My favorite red carpet looks of the year

This was the year that I saw my favorite style stars change. In the past, I was more in awe of those stars who exuded simple straight-forward style, but I've come to like those who are more unique and avant-garde in their styles (not Lady Gaga avant-garde, but more accessible avant-garde). These are my favorite looks from the past year.

10. January Jones in Versace at the Emmy's

For being a somewhat typical-looking blonde, January Jones takes a lot of fashion risks and always looks great doing it. I loved her Versace Emmy dress from last year and she went with the same designer this year. I don't love her hair, but the dress color is great on her and that's a silhouette not many could pull off.

9. Kyra Sedgwick in Monique Lhuillier at the Emmys

While I've come to appreciate the risk-takers, I still love classic styles. Kyra's is the perfect example of a classic silhouette. The dress is simple, but uber-flattering and this is by far one of my favorite colors.

8. Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad at the Met Costume Gala

There were so many dresses like this one this year (including Anne Hathaway at the same event), but I loved this one the most. For one, J.Lo is so much better when she takes it easy, she tends to glam it up too much for my tastes. Also, I loved the design on the skirt, it made the dress more than just another sparkly gown.

7. Blake Lively in Marchesa at the Met Costume Gala

Blake Lively gets a lot of flak for showing it all off (she was nicknamed Boobs Legsly by GoFugYourself), but I think she dresses in a way that's appropriate for her age and body. And hey....if you've got it... I love this dress for both the bold color and romantic detailing, which seem to work almost in antithesis of each other.

6. Cate Blanchett in Armani Privé at the Tony Awards

This is a look almost no one else could pull off, Cate even outshines the model who wore it on the runway. It perfectly shows off how long and lean she is. It's a classic suit in a non-classic fabric. Quintessential Cate.

5. Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab at the Academy Awards

Solid color and embellished dresses are a dime a dozen, which I why I loved this dress. The watercolor print made this gown one-of-a-kind. The colors perfectly complemented her, I don't think anyone but a blonde could pull it off. I wish she had done some more jewelry, especially around her neckline, but she looks amazing nonetheless.

4. Diane Kruger in Elie Saab at the SAG Awards

Diane Kruger is my favorite risk-taker mainly because, despite taking risks, she almost always looks amazing. The color is amazing (mustard is not an easy one to pull off), it fits her perfectly and she's complemented it all perfectly with her hair, make-up and accessories. It's still somewhat risky, but simple and it works wonderfully.

3. Rihanna in Elie Saab at the AMAs

Rihanna takes a lot of chances that I don't always love, but this was a great look for her. It's covered, yet still sexy, that same amazing color from Sedgwick's dress, perfectly detailed. She didn't overdo things with jewelry or her hair (thank God). I want this dress...

2. Zoe Saldaña in Louis Vuitton at the Golden Globes

This may be my nomination for color of the year. Everyone looked good in this color, especially Zoe. What I love more about this dress is the raggedy nature of the skirt. While I didn't like it initially, it really grew on me. It's unique and interesting, but still undeniably chic.

1. Diane Kruger in Christian LaCroix at the Golden Globes

This dress is just straight-up weird. It's an atypical red carpet color, there's this strange ombré thing going on around the bodice and what's that white thing? This dress is the perfect example of Diane Kruger's ability to pull off just about anything and still look amazing.

Other Favorites: