2012 has been a rather fantastic year for red-carpet fashion. With plenty of big budget movie premieres, the fashion smorgasbords that are the Cannes Film Festival and New York City’s annual MET Ball, and one award season fashion statement so bold it warranted its own Twitter handle, we had plenty to choose from for our chronological roundup of the top 25 red carpet looks of the year. We picked the batch based on the following categories: appropriateness for the event attended, overall style, fit, and delivery, as well as underlying personal factors that may have shaped the wearer’s decision to wear the look—for better or for worse.

Pictured: Anne Hathaway at the world premiere of “Les Miserables” in London on Dec. 5.

Who: Angelina Jolie
Where: The 84th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 26
Wore: Atelier Versace

Who: Gwyneth Paltrow
Where: The 84th Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 26.
Wore: Tom Ford

Who: Jessica Chastain
Where: The Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Feb. 26.
Wore: Alexander McQueen

Who: Rihanna
Where: The 54th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 12 in Los Angeles
Wore: Giorgio Armani

Who: Jennifer Lawrence
Where: The Los Angeles premiere of “The Hunger Games” on March 12
Wore: Prabal Gurung

Who: Eva Longoria
Where: The “Moonrise Kingdom” premiere and the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony on May 16.
Wore: Marchesa

Who: Jane Fonda
Where: The “Moonrise Kingdom” premiere and the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival opening ceremony on May 16.
Wore: Atelier Versace

Who: Diane Kruger
Where: The 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival awards ceremony on May 27.
Wore: Christian Dior Couture

Who: Judith Light
Where: The 66th annual Tony Awards on June 10 in New York
Wore: Sophie Theallet

Who: Blake Lively
Where: The Los Angeles premiere of “Savages” on June 25.
Wore: Zuhair Murad

Who: Cate Blanchett
Where: “Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations” Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7
Wore: Alexander McQueen

Who: Lena Dunham
Where: “Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations” Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7
Wore: Wes Gordon

Who: Karolina Kurkova
Where: “Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations” Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7
Wore: Custom Rachel Zoe

Who: Emma Stone
Where: The London premiere of “The Amazing Spider-Man” on June 18
Wore: Elie Saab

Who: Andrew Garfield
Where: The Paris premiere of “The Amazing Spider-Man” on June 19
Wore: Balenciaga

Who: Katy Perry
Where: The premiere of “Kate Perry: Part of Me 3D” in Hollywood on June 16
Wore: Dolce & Gabbana

Who: Robert Pattinson
Where: The New York premiere of “Cosmopolis” in New York on Aug. 13
Wore: Gucci

Who: Taylor Swift
Where: The MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 6
Wore: J. Mendel

Who: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Where: The 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 23
Wore: Vera Wang

Who: Edie Falco
Where: The 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 23
Wore: Stella McCartney

Who: Amy Poehler
Where: The 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 23
Wore: Stella McCartney

Who: Leslie Mann
Where: The 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 23
Wore: Naeem Khan

Who: Jon Hamm
Where: The 64th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sept. 23
Wore: Tom Ford

Who: Kristen Stewart
Where: The Los Angeles premiere of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 2” on Nov. 12
Wore: Zuhair Murad

Who: Anne Hathaway
Where: The world premiere of “Les Miserables” in London on Dec. 5.
Wore: Givenchy