Written by CNN Staff

Awards season is fully in swing, with Hollywood's finest descending on Santa Monica for the 24th Critics' Choice Awards Sunday evening.

The annual ceremony, which honors the year in film and television, has historically offered some pretty substantial clues about who might win big at the Oscars. It's also a more relaxed affair than other dates on the awards calendar, a mood reflected on this year's red carpet (or blue carpet, to be precise).

After the fairytale dresses and classic Hollywood glamour of last week's Golden Globes, many attendees opted for pared-down looks at Santa Monica's Barker Hangar. Even Lady Gaga, who stole the show at the Globes with an extravagant Valentino dress, kept things simple this time around with a strapless pale peach Calvin Klein gown and (comparatively) short train.

Elsewhere, bold silhouettes made way for more conventional, often figure-hugging, choices. But this didn't prevent stars from turning simplicity into understated elegance. Emmy Rossum turned heads in a plunging burgundy Ralph Lauren gown, while Amy Adams stunned in a blue long-sleeved dress paired with emerald green earnings.

But if the female stars were saving their statement pieces for the Oscars, now just six weeks away, the men treated the Critics' Choice Awards as license to experiment.

Suits and tuxedos appeared in all manner of unorthodox colors and textures, from Ken Jeong's velvety pink jacket to the fetching dark teal number worn by Shameik Moore of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." Elsewhere, "Crazy Rich Asians" star Harry Shum Jr. shone -- literally -- in a suave sparkling blazer by Roberto Cavalli.

Among the most adventurous male stars were rapper and director Boots Riley, who showed up in what can only be described as a dressing gown, and "Beautiful Boy" actor Timothee Chalamet, who paired a sleek, multi-colored suit by Alexander McQueen with white sneakers.

Cody Fern, who made headlines with his sheer top at the Globes, opted for a dark jumpsuit with a cutout revealing a streak of torso. The Australian once again matched his daring outfit with a pair of "goat" shoes (which last week set social media alight), though in white this time.

Harry Shum Jr. and Gemma Chan at the 24th annual Critics' Choice Awards. Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

But the women weren't to be outshone, and the evening still yielded an array of show-stopping gowns. Wearing some of the night's biggest looks were "Crazy Rich Asians' star Gemma Chan, who lit up the awards in a voluminous custom floral-print dress, and Charlize Theron, whose breathtaking metallic Givenchy dress with two-toned skirt shimmered as she walked the blue carpet.

Scroll through the gallery above for some of the night's best fashion. CNN's Stephy Chung, Oscar Holland and Jenny Kerrigan contributed to this report.