magic moments; The right woman.

Byline: Hamish Bowles

It was a year of contrast and excitement-from Sally Albemarle in Calvin Klein's sleek Ionic column to Mercedes Bass in Vera Wang's Second Empire crinolines with sapphires to match; from Carolyn Murphy in slinky Gucci white to Marie-Josee Kravis in Alaia's smoky chiffons. Romance was writ large, from the splendor of a trio of royal weddings (Holland, Denmark, and Spain) that saw lovely commoners snag princely grooms to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute gala celebrating eighteenth-century fashion in a series of risque vignettes.

At the Spanish festivities for Crown Prince Felipe of the Asturias and his bride, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano, romance reigned. Jordan's Queen Rania wore Givenchy's lavender-lace ball skirt; Princess Caroline (nee of Monaco, now of Hanover) wore Chanel's sensational Boldini sheath; and Princess Clotilde of Savoy, a fragile lingerie suit from Rochas.

At the Met, Anh Duong chose a dangerous liaison of tulle and lace by Christian Lacroix, and Stella Schnabel wore Zac Posen's regally trained swansdown gown-complete with tipsy tiara. In Paris, chez Karl Lagerfeld, Cecilia Dean gave an edge to Chanel lace. In the depths of the Spanish countryside Carolina Herrera, Jr., wore poetic tatters of chiffon concocted by her mother for her marriage to the Spanish matador Miguel Baez Spinola. And in L.A., Gwen Stefani channeled the platinum bombshell Jean Harlow in patchwork chiffon from Alexander McQueen.

In 2004 color was king. Crayola highlights included Natalie Portman's scarlet Marc Jacobs, Jennifer Connelly's sapphire Chloe prom frock, Liya Kebede's lavender Michael Kors, and Cate Blanchett's wicked crimson Donna Karan.

It was a year when Hollywood's cygnets stole the fashion thunder from the red-carpet swans. If the Academy Awards showcased banal fashion, the Golden Globes brought excitements (witness Christina Ricci, a Tanagra figurine come to life in antique Madame Gres). Diane Kruger became a golden goddess in a Balenciaga gown that Nicolas Ghesquiere reinterpreted from the house's archives. Lithe Selma Blair dazzled at the CFDA Fashion Awards in Isaac Mizrahi's splices of scintillating color. Chloe Sevigny dressed eclectic, turning from Balenciaga's abbreviated minis to Lanvin's brilliant satins to ladylike Oscar de le Renta frocks. Maggie Gyllenhaal playfully embraced both young and established designer looks. Kirsten Dunst may have defined her style for Vogue as "flip-flops to the Chateau Marmont," but she also looked absolutely herself as she shimmered in Chanel couture.

"I want my dress to be the most beautiful dress in the entire world," Scarlett Johansson said of her own red-carpet choices, like the Marlene Dietrich-esque Prada satin she wore when she won Best Actress at Britain's BAFTAs. (It was a banner year for Prada-embraced by actresses, socialites, art mavens, and Roger Federer's girlfriend, Mirka Vavrinec.)