18 December 2012 by

2012 Style: The Fashion Year In Review

GALLERY >> 2012 In Style

With 2012 drawing to a close, it's time to look back at those stars who got our sartorial hearts racing over the past 12 months, the stylish types who brought new trends into our lives and made us wish we had top-notch designers on speed dial.

Over the next two weeks, we'll bringing you the 10 best dressers of the year as voted for by our style panel but today, we take a look at how 2012 shaped up month by month.

We start with winter warmers in January as showcased by Kate Moss and Jessica Alba, move onto Cannes Glam where Kristen Stewart and Diane Kruger stole the show before reaching the metallic madness that was November.

So click through the gallery above for a quick synopsis of 2012 in style...

January 2012: Coolest Cover-ups

The year began with a masterclass in winter dressing, which was rather handy considering all we wanted was to wrap up warm. Kate Moss, Blake Lively and Jessica Alba proved that staying cosy does not mean you have to sacrifice on style - oh no. Like true pros, they pulled on their fluffy cover-ups, belted trenches or dip-dyed coats to show us mere mortals how it's done.

MORE: Top 10 winter coats

February 2012: Valentine Red

In February, our favourite style stars proved that wearing red on the red carpet is no longer a fashion faux pas - and where better to prove it than at THE red carpet event of the year, the Oscar Awards? Michelle Williams arrived at the swanky do wearing a vibrant Louis Vuitton gown featuring a ruched bustline and peplum skirt. Then Natalie Portman appeared in vintage Dior polka dots, before our attention was turned to the Vanity Fair after party where Diane Kruger was channelling scarlett lady hotness thanks to this saucy Calvin Klein gown. What more proof do you need?

MORE: The best and worst dresses at the 2012 Oscars

March 2012: Fashion Week FROWers

Onto March and we find Paris Fashion Week in full swing. Of course this means a gazillion fashionistas pulling on their finest to grace the chicest of front rows. From Sarah Jessica Parker at the Louis Vuitton extravanganza to Leigh Lezark boldly working a canary yellow suit for Sonia Rykiel's show and Katy Perry, well, just clacking around Paree in a see-through skirt and bright blue hair, there was fashion fun a-plenty.

MORE: Katy Perry's PFW style marathon

April 2012: Spring Fresh

With the arrival of spring, the stars turned to lashings of bright white. We saw Tilda Swinton working a crisp all-white suit by Celine at the Time 100 Gala. Lady Gaga stayed true to her bonkers airport style in a sweeping gown teamed with a sparkling mask and bright blonde quiff - as you do. But it was LeeLee Sobieski who cemented a place in our hearts when she stepped out in a full-skirted white frock by designer-du-jour, Raf Simons, before he jumped the Jil Sander ship to take the helm at Dior. And we know how well that turned out.

MORE: LeeLee Sobieski is our new style crush

May 2012: Cannes Glam

Ah, Cannes. When the film festival kicks off across the pond, you know you're in for a full-on frockathon - and this year didn't disappoint. Kristen Stewart got us gawping when she sexed up her style in a red floor-length lace gown by Reem Acra (see, it was red a-go-go in 2012). We were delighted to have Freida Pinto back on our red carpet radar as she stepped out in Atelier Versace, but Diane Kruger was crowned Cannes Queen thanks to her parade of gorgeously frothy gowns, all topped off her with dashing beau, Joshua Jackson. Some girls have all the luck.

MORE: Best Dressed at Cannes 2012

June 2012: All About Emma

There was one lady we couldn't take our eyes off this summer: Emma Stone. The actress went on a red carpet style spree to promote The Amazing Spiderman, knocking out one sartorial hit after the other. First she went ladylike in a two-tone Roksanda Ilincic dress, then she mixed it up with a sparkling Elie Saab jumpsuit before treating us to a dollop of Chanelegance in a dainty white dress with dark pink embellishments.  And with that, our girl crush was sealed.

MORE: Emma Stone's Style Evolution

July 2012: Fabulously Frothy

It was all about the whimsical flounce in July with the 'It'-eratti taking to the red carpet in dresses sprouting white frothiness. Well, it was summertime after all. Marion Cotillard looked nothing short of a sparkling ballerina in her Dior number teamed with silver sandals while Diane Kruger and Katy Perry pioneered the look by wrapping their curves - and white froth - in gold embellishments teamed with scraped-back buns. Tinkerbell, eat yer heart out.

MORE: Katy Perry on her Marchesa dress

August 2012: '70s Cool

In August, we went back to the '70s thanks to Florence Welch rocking up to the Toronto Film Festival in head-to-toe clashing prints courtesy of Prada. Kate Hudson joined Flo at TIFF and pulled on a white Gucci suit featuring a double-breasted jacket and flared trousers. But we can't talk retro without a side order of Alexa Chung and this Jane Birkin-esque dungaree shorts ensemble with cute Charlotte Olympia cat pumps has to be one of her finest fashion moments.

MORE: How to rock a trouser suit

September 2012: Sheer Delight

We fell head over heels for sheer gowns in September.  Rita Ora, Rose Byrne and January Jones demonstrated that this is the perfect way to do red carpet glamour by flashing their curves but remaining on the right side of sexy so take note, ladies. K-Stew certainly has...

MORE: What to wear to your Christmas party

October 2012: Happy Halloween

In October, all thoughts turned to dressing up, eating sweets and getting up to all sorts of mischief. Yes, even the fashion world embraced the Halloween spirit and we were mightily impressed with the turn-out. Gwen Stefani channelled Sandy from Grease with a hot pink leather jacket, super-tight satin trousers and fake blood dripping down her head. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley managed to look as stylish as ever by throwing on her granny's cast-offs (grr) and Kate Moss cracked out possibly her greatest costume EVER with this Morticia Addams get-up.

MORE: The star's fang-tastic costumes

November 2012: Metallica

Metallics still have mileage when it comes to finding a party frock so we'll be taking style-spiration from Kristen Stewart (in Elie Saab), Cara Delevingne (in Burberry) and Kate Moss (in Marc Jacobs) when we go hunting for the perfect Christmas dress. While Mossy and K-Stew got drenched in gold thanks to their floor-length gowns, Cara rocked a mini at the British Fashion Awards, accessorised with little more than a pair of shimmering silver heels.

MORE: Top 10 metallic looks

December 2012: The new neckline

How to spruce up your style for the New Year? By investing in a new neckline. In the past month, we've seen Diane Kruger, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Biel give a modern twist to their red carpet attire by sporting a fashion-forward neckline. It's certainly one way to keep us on our toes. Here's to 2013!

MORE: Anne Hathaway's red carpet style

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