By Maria Caspani
(Reuters) -Kristen Stewart rocked the Oscars red carpet in shorts and Timothee Chalamet went shirtless on Sunday as stars made a full-fledged return for Hollywood's big night out after the seismic changes wrought by COVID-19.
After last year's smaller-than-usual affair held at a train station last year due to the pandemic, Sunday's unbridled Oscars glamour at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre brought lots of pastel colors punctuated by bright splashes of gold.
Jessica Chastain, a contender for the best actress statuette for her portrayal of American evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, dazzled the carpet crowd in a two-toned Gucci dress, while actress Lupita Nyong'o's sparkling golden dress also turned heads.
As the ceremony approached, more of the night's biggest stars strolled down the red carpet in their haute couture garbs.
Stewart, also a nominee for best actress, wore the black shorts as part of her Chanel outfit alongside fiancee Dylan Meyer.
She said that playing the late Princess Diana in "Spencer" brought on some unexpected emotions. "It just made me feel six feet tall and, like, happy," she told cable channel E!. "She's cool, she's fun and she touches you."
"Dune" star Chalamet also opted to show some skin, wearing only a short-cropped, glitzy blazer paired with dark pants and boots - and no shirt.
Jason Momoa, who also starred in best picture nominee "Dune," donned a blue-and-yellow pocket square in his Tuxedo in support of war-torn Ukraine.
After a scaled-down ceremony at Los Angeles' Union Station last year, the Oscars have returned to their traditional venue, which will be filled to about three-quarters capacity with 2,500 guests, allowing for some social distancing.
"The Power of the Dog" star Kirsten Dunst, accompanied by partner and co-star Jesse Plemons, chose a ruffled red gown for the night that could see her take home the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role.
Earlier in the day, Hollywood veteran Jamie Lee Curtis stepped onto the carpet in a neck-high, glittery Stella McCartney gown.
Curtis announced that during the ceremony she will present a special tribute to late TV and movie icon Betty White, who passed away on Dec. 31, a couple of weeks shy of her 100th birthday.
"I am wearing Stella McCartney, who's an animal rights activist, as Betty White was," Curtis told ABC. "It felt like a perfect way to walk the walk and talk the talk."
Saniyya Sidney, the young actress who portrayed tennis superstar Venus Williams in the Oscar-nominated biopic "King Richard," stunned in an Armani Prive gown embroidered with floral motifs.
"We talked about boyfriends, old boyfriends," she told cable channel E! about her interactions with tennis great Williams. "We talked about school and how growing up in Compton was like."