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Red-Carpet Patrol

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Audrey Hepburn & Cropped Slacks With Ballet Flats
Sure, her Breakfast At Tiffany's look might be the most recognizable, but no ensemble has inspired such a relaxed revolution as Audrey Hepburn's revival of the ballet flat. Thanks to both Funny Face and Sabrina, the starlet created an ankle sensation, taking the long-forgotten flat and giving it a chic revival with the slimming black pant. (The exposed leg adds a cheeky wink to the all-black ensemble.) Today, the ballet/fitted-capri combo is just as smart and dapper as ever.

Everett Collection/Rex USA
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Courtney Love & Babydoll Dresses
Before Courtney Love, babydoll dresses were for, well, babies and dolls. Actually, their popularity crested during the late '60s, but the alternative music scene of the late '80s and early '90s latched on to them in an a way that was both ironic and genuine. Playing with and upturning preconceived notions of femininity, alt fans and groups wore the babydoll while moshing, sweating, and screaming their way through concerts — things Courtney Love excelled at. For a moment there, she was queen of the alts and her royal garb was, iconically, the babydoll.

Photo: Brian Rasic/Rex USA
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Gwen Stefani & White Muscle Tees
Hey, remember when sleeveless T-shirts were for aerobics classes and plumbers only? Yeah, we can barely recall either. See, since No Doubt crashed through the top of charts with "Don't Speak" 18 years ago (yes, 18 years), it's become perfectly normal for an otherwise luxe-dressed young lady to rock a ribbed tank or other sporty tops along with her statement accessories (questionably appropriate bindis included). Hey, our managing editor has about 20 of them. And, yes, even though she's gone on to much frillier fashions with L.A.M.B., whenever we see a fit female in a white top with her belly and arms exposed, we're always going to think of Gwen Stefani...or aerobics.

Photo: Rex USA
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Sarah Jessica Parker & Manolo Stilettos
Yep, Manolos! From the 1970s all the way up to the turn of the century, the arching, dead-sexy stilettos created by the Spanish designer were, indeed, the toast of the Upper East Side, Monaco, and anywhere else money and high style flowed. But it was only when Sarah Jessica Parker's Sex And The City character fell into ecstatic fits over them that these works of footwear art — once primarily familiar to Vogue readers and the Bergdorf-set — became mainstream fetish objects. Now "Manolo" is a byword for sexy, flashy, often outré femme style, tied forever to the woman also known as Carrie Bradshaw.

Photo: ERIK C PENDZICH/Rex USA
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Kate Moss & The Leopard Coat
Yes, yes — the leopard print is, quite literally, prehistoric. But, honestly, toward the end of the 20th century, coats made out of the print were more associated with senior citizens and rich women of questionable taste. The secondhand stores were filled with them. But then Ms. Moss slipped on your grandma's old leopard-print coat, and it became dangerous, deadly, and decidedly young again. Also, given how much she wears them, we kind of feel that if leopard-print looks hadn't already existed for centuries, Kate Moss would have had to invent them. That or go naked half the time.

Photo: Beretta/Sims/Rex USA
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Mary-Kate/Ashley Olsen & Hobo-Style Boho
The tabloid press used to call them "bag ladies," and for a moment there, we were right along with them. But then we warmed to this luxe, oversized take on the old-boho style, realizing that these young ladies were playing with their physical size and financial might in a particularly fashionable, amusing way. Suddenly, we looked around, and everyone's coats were scraping the pavement...even ours. To this day, whenever one of our staffers saunters into the office with hangover-blocking shades on, a two-sizes-too-big cardi, and a Venti latte, we say, "Good morning, MK!"

Photo: Flynet Pictures, Inc.
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Nicole Richie & The McQueen Scarf
Perhaps no one in our little circle of beloved fashion notables has risen so high from starting so low as Nicole Richie. Let's remember it wasn't all that long ago that she was wearing Wet Seal looks and palling around with Paris Hilton. But then the lady went boho — and we're not talking just any kind of boho. No, her casual pieces — from torn jeans to hippie dresses to her ever-present scarves — are always impeccably sourced. It's become a sort of dreamy, intelligently flung-together Cali style that has turned her into a serious fashion commodity, and the rock-'n'-roll scarf is the linchpin.

Photo: Henry Lamb/Photowire/BEImages
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Alexa Chung & The Peter Pan Collar
Dating back to at least the Renaissance — centuries before J. M. Barrie was even born — the Peter Pan collar has been favored by the fashionably demure. Somehow, though, none of the many chic women who've worn it over the centuries have ever owned it like Alexa Chung has. For someone so brash and bold, somehow the collar makes her simultaneously more girlish and more laddish — a neat trick. She even uses them to add a wink to even the most dramatic dresses — so much so that it's hard to imagine her neck without one.

Photo: Joseph Kerlakian/Rex/Rex USA
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Rihanna & The Flat-Brimmed Hat
Her hair seems to change by the hour, but the hat remains the same. Rihanna looks good in just about everything she wears, be it haute couture or simple street wear. But her strongest sartorial connect to her hip-hop roots, however, remains her flat-brimmed, always-sharp lids. More to the point, as her look becomes more and more refined and feminine, the hats point to her boyish charm (and make us want to invest in our own). Honestly, if we went a week without seeing her in one while stepping off a tour plane or into a club, we would start to worry about her.

Photo: Brian J. Ritchie Photography Ltd/Rex/Rex USA
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2001
Okay, okay, remember: It's 2001 and style was a bit weird, then. And for anyone who has ever been a 14-year-old kid sister, things are awkward — especially when your sibling is a) Beyoncé and b) taking you to the paparazzi-crazed BET awards. The camo, the exposed navel, and the glittery cropped top are so aughts — but we can all agree, those braids are pretty kickin'.

Photo: Al Tumo/Rex USA.
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Kerry Washington’s Luminous Blush

The Django Unchained star nailed her Academy Awards debut with a fresh-faced look that let her dress do all the talking. “I wanted Kerry to look radiant, soft, and natural, with a hint of color,” explains makeup artist Carola Gonzalez. To do so, she first highlighted the cheekbones with Armani Fluid Sheer No. 11 to give them a dewy finish before applying Lancôme Blush Subtil in Brilliant Berry to the apples of the cheeks. The result: a radiant smile and defined cheekbones. Just perfect for your wedding photos.

Photo: Jim Smeal/BEImages
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Kelly Osbourne

It's no secret that we're fans of Kelly's pastel-chic 'do, and last night, her out-of-the-box locks were among the best of the night. When it came to her makeup, Osbourne didn't hold back, with punchy coral lips that complemented, rather than clashed with, her lilac locks. In a night filled with classic Hollywood glamour, Kelly managed to bring a bit of punk into the mix.

Photo: Jim Smeal/BEImages
Jane Fonda 2013 Oscars
Jane Fonda
Clearly, Jane Fonda is some kind of wizard, but we're not here to talk about her insane body. We're here to talk about her dress. The shining, bright-yellow Versace Atelier gown has a definitive '80s vibe (are those shoulder pads?), but that's more than acceptable. In fact, it's wonderful. As cliché as it is to call her a ray of sunshine, we just don't know how else to put it. Ladies, let this be a reminder that there's no excuse for dressing down when it comes to the biggest night of the year.

Photo:Jim Smeal/BEImages
Jessica Chastain 2013 Oscars
Jessica Chastain
For pale, fair-haired women like Jessica Chastain, there's always a nervous intake of breath whenever a gown even approaching nude is involved. And it's true — in theory, the Zero Dark Thirty star should've been a washed-out bore in this sparkling taupe custom Armani gown. But anyone with eyes knows that's far from true. We can't explain how she did it (though the Harry Winston jewels probably didn't hurt), but sometimes, wrong is just so right.

Photo: Stewart Cook/Rex/Rex USA
Sally Field 2013 Oscars
Sally Field
Though it's a little unusual to see fall '12 couture on a 2013 red carpet, leave it to Sally Field to throw silly rules to the wind in favor of an undeniably gorgeous and flattering Valentino stunner. The incredible gowns from that collection didn't get nearly enough play, if you ask us, and so we absolutely don't fault Field for her pick. While long sleeves can often feel boring and stereotypical on older actresses, in this case, the opposite is true: She looks sexy but refined, fashion-forward, and iconically chic.

Photo: Jim Smeal/BEImages
Salma Hayek 2013 Oscars
Salma Hayek
Three words: velvet and jewels. When in doubt, go for the old Hollywood classic (although honestly, we'd venture there was very little Hayek doubted about her McQueen dress). The almost-body-con fit and high-necked collar combined in one of the most regal gowns of the evening, but Salma being Salma, wore it with both power and sensuality. We love the simple gold clutch and Cindy Chao jewels she added on as well, which balanced the embellishment up top brilliantly.

Photo: Jim Smeal/BEImages