Golden Globe fashion shimmers while stars shiver

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif, Jan 16 (Reuters) Stars sparkled and shivered on the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards but the chilly weather did not ruin a chance to show off dazzling gowns in gold, silver, blue and white.

Singer and ''Dreamgirls'' star Beyonce chose a form-fitting, gold Elie Saab dress that inspired screaming from fans. It was that good.

''I'm very nervous and very excited,'' she said.

Celebrities at the Golden Globes are known for donning expensive, glittering jewelry on the red carpet. This year, they sported goosebumps as well.

''I think my toes are blue!'' said actress Annette Bening, wearing a white and silver columned dress, on the arm of husband Warren Beatty.

This year, fashion was celebrated not just on the red carpet but in the movies themselves, with ''The Devil Wears Prada.'' ''How much did we love that movie?'' gushed Jennifer Lopez, who was wearing a black one-shouldered Marchesa gown, to husband Marc Anthony about the film, in which Meryl Streep plays the evil editor of a high-powered fashion magazine.

On the red carpet, Streep wore a light gold, Grecian-inspired dress with pink drop earrings, and stopped to chat with James Woods.

But was her gown Prada? No -- Carolina Herrera.

Presenter Sienna Miller wore a scooped neck gown in white and white gold while Julia Louis Dreyfus was in a knee-length number in bright gold and Jessica Biel had a tight-fitting column of glimmer.

BLING-FREE FASHION Despite the shine, stars knew where to stop with the bling this year, said Hal Rubenstein, In Style magazine's fashion director.

''It's more about elegance than it's about pizazz,'' he said.

''People didn't go too far.'' White was favored by stars such as Salma Hayek, model Heidi Klum, Jennifer Garner and Kyra Sedgwick.

But blue figured prominently as the color of choice for many stars, including Toni Collette and Edie Falco. Rap impresario P Diddy wore a blue tuxedo, while Helen Mirren, who won two best actress awards, donned a teal Donna Karan and chatted with Jeremy Irons on the red carpet.

''We're in a wonderful bubble but the bubble will burst about 11 o'clock,'' the British actress told Reuters. ''But now, it's the lovely part.'' Striking a less sparkly tone was Angelina Jolie, on the arm of Brad Pitt and wearing a rich slate-colored gown. And black, a perennial favorite, was the choice for Sharon Stone, one of the last stars to arrive in a Dior sequined gown, and Penelope Cruz, in Chanel.

Comedian Joan Rivers, who hosted a red carpet show yesterday for the TV Guide Channel, said the chill in the air was preferable to the scorching temperatures that sometimes plague awards shows -- heat that sags hairdos and other body parts.

''The boobs were perky,'' Rivers said of this year's red carpet walkers. ''It was great weather for us.'' Dreamgirls' Jennifer Hudson agreed. Backstage, after winning her award for best supporting actress in a motion picture, Hudson said the adrenaline rush on the red carpet kept her warm.

''It could be snowing outside and icicles everywhere but you have no idea because it is so exciting.'' Reuters BDP GC1234