Wasn't I just praising jet hued gowns of Oscars past? Call it red carpet ESP, or a mere coincidence, but many ladies dared to go bold in noir colored gowns at this year's Oscars. Some of them I love — Penelope's feathery Chanel and Swank's embellished Versace — and some fell flat for me, mainly, Garner's ruffled Oscar de la Renta. Alas, these all have something in common: they're black, but far from boring.

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While many chose to let the gowns speak for themselves and go with bare necks on the red carpet, these ladies were rocking knockout necklaces. From Nicole Kidman's dramatic icicle-like layered necklace to Jennifer Gardner's choker, all of these ladies had a little, or a lot, of frosting on their necks.

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Beading, feathers, rosettes, sequins and scallops . . . what would an Oscars red carpet be without a little haute couture embellishment? Hilary Swank, Jessica Alba, Marion Cotillard, Anne Hathaway, and Penelope Cruz made sure they had the little details covered, from their bodices all the way down to their trains.

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The stars were thrilled to be back in the spotlight tonight at the Oscars. A handful were so fired up, in fact, that they gave the red carpet some fierce competition in red hot gowns. Anne Hathaway drenched herself in rosettes via Marchesa, Helen Mirren opted for a deeper red in a Georges Chakra custom-made gown, pop sensation Miley Cyrus oozed sophistication in Valentino, newlywed Katherine Heigl did Old-Hollywood glam in Escada, Julie Christie went short and ruched, and Heidi Klum went va-va-voom in a bright John Galliano (you can even win her dress). The silhouettes were vastly different, but one thing's for sure: these ladies gave Chris de Burgh's lady in red a run for her money.

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