The Oscar red carpet is easily the entertainment year's most high-pressure, with designers fighting to dress celebrities and who's wearing what kept a state secret of sorts. Reese Witherspoon commented on red carpet sexism, saying, "We're more than just our dresses. It's hard being a woman in Hollywood or any industry." While that's all too true, it's difficult not to pick our fashion favourites.
At the risk of reducing some very talented actresses to their wardrobe choices, here are the 10 dresses we liked most.
Rosamund Pike, Givenchy: Nominated for Best Actress for her performance in Gone Girl, Rosamund lost the Oscar to Julianne Moore but won the fashion honours in a dress as scarlet as the carpet that was laid out on Hollywood Boulevard.
Cate Blanchett, John Galliano for Maison Martin Margiela: When Cate wears black, you can bet it's going to be anything but basic. Last year's Best Actress showed up in a black column that encased her slimline figure, topped by a collar of turquoise beads.
Reese Witherspoon in Tom Ford: It's usually Julianne Moore or Gwyneth Paltrow who are dressed by Tom Ford. This year, it was Reese in a starkly elegant white sheath banded with black.
Lupita Nyong'o in Calvin Klein: Lupita's pearl-crusted dress had the internet and fashion pundits sighing over it in delight, just as they had sighed over the ice-blue Prada dress she wore last year to collect her Best Supporting Actress award in.
Sienna Miller in Oscar de la Renta: Sienna wasn't nominated herself but two of her films were at the Oscars this year - American Sniper and Foxcatcher. So she was guaranteed double the scrutiny - and acquitted herself with honours in a dreamy navy and blue dress with velvet bows.
Margot Robbie in Saint Laurent: The Wolf Of Wall Street actress Margot presented the segment on the Technical Awards wearing an old-world style diaphanous black dress with a plunging neckline, topped by a heavy duty necklace.
Emma Stone in Elie Saab: Best Supporting Actress nominee Emma also picked a vintage-y beaded dress in chartreuse, with her flame-coloured hair making for an arresting play of colour in a sea of mostly white or pale dresses.
Felicity Jones in Alexander McQueen: The Best Actress nominee wore a silvery ballgown with an embellished halter-neck bodice and a giant skirt.
Anna Kendrick in Thakoon: Anna wore her princess costume from Into The Woods to perform the opening musical sequence with host Neil Patrick Harris but her off-stage outfit was a big hit.
Marion Cotillard in Dior: If it's not Jennifer Lawrence, it's Marion. Dior can always be certain of being well-represented at the Oscars and this was one of Marion's better looks, worn with her habitual French aplomb.
