After the dust has settled, the food eaten (or sampled, at least) and we've found out what Kimye wore to the Met Gala 2014 (Lanvin), it's time to look at how that dress code, White Tie and Decorations, was interpreted by the likes of Riccardo Tisci, Karl Lagerfeld et al.

First up, Chanel scores the most red carpet appearances of the night – five, including Anna Wintour herself, latest poster girl Kristen Stewart and a double whammy of Olsens, who chose to wear vintage picks from the house. Next up, with a headcount of four, came Stella McCartney, dressing Rihanna, Cara Delevingne, Kate Bosworth and Reese Witherspoon, then Oscar de la Renta (gala chair SJP, Taylor Swift, actor Claire Danes and Girls's Allison Williams) and Givenchy (Naomi Campbell, Beyonce and Naomi Watts). Valentino scored highly too, with Florence Welch, Kate Mara and Maggie Gyllenhaal all in the label.

But what of the trends on the carpet last night?

Well, there was a multitude of crop tops – yes, crop tops – which didn't feel out of place at what is perhaps the world's most formal fashion event. Rihanna's was white Stella McCartney, Anne Hathaway's from Calvin Klein (in carpet-matching red) and Emma Stone continued her winning streak with a tonal pink ensemble by Thakoon.

Then there were those who opted for a less traditional, short cocktail dress – including Solange Knowles in a gathered peach satin 3.1 Phillip Lim number (hello, bridesmaid-spiration), Marion Cotillard in textured Dior couture and Michelle Williams in hot-off-the-press, paillette-covered Louis Vuitton by Nicolas Ghesquiere.

Fear not though, there were plenty of attendees who chose to uphold the costume theme of the ball and pay lip service to couturier Charles James, the subject of the exhibition they were celebrating, in full-skirted, golden age-style gowns. Karolina Kurkova and katie Holmes both wore Marchesa, while Liu Wen was in Zac Posen. These were, while we wouldn't be so charmless as to say the word 'fail', perhaps some of the less successful looks of the night *avoids eye contact*.

Luckily, one of the requirements for being invited to the Met Ball is to be impossibly beautiful, just in case your dress doesn't work out.

At the other end of the scale, meanwhile, came a troupe of fashion's wild girls in outfits that made the heart sing for their individuality, their fearless sense of cool and, yes, simply the fact they looked totally wonderful. We've come to rely on Lupita Nyong'o for red carpet fixes like this – she was in custom Prada last night, like a streetwise Josephine Baker.

Then came Kristen Stewart in Chanel, current poster girl for the house and embodying its haute rebel with her usual 'I came here by accident' red carpet expression. Which we love.

And Kirsten Dunst, wholesomely pretty, went edgy with her Rodarte Death Star dress. We've been waiting to see who'd pick up this Star Wars homage ever since it appeared on the catwalk. Hurrah to Kirsten Dunst for injecting a bit of Vader into the proceedings.

And, of course, a red carpet event wouldn't be quite right without a few renegades who chose to wear trousers. But not for this directional crowd the tired old 'woman in a man's suit' schtick. Oh no, at the Met Ball 2014, the trousers were worn with maximum impact and feminine wiles. Cara Delevingne chose Stella McCartney, while Brie Larson was another fashionable stand-out in Prada.

So there it is for another year, the divine and the disasters. Although there weren't many of those this time, perhaps because there were so many in 2013. Perhaps it was the serene and courtly influence of Charles James, the exhibition's subject. Or perhaps there was a sterner force at work...