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Red hot night on the Oscars' carpet

With Reese, Halle and Charlize absent from this year's red carpet, stars like Jennifer Garner and Hilary Swank stepped up and sparkled at Sunday's Academy Awards. Overall, it was a pretty good night fashion-wise, and as much as we hate to admit it, even George Clooney's girlfriend looked good. Darn.

Ladies bid bye-bye to black, embracing a rainbow of regal reds, great greens, brilliant blues and - in the case of a pregnant Cate Blanchett - perfect purples. Ponytails looked sweet, sexy and sophisticated. Cameron Diaz and Anne Hathaway embraced the mane event, and Miley Cyrus pulled hers off beautifully.

The night's notables:

Red hot

Jennifer Garner had us with her tousled, sexy side part and stunning diamond necklace. But add in that body-hugging strapless Oscar de la Renta dress and mama mia!

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Hilary Swank, the perennial fashion winner, knocked us out with a single-shoulder black Versace with floral details.

Anne Hathaway's firetruck red Machesa dress popped against her pale skin. Bonus points for the trendy rosettes.

Red not

Daniel Day-Lewis and Rebecca Miller: Her Hobby Lobby dress - cobbled together with blood-red bows and shiny black baubles - is even worse than her husband's brown shoes and gold hoop earrings.

Marion Cotillard's fishy fashion choice flops - even though this French beauty took home the gold.

Tilda Swinton may have won an Oscar, but this vampire cape-like dress bites. So does her lack of makeup and jewelry.

Red alert

There will be blood, yes, but bright red dresses (and lipstick) lit up the red carpet and made for the night's biggest fashion trend. Ruby Dee, Katherine Heigl and Heidi Klum were among the trendsetters.

Red whine

Ellen Page wore much too blah a dress for the biggest night of her career. She looks better, and more comfortable, in a T-shirt and a hoodie.

Red hot: Miley Cyrus' classy, age-appropriate shows she's at home on the red carpet. Associated Press
Red hot: Ruby Dee, nominated for her performance in "American Gangster," was classy and understated in her belted gown and jacket. Associated Press
Red alert: Marion Cotillard, looked like a fish out of water on the red carpet but scaled to the top as best actress for "La Vie en Rose." Associated Press
Red hot: Anne Hathaway was radiant in red -- the hot color at the Oscars this year. Associated Press
Red alert: Ellen Page, nominated for an Oscar for best actress in "Juno," looks better in jeans and a hoodie. Associated Press
Red hot: Perennial red-carpet hit Hilary Swank wears basic black by Versace. Associated Press
Red alert: British actress Tilda Swinton, nominated for an Oscar for best actress in a supporting role in "Michael Clayton": no makeup, no jewelry, no style. Associated Press
Red hot: Katherine Heigl exercises her right to bare arms at Sunday's Academy Awards. Associated Press
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