Nipple-flashing gowns, Kendall Jenner's jumpsuit and a fur balaclava: From Rihanna to Lady Gaga, FEMAIL charts the fashion fails and style triumphs of 2014
- See-through dresses, layered tulle and glamour were big A-list trends
- Stars like Lupita Nyong'o and Cara Delevingne rocked red carpet chic
- Amber Rose's VMA chain dress was the year's greatest fashion faux pas
To say it's been a year for experimental fashion would be a bit of an understatement.
Rihanna dared to bare all in a completely transparent spangled gown, Amber Rose draped herself in metal chains and Lady Gaga debuted a full fur balaclava.
But for every fashion fail, there has been a style triumph - FEMAIL casts an eye over the looks we've loved and the outfits we've loved to loathe in 2014.
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Rihanna's sheer bravado in wearing such a racy dress manages to compensate for looking essentially naked
Kendall Jenner was sleek in a cream jumpsuit with black detailing on the leg at the British Fashion Awards
Rihanna turned things up a notch in a see-through dress by Adam Selman at the US's fashion Oscars, the CDFA in June.
Although the gown sported 230,000 hand-sewn Swarovski crystals they weren't enough to shield the outrageous singer's modesty - the fur stole carefully positioned around her bikini area did that.
But as well as serious style misses, there have been huge hits such as Blake Lively showing off old school movie star style in Gucci at the Met Gala in May.
And model of the moment Kendall Jenner opted for a slick white strapless jumpsuit at the British Fashion Awards this month - the perfect outfit to cement her successful transition from reality star to catwalk queen.
There was leg flashing, bum baring and more glamour than you could shake a stick at and a new generation of starlets and up-and-comers proved they had red carpet charisma in spades.
Lupita Nyong'o became a red carpet darling in a a series of stunning designer gowns during awards season
Lupita matched her red dress to the red carpet and still looked amazing in Ralph Lauren at the Golden Globes
HIT: COURAGEOUS AND COLOURFUL LUPITA NYONG'O
With her award winning role in 12 Years A Slave Lupita Nyong'o became one of the breakout stars of the year. But it wasn't just her acting skills that got our attention.
Lupita quickly became a firm fashion favourite on the red carpet. We swooned as she wore sky blue Prada to the Oscars and cheered as she rocked a bright red Ralph Lauren cape dress to the Golden Globes.
And who could forget that gorgeous turquoise Gucci gown she wore to the SAG Awards in January?
In fact Lupita's red carpet looks even landed her a lucrative contract as the face of Miu Miu.
Amber Rose was barely dressed at all in an outfit constructed out of a series of chain loops and a silver thong
MISS: AMBER ROSE WAS ALL CHAINED UP
When Amber Rose rocked up to the VMAs in August in this dress constructed entirely out of looped chains she got everyone talking - for all the wrong reasons.
The mother-of-one, who recently separated from husband, rapper Wiz Khalifa, topped worst dressed lists around the globe for her barely-there attire.
But the 31-year-old, who is well known for her love of risque clothing wasn't put off by her critics.
In fact Amber continues to post videos of herself on Instagram in little or no clothing.
Suki Waterhouse looks sophisticated in a layered tulle shirt dress and dramatic frothy nude ballgown
HIT: SUKI WATERHOUSE WAS FASHIONABLE IN FRILLS
Not just a pretty face, model, actress and girlfriend of Bradley Cooper, Suki Waterhouse has worn some seriously cute looks this year.
In particular we were impressed by her ability to appear chic in sheer layered frills, a look usually only reserved for your grandmother's loo-roll holder.
It probably helps that 22-year-old Suki is the face Burberry's Brit clothing line, indeed, when she attended the Met Gala in New York this summer it was in a custom-made dress by the fashion house.
The Met Gala theme was White Tie but both Katie Holmes and Kate Upton opted for 'flamenco' instead
MISS: FLAMENCO FAILS AT THE MET GALA
The theme for this year's Costume Institute Ball, the Met Gala, in New York was White Tie, unfortunately it seems that Katie Holmes and Kate Upton did not get the memo.
Instead both women seemed to go for more of a flamenco theme. Katie wore bright yellow Marchesa with echoes of Gone With The Wind.
Kate wore a black vintage Dolce & Gabbana fishtail gown that made her look as she would shout, 'olé!' at any moment.
Fashion-watchers are on tenterhooks waiting to see how guests will interpret next year's theme of Chinese Whispers.
Cara Delevingne looked chic and arresting in Ralph Lauren at Prince William's party at Windsor Castle in May
Cara, here with Pharrell Williams, opted for a vintage kimono-style dress at the Elle Style Awards in February
Cara left nothing to the imagination in transparent black lace at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards in September
HIT: CARA DELEVINGNE IS BACK IN BLACK
Of course, 22-year-old model and actress Cara Delevingne had to make the list at some point. And for all her sartorial experimentation, the model looks her best when she keeps it simple.
She stunned in a sophisticated embroidered black Ralph Lauren gown at an event held by Prince William at Windsor Castle earlier this year.
Similarly the face of Burberry, Topshop and Mulberry looked stylish and chic in February at the Elle Style Awards in a vintage kimono.
And in September, perhaps inspired by Rihanna's see-through outfit, Cara looked sophisticated in an entirely see-through lace number over a pair of substantial black knickers for the GQ Men of The Year Awards.
The Abominable Snowman was clearly Lady Gaga's style inspiration on a chilly March night in New York
MISS: LADY GAGA IS COVERED IN FUR
When Lady Gaga arrived at the Roseland Ballroom in March there was only one question on everybody's lips: How on earth can she see where she's going?
Gaga, who is known for her outlandish outfits and once wore a dress made entirely of meat, went for a Yeti-style outfit from head to toe, with a piece that covered her face, a white fur dress and thigh-high boots.
We can only presume that the upside was that she kept nice and warm.
Lara Stone, who has modelled for Calvin Klein, looked breathtaking in a pink sheath dress by the designer
HIT: LARA WEARS CALVIN IN CANNES
Wearing hot pink on the red carpet can be a bit of a gamble given the obvious colour clash.
But Dutch model and mother Lara Stone pulled off the look with aplomb when she attended the premiere of The Search in Cannes in May.
In a simple but striking Calvin Klein dress (she has previously been chosen as the face of the brand) Lara proved that when it comes to detailing sometimes less is more.
Lena Dunham baffled fans with her blancmange-like Gianbattista Vialli layered tulle skirt and matching blouse
MISS: LENA'S EPIC EMMY DISASTER
Is this a shirt? Is it a dress? Well, it's both.
Girls creator Lena Dunham left fashion fans confused when she teamed a little pink shirt with a giant pink layered Gianbattista Vialli skirt that looked like a blancmange at the Emmys.
But the writer, who released her memoir Not That Kind Of Girl this year, has long been outspoken about not caring what people think of her outfit choices.
Blake Lively wore a stunning Gucci dress to the Met Gala, rocking an old school Hollywood glamour look
Blake's husband Ryan Reynolds was delighted to accompany his wife to the high-profile fashion event
HIT: BLAKE DOES OLD SCHOOL HOLLYWOOD
Ever since she starred in the hit TV show Gossip Girl Blake Lively has been famous for her enviable wardrobe.
Earlier this year - before announcing that she was pregnant with her first child - she and husband Ryan Reynolds attended the Met Ball, both in head-to-toe Gucci.
Blake topped off her classic Hollywood siren look with gently waved hair and a red lipstick.
Lily Allen and Sarah Jessica Parker made fashion missteps in big-skirted gowns at red carpet events this year
MISS: BIG SKIRTS AND BIG HAIR
Lily Allen might have looked a vision of pink, salmon and red in Vivienne Westwood at the Baftas in February but the pink spiky hairpiece tucked into her updo took her outfit from beautiful to bizarre.
Similarly Sarah Jessica Parker's monochrome gown, designed by the late Oscar de la Renta, and featuring his signature on the voluminous white skirts, swamped her tiny frame.
And her voluminous up-do just made the Sex And The City star look top heavy.
But with awards season just round the corner, fashion fans will soon see what style hits and misses 2015 has in store.
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