As I settled in to watch the 84th Annual Academy Awards red carpet last night, I cracked open a bottle of cabernet sauvignon, lit some candles and evoked my inner Joan Rivers (read: got my snark on) to set the mood. To be blunt, the fashions (along with the show itself and Billy Crystal) were a tad underwhelming. That being said, we did see some great gowns grace the carpet, but no real showstoppers and even fewer fashion fails. As Jeanne Beker tweeted this morning "It's getting harder to be mean!" and I have to agree with her. That being said, I did find some gems worth gushing over, as did my fellow fashion gals in the style department. Here are our top three best dressed winners! [caption id="attachment_5323" align="aligncenter" width="383" caption="Jessica Chastain in McQueen"] [/caption]

• What she wore: Custom Alexander McQueen made out of black silk organza and gold bullion metal thread. Jewellery was $2 million dollars worth of Harry Winston, including the very rare yellow diamonds.
• Why we loved it: I'm  kinda having a bit of a girl crush on Jessica Chastain as of late. She's a total style chameleon on the red carpet, she keeps changing up her look. So, I gotta give her props on that alone. But then when I saw her in this flowing black gown with intricate gold detail (my all time favourite colour combination) I knew this had to be a McQueen. It was. Almost everything was perfect, with exception of her hair, I don't like the half up half down thing. Wish it was just down. Anyways, she gets top spot from me.

[caption id="attachment_5331" align="aligncenter" width="383" caption="Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton"] [/caption]

• What she wore: There was some debate as to the exact colour of this Louis Vuitton peplum-detailed dress. But in this photo you can clearly see that it's a hot coral shade, and it's epic. She accessorized with a pink Bottega Veneta clutch and a hefty 30-carat diamond Fred Leighton choker.
• Why we loved it: Michelle Williams usually plays it safe on the red carpet, so this vivid-hued gown was a surprise. It's the kind of dress that takes your breath away—that colour combined with the tiered ruffles and peplum, a total dream.

[caption id="attachment_5335" align="aligncenter" width="383" caption=" Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford"] [/caption]

• What she wore: Gwyneth was a minimalist's dream, draped in a elegant white Tom Ford dress avec a clean-cut maxi cape. I loved the sparkly cuff  and rings paired with the simple hair. Girl brought the look home with sleek styling.
• Why we loved it: Gwyneth had major success with the minimalist look she wore last year  — the Calvin Klein number —, it was smart of her to stick with that same vibe. All the major fashion players seemed to be appeased by this cohesive look, and so am I. Actually, I'm pretty surprised that she was the only celeb wearing Tom Ford; wish I saw more of it.

HONOURABLE MENTION GOES TO... [caption id="attachment_5339" align="aligncenter" width="383" caption="Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji"] [/caption]

• What she wore: Octavia Spence looked stunning in a Tadashi Shoji. Shoes were Jimmy Choo, clutch was Judith Leiber and jewels were Neil Lane. Her stunning earrings were 50-carat— wowza!
• Why we love it: I've never seen her look so gorgeous, the draped — yet fitted — gown is beautiful and so flattering! I adore the pale-gold beading, looks stunning against her skin tone.

All images courtesy of GETTY Images.