Met Gala, Part 3

The "In-Betweens"

I put all the people that I felt were in between "safe" and "risky" here. I'm sorry if you don't agree with where I put people...but to be honest I've spent most of the past few days just blankly staring at Gala pictures...so I'm a bit out of it.

Anna Wintour


I really like this look on her. It's simple and classy, and yet still a bit modern. Plus, who can go wrong with Chanel? Though I am surprised she's not wearing Marc Jacobs...then again, his collection is a bit daring for Miss Wintour.

Diane Kruger


Another Chanel-clad attendee...and I'd say I get just about the same vibe. It's a cute, youthful dress but it's so classic that she manages to not look too much like a teen star. I'm surprised she's not wearing something more daring, but I guess Chanel decided to play it safe this year...and I wouldn't blame them, it's turning out quite well so far.

Elizabeth Hurley


I know that some may think that this belongs in the "risk" section, but I think this dress' similarity to a really elaborate bridal gown makes it a bit safer. Personally, with my weakness for pretty, flowery details, I happen to be a fan of this look. It's crazy how far Liz has come from her Versace safety pin dress once upon a time.

Victoria Beckham


I have all the love in the world for Victoria Beckham, but I can't completely get behind this look. I really don't think the whole short-front long-back thing works, nor does the short-dress long-train look. Though I agree that she has the most attitude to pull this dress off, I really wish she had worn something from her own collection instead, which I think she looks amazing in. The shoes, I will agree, are amazing.

Kate Beckinsale


If anyone were to wear a massive ballgown, it would be Kate Beckinsale. I think she wears her poufy princess dress much better than Liz Hurley, though it could be because the dress itself has a bit more edge. Yeah, it's kind of over-the-top, but it's a Marchesa ballgown and it's the Costume Institute Gala. There's really no better place to go wild. The Marchesa ladies, by the way, are looking stunning. I usually feel bad because Georgina Chapman tends to overshadow Keren Craig, but I think here she does rightly so; her dress and shoes look absolutely splendid. They're a great compliment to Kate's gown.

Jessica Biel


I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan. This dress was absolutely indescribably gorgeous in the Atelier Versace promotional photos, and I don't think that Jessica Biel is the right person to pull it off. I mean, she looks pretty, but this gown could have loooked outstandingly gorgeous on someone else. I think that Jessica pulls off more of the Calvin Klein look really well. Also, you can't really tell in this picture, but in a lot of the pictures of the night it was obvious that Jessica had somewhat overdosed on the self-tanner...definitely not a look I'd approve.

Lou Doillon


This look pains me so much. This is by far one of the most gorgeous dresses of the night. It bears a lot of similarity to Jessica Biel's dress, but I actually like this version better. I think Lou Doillon is the perfect person to pull off this dress, and that her lack of accessories really let the dress shine. The one thing I'd change? Her hair...I know she's going for an effortless chic look but I really think she should have just slicked it back and given the dress a full-on mod vibe. But I have to let myself get past that, because this is really a beautiful look.

Claudia Schiffer


I love this. To begin with, this was one of my favourite dresses of the Atelier Versace gorgeous-a-thon that was their latest collection, and I've been waiting with anticipation for the first time it appears on the red carpet. Claudia Schiffer was a great choice for this dress, and she pulls it off beautifully...but one thing I would ask is that the hair be more sleek or something...it's just doing a disservice to the dress.

Cindy Crawford


I just really am not a huge fan. Yeah, the dress is pretty, but...I don't know, maybe I'm just not one for the super-sexy Versace dresses. Doesn't this seem kind of prom-ish? Not that the matching eye makeup helps her case at all. I don't absolutely hate this look, but I am definitely not a huge fan.

Jessica Alba


This was sort of on the fence for me...I think she looks cute and pretty and that her hair/makeup/accessories work well with the dress, but the tights are really not that great with the whole look. The dress itself is cute, but not particularly groundbreaking...and I would think that someone with the First Lady's endorsement would think to pull out all the stops at a grand occasion like this one.

Blake Lively


Like Cindy Crawford's dress, this really isn't for me. I will say that I think this dress is better than Cindy's and looks a little bit more fashionable, but this was kind of in-between. I think that Donnatella Versace picked a great spokesmodel, as Blake Lively is a great person to carry off the Versace-style dresses, but...this isn't one of my favourite looks. Plus, it seems like every single picture I've seen Blake in, she's posed like this...and I mean, she's already really hot and the dress is a Versace one, so I don't think there's any need for over-the-top posing.

Kate Bosworth


I was really expecting Kate to go with a daring, drastic look for this event...but she seems to have fallen through, wearing a relatively basic Stella McCartney gown. I remember once she showed up in this beautiful multicoloured sequin minidress on the arm of Karl Lagerfeld...hopefully she will return to those days. I've seen her pull off so many off-kilter looks that I'm kind of sad she didn't try for one here.

Tyra Banks


So close...so very, very close...I was just about to give her the seal of approval until I saw her hair. I can't imagine how painful it was to style her hair like that.

Doutzen Kroes


First of all, I think that Doutzen Kroes is one of the most beautiful women ever. Though I've never seen her in this type of retro style before, I think she pulls it off really well. The dress is cute, but the long sleeves make it less teen-star-style, and the shoes are the perfect topper. The one thing I'd change is those sheer black tights...I would have just nixed them if I were the stylist.

Ivanka Trump


This, though it may be on the slightly boring side, was a really great look in my eyes. It's got the glamour for a gala, but is still sleek enough to not be over-the-top. I was surprised, actually, that one of the prettiest dresses of the night was given to Ivanka Trump and not to one of the numerous models that attended. I suppose that designers probably wanted their more daring designs to be carried off by models.

Jessica Stam


This is one of the best minidresses of the night. Her shoes and makeup really pull this together, and I think the dress itself is a beautiful exhibition of Rodarte's clothing. I wish that they had displayed one of their more wispy, flowing gowns on Jessica, but she pulls this off beautifully.

Ashley Olsen


While some may think this is too oversized and boring, I think this look is actually quite nice. Oversize is the Olsen's signature, and she wears it well in evening dress form. Plus, her accessories and polished hair and makeup really pull this together. I think that if she wore this dress with the Olsen's usual undone look, it might not have worked as well.

Lakshmi Menon/Rachel Roy/Joy Bryant


Yay for women of colour! I think all three women look lovely. Not the most standout looks of the night, but definitely great looks on all three parts. And it makes me so happy to see an Indian high fashion model! I think that out of all three of these looks, I like Joy's the best...but again, they all look beautiful.

Sessilee Lopez


Helena Christensen totally got ripped off. This is a beautiful Zac Posen dress. I actually am glad that Sessilee's wearing this, because I think it looks unbelievable with her skintone. I'm also glad Zac Posen had a chance to redeem himself...though if I were him I'd be walking with Sessilee, not Helena.

Emma Roberts


I think she looks cute, and it's nice to see fashion brands reaching out to youth. This was a great choice for Emma, and I think she looks very nice in the dress. This is another piece from the wondrous Atelier Versace collection, and Emma is so close to doing it justice...I just really wish she had styled her hair in a less casual way. I would say pulled back, but even if it was sleeker it would have made the whole look a lot more polished.

Agyness Deyn


Okay, so she kind of looks like a plastic mannequin...but I think it works here. At such a high-fashion event, it's okay to go a little crazy with your look. In this case, I don't think it looks too tacky. It's also one of the best looks on Agyness I've seen yet. I wouldn't suggest that she stay solely with this style (not that she would anyway), but I think it's a nice change.

All pictures are courtesy of Style.com.