How ‘bout those Oscars, huh?

{Justin Theroux looks on as fiancee Jennifer Aniston kills it on the red carpet}

…Hmm, wrong crowd perhaps? …Actually, I had to look up the best picture winner this morning because there was no chance I could stay up for the whole event. I’m more of a Golden Globes gal myself – everyone drinks so there’s the chance of amazingly boozy acceptance speeches from tipsy stars, and there’s no dragging middle third, where talented-but-unrecognizable cinematographers and sound editors accept awards and slow the whole thing down to a total snoozefest.

That said, I am in possession of lady parts, so therefore was obligated to at least check out the evening’s red carpet proceedings. While there were some great-dressed guys (Joseph Gordon Levitt and Daniel Day-Lewis, I’m looking at you), it’s obviously more fun to check out what the women are wearing. Colors! Textures! Updos!

{JGL, always on point}

It’s been said that women dress for other women, and I think – for those whom it applies to – that axiom is heightened during awards show season.

Take, for instance, Naomi Watts. Do I think she looked great in her crazy spaceman dress? Absolutely. Did her date dig it? I have no idea.

{Gorgeous, but kind of strange too..?}

I’m always curious: Are the actresses walking the red carpet trying to land on Vogue’s Best Dressed list, or do they simply want to take their date’s breath away when they finally emerge from hair and makeup?

{Mark Ruffalo’s wife Sunshine in a…fashion-forward design}

Of course, it can work both ways. Did Jason Schwartzman’s date look at him and say, “Maybe don’t go for the ‘murderous 1920’s barber’ look tonight babe”? Or was she just like, “Hey, you do you.”

We’ll never know.

{Moonrise Kingdom‘s Jason Schwartzman is clearly not on friendly terms with his tailor}

At the end of the day, I feel like a black tie event like the Academy Awards is just junior prom-squared. Your goal is either to make all your friends jealous of your awesomely stylish outfit… or you just want your date to look at you and go, “Wow, you look so pretty” then get all fumble-y with the corsage. You can guess which camp I belong to, I guess.

{C’mon Clooney, I know you think the rules don’t apply to you, but keep that jacket buttoned on the red carpet!}

 

Guys, tell me: Who do you dress to impress? Is it the lady in your life? Yourself? Your friends?

And what about her? Do you like it when your wife or girlfriend wears something that you just. don’t. get. …but that her girlfriends love? Do you appreciate her sense of personal style, or do you sometimes wish her outfits were more easy to compliment, like Jennifer Aniston’s above? Do you wish you could just say she looks beautiful, rather than search for words before settling on telling her her outfit is “interesting?” Sound off in the comments below!

 

(all images: People)