Awarding The Fashion At The 20th Annual Gotham Awards

The awards season kicked off last night with the Gotham Independent Spirit Awards. A-listers flocked to Cipriani Wall Street to celebrate the year's best financially-strapped cinematic wonders, talk industry gossip, and give thank you speeches. Joan Rivers may have been absent but the highlight was, as always, the red carpet fashions which certainly deserved a few awards of their own. The envelope please...

Outstanding Style On A Budget

Natalie Portman topped everyone in a Lanvin for H&M dress that cost just $200. We're guessing she didn't stand in line for hours or elbow her way through the racks like a regular citizen, but we still give her credit for rocking a low-priced look. It's a nice thing when a celeb's outfit is attainable even if you have to spend a few hours trolling eBay. The addition of a Dior bag certainly helps make this acceptable for the red carpet.

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Biggest Risk Taker

Leighton Meester deserves kudos for bucking the tradition of wearing a dress and opting for a suit from Thomas Browne's new ladies collection. It's a big change from her usual look so even if you're not a fan of this particular outfit, it takes courage to try something new.  Besides, channeling Annie Hall is always a good thing. It takes a real woman to learn how to tie a tie.

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Shockingly Decent Looking

This award goes to the person who normally wears things that make you cringe when they manage to not look awful. Congratulations goes out to dark horse Anne Hathaway. Usually donning items that can only illicit the response of a head shake and muttering of "WTF?" under the breadth, she wore a dress that didn't confuse, irritate, or just look downright awful. Let's hope she keeps up the good work.

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Best New Mommy Look

I'm pretty sure Amanda Peet is going to get a lot of slack for her Hole-for-the-elderly-set nightgown, but I say good on her. She gave birth back in April and is losing weight at normal persons speed, Bethenny Frankel and Padma Lakshmi be damned. Instead of starving herself or binding it up in a double wrapping of Spanx she went with something loose and comfortable. If only all Hollywood mothers could be this low-key and down to earth.

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Worst Accessory

Listen, I really like Winona Ryder. Heathers is an awesome movie so it pains me to say this, but the worst accessory award goes to the deer-in-headlights look plastered on her face in every photo. Sure we don't see her on the carpet that often and maybe she was nervous, but a smile could have helped. The face is so tense it actually makes me want to go get a massage.

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At any rate, sponsored by Euphoria Calvin Klein, you can be sure everyone at least smelled nice.