Best and Worst of the Red Carpet (PHOTOS)

This year, the only critic you would ever want to listen to about the red carpet, Joan Rivers, died. Rivers invented the notion of red-carpet criticism when she reinvented herself as a fashion critic whose bitchiness surpassed all (and like the best bitchiness, was usually true). At the end of her life Rivers had a brilliant show—E’s Fashion Police—which was her very own coconut shy, where she could condemn or (yawn) lavish praise, as she pleased. The insults were more fun, frequently very rude; so rude they left her co-hosts and viewers gasping in the best possible way. I was lucky enough to interview Rivers in one of her last major interviews, and then attended her funeral, which was memorable and wonderful for so many reasons, but most particularly for the reminescences of her friends like Howard Stern. As far as the 2014 red-carpet circus goes, at least she was around to cackle over some of these.

The phenomenon of the “partner of” crush. Julianna Margulies with her gorgeous husband, Keith Lieberthal (more Keith in 2015 please!), arrive at the Primetime Emmys.

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

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Lizzy Caplan from Masters of Sex in probably the most gorgeous dress of the 2014 awards season: a Donna Karan Atelier gown.M

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

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More couple hotness: Mad Men actor Jon Hamm with Jennifer Westfeldt at the Emmys.

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

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Lupita Nyong'o, of 12 Years a Slave, outshone every star around her at every awards ceremony she attended, first the Golden Globes in dramatic red Ralph Lauren, and then flowing blue Prada at the Oscars.

Reuters: AP

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Gwen Stefani at the Emmys in silver Versace—her very own statuette. Excellent.

Christopher Polk/NBC, Getty

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A brief, but necessary, sojourn away from the red carpet. This is the only way to get married, with bride and groom looking equally spiffy, hot, and totally original. Solange Knowles, wearing a pre-ceremony ensemble by Stephane Rolland, and her fiance, music video director Alan Ferguson, ride bicycles on the streets of the French Quarter en route to their wedding ceremony at the Marigny Opera House on November 16, in New Orleans.

Josh Brasted/WireImage, Getty

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Great actress, great trailblazer, great legs, great year. Laverne Cox stuns in a sequined Marc Bouwer dress at the MTV Video Music Awards in August.

Frazer Harrison/Getty

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Still working her American Hustle look, Amy Adams in two-tone Valentino at the Golden Globes.

Steve Granitz/WireImage, Getty

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All year, Jennifer Lopez turned up at events looking like she was having the best, lip-smacking game of dress-up ever. Mass eye-popping and compliments followed her wearing this gray Charbel Zoe cut-out dress at MTV’s VMAs.

Larry Busacca/Getty for MTV

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My colleague Marcia and I disagree heartily over this dress. I love it, she scowls at it on sight. I think many readers will agree with her, but Amber Rose at the VMAs owns this Laura Dewitt chain-dress, owns her body, isn’t a stick insect, and made all critics go all Victorian lady, blah-ing on about her being “practically naked.” Had she been very thin, I wonder if there would have been as much outrage at the baring of flesh. (No, then she would have just been criticized for being too skinny.)

Jason Merritt/Getty for MTV

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Another Tim vs. Marcia scowl-down. She loves it, I do not. But critics seem to side with her. Taylor Swift, aka Proprietor of the Pop Charts 2014, channels ‘50s fitness model in this bizarre blue get-up at the VMAs.

Steve Granitz/Getty

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Kim Kardashian in Balmain at the VMAs—weird cape-thing, weird-length, but mesmerizing…so she wins. Again.

Frazer Harrison/Getty

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Rita Ora in Donna Karan Atelier at the VMAs, or Baywatch swimsuit recustomized. You choose.

Larry Busacca/Getty for MTV

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The desire to love actress Sarah Paulson’s cloud-of-fluttery-chaos Armani Privé dress that she wore to the Emmys was high; indeed Vanity Fair raved about it. But we cannot escape that it looks a thousand, swarming insects—she is wearing her own personal ‘70s disaster movie.

Christopher Polk/NBC via Getty

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Julia Roberts’ Emmys dress is a little oddly-lengthed. But it’s Julia Roberts. Smile trumps all.

Jason Merritt/Getty

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Brooklyn comes to the Emmys. We all lose. Lena Dunham was heading to an ironic tribute to Barry Manilow’s ‘Copacabana,’ took a wrong turn, and ended up on the Emmys red carpet. This is not a victory for feminist self-statement. Sorry.

Michael Buckner/Getty

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Jennifer Lawrence at the Golden Globes, before being sent securely parceled and taped, overnight express to Anchorage.

Jason Merritt/Getty

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Emma Watson at the Oscars. Nothing terrible about the dress, nothing brilliant about the dress. The dress is guilty of the most heinous of red carpet crimes: the crime of boring.

Jason Merritt/AP

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The dress that ate the actress. Laura Prepon at the Emmys, in some kind of sartorial Little Shop of Horrors “Feed Me” situation with her own frock. Can anyone save her? Seymour?

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

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A short time after this picture of Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery was taken at the Emmys, a passerby mistook her dress for an actual tablecloth, and started serving tea on her. It was all very embarrassing.

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Best and Worst of the Red Carpet (PHOTOS)

Solange Knowles could do no wrong. Lena Dunham seemed to be doing flamenco. Lupita Nyong'o outshone them all. The winners and losers on this year’s red carpets were rarely dull.

Tim Teeman