The 79th Annual Academy Awards awarded Hollywood’s finest with the prized gold trophy, but it was impossible to watch without really noticing the wardrobe choices that irrevocably will engrave their names in fashion’s hall of fame – or shame.

Let’s take some of the nominated actresses for example. Some were brave enough to sport the latest in fashion and most dropped names of the best designers: Oscar de la Renta, Giorgio Armani, Versace, Chanel and Valentino, just to name a few. My favorite classy ladies included “Queen” Best Actress nominee and winner Helen Mirren in a Christian Lacroix gown fitted to perfection, Giorgio Armani clad “Notes on a Scandal” nominee Cate Blanchett and presenter Reese Witherspoon in a floor-length, tiered evening dress. Though each wore the designers’ latest lines, their gowns weren’t over the top or too trendy for my liking.

Although most of the fashion at the Oscars seems to revolve around the women, some of the guys made statements of their own. Clive Owen wore an all-black Giorgio Armani tux with black velvet lapels, Clint Eastwood came in sunglasses, Djimon Hounsou sported an off-black Gucci tuxedo and “The Departed” Supporting Actor nominee Mark Wahlberg came in a one-button Giorgio Armani tux (which was pretty simple, but he just looked too good to not be included).

As there always is, some of the nominees had some overkill looks that were a little distracting. Take Faye Dunaway, for example, in her floor-length J. Mendel dress complete with foot-wide ruffles at the hips and hemline. Dreamgirl Jennifer Hudson might’ve won the Oscar for best Supporting Actress, but she definitely didn’t win my vote for best dressed with her metallic wrap crossed with a pocketed Oscar de la Renta flop. And Meryl Streep might’ve been nominated for her acting in the fashion-worthy “The Devil Wears Prada,” yet what was she thinking in her black tuxedo look-alike Prada number?

I guess it’s safe to say fashion is always altering. Hopefully at the Academy Awards next year, some of the same faux-pas will be avoided and we can focus more on the nominees and their achievements. But maybe that ruins the whole point of Hollywood stars and their audacious style-just look at Britney.