The 87th Academy Awards were sedate on every level. Neil Patrick Harris’ performance as host was staid at best, while the fashion was old school, reflecting a more serious tone on the red carpet.

Instead of flashy Jennifer Lawrence moments, the audience was treated to men in sharp tuxedos and women in floor-sweeping frocks, with side parts and dark red lips the beauty looks of the night.

· All the winners and grinners from Oscars 2015
· Oscars 2015: shockers and stunners on the red carpet

Best Actress winner Julianne Moore wowed international fashion critics with her floral embroidered Chanel Haute Couture gown, while Australian stars Naomi Watts and Margot Robbie were also standouts.

Here are our 10 best dressed for 2015: 

10. Adrien Brody & Jeff Goldblum

The duo, who were at the event for the film The Grand Budapest Hotel, were 100 per cent dapper in crisp white tuxedo jackets, with Brody’s Dolce & Gabbana coat sporting a smart black trim. Extra points for exquisite tailoring, something some actors just don’t get.

9. Meryl Streep

Madam Streep rarely makes it into the best dressed lists, allowing her performances to speak for themselves. But this year, sporting a chic, belted skirt and jacket combo from Lanvin, she won the fashion stakes too. The 65-year-old also won our hearts for cheering on Best Supporting Actress winner Patricia Arquette when she used her acceptance speech to highlight pay inequality for women in America.

This Meryl Street gif of her cheering on @PattyArquette‘s wage equality shout out deserves an #Oscar of it’s own. pic.twitter.com/LTJCdlHD83

— Raheel Khursheed (@Raheelk) February 23, 2015

8. Lupita Nyong’o

Literally dripping in pearls, Nyong’o was a knockout in her halter neck Calvin Klein gown – that reportedly had 6,000 pearls sewn into it. The actress, who presented the Best Supporting Actor award, showed her taste in fashion continues to be as fearless as her choice in films.

7. Julianne Moore

The Best Actress winner looked sensational in custom-made Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel couture. With the French fashion house’s classic look turned into a glistening, iridescent gown, with diamond earrings and sleek hair – the hair look of the night – Moore sparkled.

6. Sienna Miller

Miller looked gamine in her navy Oscar de la Renta frock, fresh off the runways of New York Fashion Week. The star of two Oscar-nominated films, American Sniper and Foxcatcher, paired her nipped look with swept back hairdo and upturned eyes.

5. Naomi Watts

Year in, year out, Naomi Watts nails her red carpet looks. The 2015 Academy Awards were no different, with the 46 year-old Australian actress, who starred in the Oscar-winning film Birdman, literally showing the starlets how it was done in a silver and black Armani Prive frock, complete with theatrical, sapphire drop earrings. While Watts is obviously in fabulous shape, she still dares to go where other actresses wouldn’t, with the panels on her dress working where they might not have on others.

4. Dakota Johnson

The Fifty Shades of Grey starlet has looked good on every red carpet of the awards season and the Oscars were no exception. Wearing a red Saint Laurent gown, with a knotted silver shoulder, Johnson complemented her look with a simple pony tail and a box clutch. The New York Times went so far to say she was a “style star in the making”.

3. Emma Stone

In her gold Elie Saab vintage-style gown, Stone, who was nominated for the film Birdman, was oft compared to the Oscar statuettes everybody wanted to get their hands on – except her gown was actually acid green, not gold. While she didn’t win, the actress’ backless, lace frock was the pick of the night for many fashion critics. She also looked like she was having the most fun, making faces with Jennifer Aniston and fooling around with Birdman director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, who took home the Best Director award.

2. Margot Robbie

Opting for pure sex appeal in a sheer black Saint Laurent creation, Robbie was the femme fatale of the red carpet. The Australian actress paired her new bob cut with a tassled, navy necklace, drawing attention to all her killer features. Robbie, whose new film Focus, with Will Smith, is released this week, was one of the best presenters of the night, despite host Neil Patrick Harris pronouncing her name “Margow Rowbie”.

1. Reese Witherspoon

Witherspoon, who was nominated for Best Actress, was simply perfect in her monochrome gown from Tom Ford. The ‘King of the Tuxedo’ showed he knows the curves of a woman’s body with this creation. Every aspect of Witherspoon’s look was carefully considered –  her make-up and hair shone beside the simplicity and style of her dress.