StarGazing

Awards season, movie premieres, what seems like just a day at the grocery store can bring out the best in Hollywood starlets. We love seeing who really brings the drama and glamour in a gown, and this year was no exception. We present the best red carpet gowns of 2011.

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy: Cate Blanchett's Oscars gown was equal parts futuristic, dramatic and just plain glamorous. We love that she's not afraid to take chances, even at the biggest red carpet night of the year.

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Couture: Lavender and lace with intricate cutouts set the stage for Mila at the Oscars this year. All eyes were on her ... and, yes, her lace-accented cleavage, too.

Emma Watson in Oscar de la Renta: At the London premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Emma proved she's no longer the little girl of ten years ago. She was the picture of Hollywood glamour with her close-cropped bob and petal-like confection.

Olivia Wilde in Marchesa: At the Golden Globes, Olivia looked like the most beautiful starry night in this Marchesa stunner.

Hailee Steinfeld in Prada: The young actress who loves to take chances on the red carpet did so again in this brightly hued striped gown at the SAG Awards.

Mila Kunis photo via popeater.com.

There are some celebs who just knocked it out of the park every time they stepped onto the red carpet. Here are our favorite red carpet darlings of 2011.

Chloe Grace Moretz: Not only is the 14-year-old becoming a major actress, starring in movies like Hugo and (500) Days of Summer, but she just looks fantastic every time she's on the red carpet! We can't even pick a favorite look, but we're loving her in Stella McCartney at Gossip Girl's celebration of 100 episodes.

Emma Stone: The girl's been everywhere this year, and her style has continued to evolve while maintaining a sense of fun and youth--like when she wore this colorblocked Giambattista Valli dress to the Friends With Benefits premiere, for example.

Blake Lively: The Gossip Girl star always wows on the red carpet, and this year was no exception. Whether she's in Marchesa, like she was here, or in Chanel, she just commands attention.

Zoe Saldana: Ever since Avatar, Zoe sure has made an impression on the red carpet. This was definitely one of our favorite looks of hers from this past year.

Elle Fanning: Dakota's younger sis is so sweet every time she shows up on the red carpet. We love her flowy skirts, flowers, pretty pastels ... and the fact that she's always completely age appropriate.

Hailee Steinfeld: Hailee takes chances on the red carpet, which we love. She plays with color, she plays with proportion, and she's never afraid to be herself.

Kristin Cavallari made a stylish appearance on Saturday at Dillards as the new ambassador for the label Chinese Laundry. She shows off her stellar style by working one of our favorite color combinations, and by pairing her chic dress with a tuxedo blazer that should be in every woman's holiday wardrobe. Check out our Style Recipe on how to get the tuxedo look.

If you're like us, you're pretty sad that Friday Night Lights is over. So we were happy to see Aimee Teegarden on the red carpet a lot leading up to the Emmys!

We love Aimee's new dark tresses--they really suit her a lot more than the blonde actually did. But what we're really loving in both these red carpet outings is her chic, sophisticated style.

At the BAFTA Los Angeles Tea Party, Aimee paired a hot pink silk tank with a pleated maxi skirt and a bold statement necklace. For the Emmy Awards Performers Nominee Reception, she went for a plum silk blouse, curve-hugging miniskirt and lacquered pumps.

What we love the most is Aimee's ability to show just the right amount of skin, looking chic and sexy yet completely appropriate at the same time. Both of these looks would be perfect for cocktails, a first date or even work in a more casual work environment.

Two trends were evident on the red carpet at the I Don't Know How She Does It premiere in New York this week. (The decolletage of Christina Hendricks was also more than evident, but that's another matter altogether.)

First up? Red dresses! We love the dresses that Emma Roberts and Olivia Munn wore at the premiere. Emma teamed her scarlet strapless maxi dress by Tibi with a black envelope clutch and eye-catching architectural gold necklace. Olivia's Carolina Herrera dress and strappy heels were a bit more adventurous and daring.

Two celebs really went for high-octane glamour on the red carpet. Jessica Szohr simply dazzled in a mirrored gold Marchesa minidress, which she teamed with Christian Louboutin suede pumps and a newly debuted blunt black bob. Sophia Bush was a bit more buttoned up--yet still super glam--in a gold sequined suit by Nonoo, Edie Parker clutch, vintage Chanel pendant and Casadei pumps.

We're loving that these celebs took chances at the premiere with bold colors and interesting silhouettes. It's so nice to see people having fun with fashion!