Hollywood came out to play — and to stun — at the 17th Annual SAG Awards. And stun they did. From printed frocks to belted gowns to seeing favorite leading ladies in total sartorial departures from their norms, the SAG red carpet was a surprise a second. But who were the frock stars topping our best dressed list? As with great art, those who made us not only look twice, but think twice. Natalie Portman did just that in her white hot Azzaro gown, proving that baby bumps just may be the most glamorous accessory of all. Her Tiffany & Co. $2 million diamonds certainly didn’t hurt either. 30 Rock star Tina Fey, perhaps our favorite funny lady of all time, shocked in a fiery Oscar de la Renta that had us oohing and hubba-hub-hubbing instead of chuckling and snarfing. In the timeless words of Tracy Morgan, “You go Liz Lemon.”

Speaking of surprises, we weren’t expecting to see belts on the red carpet and we certainly weren’t expecting a lot of prints. Somehow, Temple Grandin’s Claire Danes made both trends work in her belted floral Louis Vuitton ball gown, a complete 180 from her minimalist pink Calvin Klein dress at the Golden Globes, though she did add a bright pink pucker. Speaking of ball gowns, we thought that was all that Glee’s Lea Michele knew how to wear. And since she normally does it so well, we weren’t expecting this minimalist disco-inspired look by Oscar de la Renta. But she showed us that the queen of the ball gown is also queen of the disco ball.

Admittedly, Sofia Vergara smoldering on the red carpet isn’t much of a departure. But we have to give the Modern Family scene-stealer props for consistency. She knows her body and she knows how to work it, and work it she did in a plunging, curve-loving sapphire Cavalli gown. Speaking of smoldering, where did Amber Riley come from? The Glee star proves that big girls can be fashion superstars too, in her curve-hugging black gown, perfectly accented by edgy blunt bangs and a youthful hot pink lip.

The Good Wife’s Julianna Margulies looks like a total sweetheart in her flawless ruby Yves Saint Laurent column gown. Departing from her unforgettable, daring ruby getup at the Golden Globes, January Jones proves that demure can be sexy too in a gilded lace Carolina Herrera, complete with a scoopneck.

Rounding out our Top 10 Best Dressed List,  our beloved Betty White dazzled as the sexiest 89-year-old on the planet (sorry, Carl Reiner). As a final surprise, Rosario Dawson demonstrated that when life gives you lemons, wear them on the red carpet. Her citron J. Mendel creation and dazzling jade Susie Fox ear candy were as refreshing as Betty White.

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[Photos courtesy of InStyle, FabSugar, eOnline and People StyleWatch]