There were a lot of talks about how this year’s Academy Awards will turn out. With the recession in swing, Hollywood had to manage a delicate balancing act.

Basically, it’s this: "entertain the viewers without offending them".

For the 81^st Academy Awards, things were toned down a bit.

As for the celebrities, thankfully no one showed up wearing a recyclable sack. Stars still look like stars in their designer gowns and professionally done hair and makeup.

Dress trends

A lot of celebrities opted for nude and white colors this year. You got best supporting actress nominees Marissa Tomei, Penelope Cruz and Taraji Henson, and best actress nominee Ann Hathaway, all in ethereal white or nude gowns. Even Mickey Rourke wore white. But no tuxedos for Mickey boy.

Red is another color of choice at this year’s Oscars. We saw Heidi Klum, Amy Adams, and Amanda Seyfried all dressed in crimson.

A few people wore black, including best actress nominee Anglina Jolie in a strapless Elie Saab gown with a sweetheart neckline and her gorgeous Lorraine Schwartz emerald earrings and ring adding a bit of color. Vanessa Hudgens wore a strapless black Marchesa, with white and black tulle flower accents. Diane Lane and Jennifer Grey also opted for black frocks – both by Dolce and Gabbana.

Some actresses decided to add a little color to the affair. "Slumdog" actress Freida Pinto wore a lovely one-sleeved indigo John Galliano beaded lace gown. Alicia Keys wore a strapless lilac Armani Prive gown. Natalie Portman wore a pink strapless Rodarte number. Best supprting actress nominee Viola Davis honored chanelled the Oscar statuette in a gold, Reem Akra haltered gown.

Strapless was the night’s most common silhouette for gowns.. Single-shouldered or single-sleeved cuts were a close second. Equally popular were fishtail or flared skirts.

Despite the designer garb, celebs did acknowledge the current situations in their own ways. For instance, no more $1 Million shoes from Stuart Weiztman – the designer deemed it inappropriate for the current situation.

Blinged-out looks were also completely dropped this year. The stars opted for statement pieces instead. Even Vanity Fair went ‘appropriate’ by holding its annual party to a more intimate location and using decorations from last year’s event. Despite the current economic situation, Hollywood is still Hollywood – the show must go on.

Image Source: Oscar.com