Lady Gaga makes her own rules on a red carpet, and we've got to give her props for essentially inventing a new piece of clothing at one of the biggest live events of the year. But the pleats on this pant-dress combo needed to be cut by a master atelier to lay properly and bring the look to life... and they weren't.

Olivia Wilde is one of the most beautiful women in the biz, but between the awkward lay of the pleats and the Stars-on-Ice-esque mesh paneling, this Valentino Haute Couture look does her no favors.

Nothing wrong with a little leather. But this Versace gown makes Washington look like...

... she's about to go slay 1,000 Persians -- and not in a good way.

You'd think a supermodel could pull off any look. Ever. Anywhere. That's what we thought...

... until we saw the enormous amount of lavender ombré (courtesy of Marchesa) on Heidi Klum.

We're not mad at the color. We're not mad at the jeweled embellishments, which are very on trend. We're not even mad at the high-low length, as done as that is. It's...

... the balloon hem that kills this look for us; either that, or maybe Vikander's ripcord failed. We weren't sure at press time.

We love watching a big Hollywood star take a huge fashion risk at during a major event. It takes moxie, something Rooney Mara has in spades. But...

... this Givenchy look, paired with an unforgiving hairdo and hard makeup, is too severe a combo for us.

Witherspoon could've done with a bit less blush this time around. Plus, yep, we're gonna say it...

... Tina Fey did this purple look a lot better.

Contrast is a key element to a successful Oscar look. And this is what happens when you don't have enough of it: a dress that blends too closely with skin, and...

... washes out an otherwise stunning actress.

This look is definitely elegant, but...

... it feels more ladies-who-lunch than actress-who-Oscars.

Is it just us, or does Teigen's dress look a bit too much like furniture upholstery?

Brie Larson slayed 'em in a metallic look at the Golden Globes, but even the savviest fashionistas can't hit red-carpet home runs every time. The jeweled embellishments at the waist compete with the flowing cut of this otherwise gorgeous Gucci gown.

Gorgeous Sofia Vergara is certainly built for Oscar gowns. But...

... this overbuilt Marchesa needed to choose: a lush cut or rich embellishments -- but not both, not when you have this many.

Poor Amy Poehler seemed to be swimming in this oversized Andrew Gn gown.

An ISS astronaut could likely spot Hart from space, thanks to the shiny baubles on this Dolce and Gabbana tux.

No complaints about the elegant gown. But the jewelry -- is that an octopus eating her hand?

Leto cuts an elegant figure and loves to flirt with the unconventional; in this case, he seems to flirt a bit too much with a second career as a mariachi.

The Academy Awards have a long tradition of great suits on the red carpet. This one reminds us a bit too much of a piece of furniture, or maybe the curtains in a Trump pied-a-terre.

The Oscar red carpet saw an array of fabulous cuts, from modern to flowing to classic -- and we saw all of them on this one gown.