wintour in the best dressed lists. I utterly adored this lobster Prada gown she wore last night. It was chic and fun and she looked so elegant. I simply love the fact that she always stays true to her style.
Bianca Brandolini went for a gilded Dolce & Gabbana number that obviously shone beautifully under the red carpet lights. This would have been such an exaggerated and over-the-top look on someone else but Bianca is so elegant and classy that she just looks like (fashion) royalty.
I was happy to see January Jones back in shape in an Atelier Versace gown. It has taken her a while to get her mojo back after the pregnancy but she is quickly getting there. The dress had such a different vibe than on the runway and I really liked the turquoise in the necklace, which gave the look a new dimension.

Courtesy of Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, JustJared

Giovanna Battaglia's Dolce & Gabbana dress put a smile on my face. It was so tremendously Italian and full of character but Gio wore it in such a young and chic way. And the braid and flower headband were such a great call!

Rooney Mara looked her edgy-meets-rocky-chic usual self. I guess none of us doubted she was going to wear Givenchy. I just wished she would have gone for a bit more drama or a different colour. But I loved the combination of lace and leather, Riccardo.

Cara Delevingne was one of the most fashion-forward attendees. I couldn't have loved her velvet Burberry dress any more. It was a stunning shape and I loved the detail of the collar and the studded Burberry gloves. How unfair is it that she gets to look so great wearing next season's clothes?

Who was your best and worst dressed? – Have I missed anyone on my lists?

Best Dressed at the 2012 Academy Awards
Getty

This year's red carpet seemed to be a lot more subtle than last year's, which is exactly what I said a year ago. We saw little drama but a lot of elegance, so I am happy.

My three absolute winners are Rooney Mara in Givenchy Couture, Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton and Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford. All three dresses were stunning, unique and very simple. It was all about the details – the slickness of white, the layers of chiffon, the play with textures. They are three of my all-time favourites so I was thrilled so see them look so beautiful, especially Gwyneth who wasn't even nominated!

My two big surprises of the night were Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen and Tina Fey in Carolina Herrera. The first because I felt like she hadn't quite found her style until now (and I loved the hair) and the second because she had 'it' but hasn't been too successful showing it in the past – Fey was the epitome of elegance last night.

Natalie Portman and Sandra Bullock were a bit hit and miss for me because even though they looked really pretty, they failed to have that something that makes a look Oscar-worthy. In the case of Natalie's vintage Dior I think it was the overly simple silhouette and informal pattern, and in Bullock's case it was the odd fit of her Marchesa that didn't feel age appropriate.

Getty

Best Dressed of the Weekend: Michelle in Erdem, Part II
JustJared

This week I am very happy with the mix of women on the BDOWeekend post! So happy, in fact, that I am not ranking them because I can't choose.

Naomi Watts' Stella McCartney look from the Resort 2012 collection is the ultimate example of understated elegance. I love the top white panels, which make the dress super modern. I also love the fact that there's barely any accessories (perhaps a different clutch?) but the hair and the shoes are simply spot-on.

Brooklyn Decker makes a second appearance on this post in a very different look. Her Proenza Schouler dress has all the right vibes for a pre-Superbowl event. It's the perfect time to give the luxury sportswear trend a go! I am not super keen on the bag but the Karl shoes add the perfect touch.

Rooney Mara just can't get it wrong. She's on like her bizillionth red carpet hit, this time in Louis Vuitton  Pre-Fall 2012. It could have been a boring look had the dress been black but the emerald green injects energy into the look and works great with Rooney's skin tone and dark hair.

Michelle Williams has adopted a much more pin-up-ey attitude lately, no? Like she's been hanging out with Dita von Teese. And it works brilliantly with her SS12 Erdem dress. I didn't think she could top her last Erdem moment but I was definitely wrong. She looked stunning.

Best Dressed of the Weekend: The Rooney Mara Special
Zimbio

I must admit that I was, at first, a little weary about Rooney Mara stepping on the red carpet. I had been seeing pictures of her on the set of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' that I could not image she would be, in fact, as beautiful as she is in real life. She gradually softened her look after wrapping up the film to sort of bloom for the press tour of the movie.

I was first impressed by her Calvin Klein moment at the CFDA/Vogue Fund Award about a month ago. I, then, started to understand why Anna Wintour had put her on the cover of the November issue. But it wasn't until last week that I was actually taken aback by how beautiful she looked.

First it was the white Givenchy Couture gown she wore to the premiere of the movie in London. She is like a mixture between a swan and an angel but she's got this Je ne sais quoi that is very Tilda Swinton. I just loved it.

But the look that really blew me away was the black SS12 Prabal Gurung dress Anna Selezneva had rocked on the catwalk. Everything was perfect –the understated slicked back ponytail, the light makeup and subtle red lips and the simple Louboutins that complemented the incredible dress. I just can't wait to see what's in store for her in 2012!

TFS

We already saw a preview of the cover over the weekend and I knew I would be happy with this one. Rooney Mara, shot by Mert & Marcus and styled by Tonne Goodman, covers the November issue of American Vogue. This is exactly what I would like the magazine to always look like –elegant and slick, with an edge.

I think the choice of Rooney for the cover is both expected and unexpected –the first because she already covered W and she stars in a blockbuster, and the latter because she doesn't have the typical look American Vogue usually has on the cover.

Tonne has done an excellent job on the styling. The cover dress, a black Ralph Lauren dress from the F/W11 collection, has that subtle sophistication you need for a cover garment and I love the dragon detail on the back, no matter what other people might think, it's witty.

The editorial inside (click below on read more to see) is even better. It's very much inspired by the work of John Everett Millais  and the Pre-Raphaelite movement. As tired as I've been of Mert & Marcus lately, I must say they've nailed this shoot. The way they always use colour is just right in this case. I am officially obsessed with this issue!