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20 Top Red Carpet Fashion Moments of 2012

20 Top Red Carpet Fashion Moments of 2012

Beyonce's post-baby return; Daniel Craig's tight pants; Angelina Jolie's leg; more looks of the year

By Bronwyn Barnes

Updated December 28, 2012 at 10:00 PM EST

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20. Betty White's Double Take

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Will the real Betty White please step forward? The TV legend unveiled her wax doppelgänger during a ceremony at Madame Tussauds Hollywood in June.

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19. Reese Witherspoon Dresses for Two

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In May, Reese Witherspoon showed off her baby bump in a sparkling Atelier Versace gown at the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Mud.

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18. Sophia Vergara's Fashion Flash

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The Modern Family star accidentally displayed her other ample assets, after her Zuhair Murad gown malfunctioned at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

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17. Tilda Swinton Plays by the Rules

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Known for her avant-garde — translation: hit-or-miss — fashion sense, Swinton reined it in a little this year. Edgy yet elegant looks like the baby blue tailored Haider Ackermann gown she wore to the Golden Globes helped Swinton score a spot on our list of 2012 Awards Season Fashion MVPs.

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16. Talk to the Iron Man Hand

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When it comes to red carpet fashion, Comic-Con is as far as you can get from the Cannes Film Festival, but Robert Downey Jr. still managed to inject a little superhero style into the proceedings thanks to a geek-chic accessory borrowed from the Iron Man costume department.

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15. The Highlighter Gown Three-peat

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Designer Monique Lhuillier's strapless trumpet gown didn't just get attention because of its retina-searing lemon yellow hue — the dress made not one, not two, but three red carpet appearances in 2012. After Paula Patton wore it to the Golden Globes in January, Julie Bowen borrowed it for the Emmys in September and, finally, Nicki Minaj took it for a turn at November's American Music Awards. At least they didn't all wear it to the same event.

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14. Katie Holmes' Red Carpet Comeback

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Technically, she skipped the red carpet, but Katie Holmes made her first official appearance after her split from Tom Cruise at the 9th annual Style Awards, where she helped honor Designer of the Year Carolina Herrera. Just days later, Holmes debuted the latest collection for her Holmes & Yang clothing label at New York Fashion Week.

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13. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone's Coordinated Couture

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You'd better watch out, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson! While the Twilight twosome took their last walk for the vampire franchise in 2012, Garfield and Stone hit the red carpet running, making their way around the globe to promote The Amazing Spider-Man in a series of perfectly coordinated designer ensembles.

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12. Ri-Ri's PJ's

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The Emilio Pucci pajamas Rihanna wore to the Tokyo premiere of Battleship are memorable for two reasons: 1. This is the most covered up I've seen her since, well, ever. 2. They're PAJAMAS. Perhaps she was trying to tell us that she'd rather be at home in bed with her head under the covers than promoting this summer stinker.

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11. Lady Gaga Gets Pinned

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During a trip to Milan in October, Lady Gaga got her hands on the Versace safety-pin dress that caused a stir when it was originally worn by Elizabeth Hurley to the 1994 premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral.

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10. Kristen Stewart

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Making her first red carpet appearance since her tabloid scandal, Kristen Stewart showed she had nothing to hide in a sheer embroidered Zuhair Murad cocktail dress at the Toronto Film Festival premiere of On the Road in September. Since then, the actress' ensembles have been getting increasingly revealing.

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9. Did We or Didn't We Just See J.Lo's...

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After showing off her revealing Zuhair Murad gown on the Oscars red carpet, Lopez and her plunging neckline ignited controversy when they took the stage to present the award for Best Costume Design and Makeup. Was it a wardrobe malfunction? Since it was a blink-and-you-missed-it moment, we may never know. ''There were cups built in and there's no chance that there were any — how do you say? — 'slips,''' stylist Mariel Haenn, who dressed J.Lo for the occasion, told EW.

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8. Daniel Craig's Tight Pants

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His Bond was sexy in Skyfall thanks to a wardrobe by designer Tom Ford, so when it came time to promote the movie, Craig was smart enough to stick with what worked. In October, the actor still looked the part in a classically tailored Tom Ford tux at the action flick's London premiere.

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7. Jennifer Lawrence Goes for Gold

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The girl was on fire in a gold lame gown — with strategically placed cut-out details — by designer Prabal Gurung at the Hollywood premiere of The Hunger Games.

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6. Beyoncé Shows Off Her Post-Baby Body

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Just four months after giving birth to daughter Blue Ivy, Beyoncé did the unthinkable — she showed off her thighs (in a sheer gown by Givenchy creative director Ricardo Tisci) at the annual Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala.

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5. Nicki Minaj's Unholy Grammy Look

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In what was most likely an attempt to one-up Lady Gaga's egg arrival in 2011, Nicki Minaj arrived at the 2012 Grammys wearing a red satin Versace nun's habit and a Pope impersonator on her arm. Better luck next year.

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4. Anne Hathaway's Embarrassing Entrance

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After unwittingly exposing herself to a crowd of photographers as she arrived at the New York City premiere of Les Miserables, Anne Hathaway addressed the incident head on. ''I was very sad that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of another person in a vulnerable moment and, rather than delete it and do the decent thing, sells it,'' the actress told the Today show's Matt Lauer.

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3. Miley Cyrus Reveals Her New 'Do

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Is that you, Pink? At the MTV Video Music Awards in June, Miley Cyrus' extreme new hairstyle made its official red carpet debut.

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2. Justin Bieber Meets a World Leader in Overalls and a Backwards Cap

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He of the saggy-crotched leather skinny pants, velvet tuxedo, and spiked Louboutin sneakers finally went too far when he opted to dress down (way down) for a meet and greet with the Prime Minister of Canada.

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1. Angelina Jolie's Right Leg Steals the Spotlight

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When Jolie (wearing a velvet Atelier Versace gown) struck an exaggerated pose on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, she sparked the year's most stylish meme. By the end of the broadcast, Angie's right leg had its own Twitter handle, and everywhere you looked people were Angelina Jolie-ing and legbombing.

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Up Next

By Bronwyn Barnes

Account

20 Top Red Carpet Fashion Moments of 2012

1 of 20

20. Betty White's Double Take

1 of 20

2 of 20

19. Reese Witherspoon Dresses for Two

2 of 20

3 of 20

18. Sophia Vergara's Fashion Flash

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17. Tilda Swinton Plays by the Rules

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16. Talk to the Iron Man Hand

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15. The Highlighter Gown Three-peat

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14. Katie Holmes' Red Carpet Comeback

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13. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone's Coordinated Couture

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12. Ri-Ri's PJ's

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11. Lady Gaga Gets Pinned

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10. Kristen Stewart

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9. Did We or Didn't We Just See J.Lo's...

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8. Daniel Craig's Tight Pants

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7. Jennifer Lawrence Goes for Gold

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6. Beyoncé Shows Off Her Post-Baby Body

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5. Nicki Minaj's Unholy Grammy Look

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4. Anne Hathaway's Embarrassing Entrance

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3. Miley Cyrus Reveals Her New 'Do

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2. Justin Bieber Meets a World Leader in Overalls and a Backwards Cap

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1. Angelina Jolie's Right Leg Steals the Spotlight

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