Best Dresses of the Year

This year's gowns were all about drama – bold colors, edgy metallics and dramatic silhouettes. By Melissa Liebling-Goldberg

BEST ONE SHOULDER

Mark J. Terrill/ap

Forever glamorous, Jennifer Lopez gave the Golden Globes red carpet the cold shoulder in her beaded Marchesa.

BEST VOLUME

Cardinale/People Avenue/Corbis

Kate Hudson was radiant in a billowing Dior by John Galliano at the Dior Haute Couture show at Versailles.

BEST TIERED

Seth Wenig/AP

Cameron Diaz got layered up in her dramatic raspberry Dior by John Galliano gown at the Costume Institute Gala in N.Y.C.

BEST RUCHING

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Ellen Pompeo added curves to her slim figure with a Michael Kors glittering gown at the Costume Institute Gala.

BEST DETAILING

Gilbert Flores/Celebrity Photo

What looked like feathers from a distance turned out to be a multitude of tiny pieces of shredded chiffon – lending an ethereal quality to Penélope Cruz's Oscar gown.

BEST VIVID COLOR

Seth Wenig/AP

Liv Tyler matches her aquamarine eyes to her draped Calvin Klein Collection dress at the Costume Institute Gala.

BEST CURVES

AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN

Va-va-voom! Halle Berry shows off her flawless figure in a plunging Roberto Cavalli at an L.A. awards show.

BEST GRECIAN

PA Photos /Landov

Looking every bit the modern goddess, Jessica Alba is golden in her Gucci gown at a London premiere.

BEST METALLIC

TSUNI/GAMMA

Ever the trendsetter, Cate Blanchett is simply stunning in her platinum Ralph Lauren.

BEST YELLOW

CLINTON H. WALLACE/PHOTOMUNDO/GLOBE

Kerry Washington blooms in her bold Oscar de la Renta gown at an L.A.

premiere.

BEST NECKLINE

Steve Granitz/WireImage

Heroes star Ali Larter saves the Golden Globes red carpet in her

sexy v-neck Reem Acra gown.

BEST HALTER

Fred Prouser/Reuters/landov

Model-turned-actress Joy Bryant is still a stunner for the cameras in her

vintage Hervé Légér gown at a Beverly Hills

gala.

BEST STRAPLESS

Jim Smeal/ BEImages

Reese Witherspoon showed that single is sexy in her yellow Nina Ricci dress

at the Golden Globes.

BEST RETRO

Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

Kate Bosworth is the bee's knees in this '20s-inspired Prada at the Costume

Institute Gala.

BEST BLACK

flynet

No one does the little black dress like Jennifer Aniston – in this

case, a shimmering Chanel at the GLAAD Media Awards in Hollywood.

BEST RUFFLES

KRISTIN CALLAHAN/BAUER-GRIFFIN

Drew Barrymore is the lady in red – Ferragamo, that is – as she

enters a taping of The Late Show with David Letterman.

BEST BELTED

Mario Anzuoni/REUTERS

Fabulous at 49, Michelle Pfeiffer shows how it's done in her white

Jenni Kayne at the L.A. premiere of Hairspray.

BEST GREEN

Steve Granitz/WireImage

Showing off her dancer's legs, Charlize Theron is gorgeous in a green silk

Stella McCartney minidress at a Beverly Hills luncheon.