This year’s Academy Awards was another display of the finest fashion designers on the globe, and stars clamored to wear the latest and greatest. As with all award ceremonies, there are hits, misses, oddities, and irregularities.

I normally don’t inject any form of politics into my fashion review, but I did find one brilliant moment so on target that it is worth mentioning: When Billy Crystal pointed out the irony that “nothing can take the sting out of the world’s economic problems like watching millionaires present gold statues to each other,” I couldn’t help but chuckle. That said, let’s look at my examination of everyone’s favorite section of the National Review: fashion, of course!

My first selection must go to my favorite, and that, undeniably would be Michelle Williams. I don’t know a single editor so far that said she looked anything but stunning in her coral, strapless Louis Vuitton dress. As with my previous reviews on the National Review, I like to focus my compliments not only on the dress itself, but the details which make the dress, in one word, spectacular. This masterpiece — a coral, strapless, peplum, tiered number by Louis Vuitton — was shockingly perfect. Sometimes dresses can look corky when there are a lot of details, but here it’s just perfect. Pairing it with a necklace in lieu of earrings was the right move, especially with short hair. Looking back at her previous selection of Jason Wu for the Golden Globes, this is just more evidence of someone who knows her style and who dresses to bring out the best in her, not for the tabloid’s gossip section.

A close second is occupied by Emma Stone, who looked really chic in her Giambatista Valli dress, fabricated of a Red/Fuscia silk with what seems to be a trademark of Valli as of late — the giant bow. Even if it is a love-it-or-hate-it detail, I personally found it to be just right, because the designer used silk georgette, a drapey soft fabric, instead of a stiffer organza or taffeta, which would have absolutely overwhelmed Emma. The designer, fresh off his recognition at Fashion Group International (like your humble correspondent) knows how to elongate women with his beautiful silhouettes. It also helps that Emma wears red so incredibly well and therefore it just seems so perfect for her.

On a side note, since fashion always emerges from the past, and recollections of previous Academy Awards ceremonies remain in my mind, I found Emma’s dress to bear a striking resemblance to Nicole Kidman’s 2007 attire. What do you think? Too close for comfort, or am I totally off base?

Another win for me was Octavia Spencer who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and looked stunning in a sparkly silver Tadashi Shoji. Adjectives such as luxurious, ravishing, and regal come to mind, and the fit of her custom-crafted gown is perfection. We all must remember that not every fashion icon needs to be a size two, six-foot-tall leggy blonde — and Octavia just reminded us all of that point last night.

Let’s move away from my favorites, and focus on looks that have their pluses and their minuses. Please take careful note that I did not say “dresses” or “actresses” because I believe a style or look is the complete picture, not any one facet or component of attire. Starting with Tina Fey, in her Carolina Herrera, I find her to physically look beautiful — she’s got the right hair and the right makeup. But the dress seems to be too much for her frame. I’m not quite sure if it’s the peplum that overwhelms her, or possibly the fact that it is a dark shade of midnight blue, but something is just not right. It might also be the lack of jewelry around the neck, leaving a very bare portrait of what should be a very glamorous front. I want to be clear though: I think the dress design is lovely, and Tina looks ravishing, but together, there is just an element that is missing.

Meryl Streep, one of my favorite actresses, has me on both sides of the fence with her gold V-neck Lanvin dress. To be very honest, I love it, but I am the only one in my circle of friends who holds this opinion. When seven girls tell me I am wrong, I have to do further analysis as to why I feel as I do. Let’s first take the color: When did gold ever have a negative personality? I think it’s exuding confidence, strength, regality, and a definition of character. The draping looks very nice, and it is not inappropriately too low or cut too synching for her age. I also think it is ironic that this dress has an 80s feel, while Meryl stands at the podium accepting the award for her personification of perhaps the most influential and important female figure on the world stage in the 1980s. So that leaves the question: What is wrong with this look? Perhaps there is too much draping in the skirt? Maybe the belt looks a bit plastic-like and inexpensive? It’s possible, but I am going to stand firm and say I rather like this look on Meryl, and I think her creativity and risk-taking proved successful here.

I think it’s time to turn our attention to dresses that may not be among my favorites. As a designer, I refuse to have a “worst/best category” because I still remain in the position to ask, “Who am I to judge?” I have my opinions, and I will carefully apply them here. Starting with Gwyneth Paltrow, I really do apologize to Tom Ford fans, but this dress does not do much for me. In the words of my best friend, “It’s just like, fabric!” and I agree with him. When I think of the Academy Awards, I think of glorious opulence, show-stopping looks, and an unimaginable amount of workmanship. This dress has none of these factors. Sure, it’s chic, and has some sense of modern glamour, but is this suitable for the Academy Awards? Is this grand? I really don’t think so. Comparing it to Michelle Williams’s gown, which required 300 man hours to hand craft, how can we say these dresses have the same impact on the fashion commentator?

Perhaps I will abandon my self-imposed restraint on how I word things when analyzing Jennifer Lopez. This commentary comes from me as a person, before it comes from the fashion designer in me. I think she showed such a lack of respect for her fellow colleagues, the board of governors, the Academy Awards history, and most of all, the viewers in general. She wants to shock people? She should do so with talent and ability to move an audience with her voice and acting skills — not by wearing a dress which she knew would show a highly inappropriate amount of skin in her bust area. This is not the first time she wore something that had a supreme shock value, but I think this dress was far more illicit and inappropriate. As my grandmother would say, “Shame on her!” I will not include the picture in question, but a more subdued shot of the look. However, a simple Google search will give you, my loyal readers, a glimpse into what I am talking about. Send the kids out of the room.

— Bradley Scott is a winner of the Fashion Group International Rising Star Award and a New York native. His website is http://www.bradleyscott.com.