Sequined minis, ombre hair and the Fountain of Youth were the big winners Tuesday night

Rebecca Shore | Jan 15, 2014

L to R: WireImage (3); Getty Images

No doubt if you keep current with Swimsuit news you've already seen most if not all of these images from Tuesday night's red carpet at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre. The event preceded the taping of NBC's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: 50 Years of Beautiful, a two-hour special that will air Feb. 3 at 9pm EST. I was flying back from LA, trying to put something together that would do justice to the eye-candy overload, and so I'm a little late to the "fashion police" party, but I promise to deliver the exclusive stuff in the coming days.

In terms of the visuals, Ariel Meredith did that long fishtail braid that has eluded my otherwise excellent braiding skills during the entire duration of the trend, and Ariel's red carpet co-host Chrissy Teigen, who was trailed by her musical guest husband John Legend (can I stop ID-ing him? You shold all be well acquainted with Swimsuit's cutest couple by now) kicked off the sequined/beaded theme of the evening also preferred by Rebecca Romijn, Marisa Miller and Petra Nemcova; Natasha Barnard, a media-shy Kate Uptonand Tori Praver laughed in the face of danger with precariously plunging necklines; Katherine Webband Jessica Gomes rocked the cutout thing; Dominique Piek and Genevieve Morton slipped into somethings sheer, and Tyra Banks into something more comfortable; Cheryl Tiegs shimmied into a lacy little number, which she accessorized with her famously broad grin; Rachel Hunter opted for a high-low combo: low in the neckline and high, high, high in the thigh slit (but didn't make a big ol' thing of it); and Christie Brinkley, show host Heidi Klum and Kathy Ireland, who absolutely sparkles in person, confirmed the existence of a Fountain of Youth, but didn't let on to its whereabouts. Ms. Brinkley, who turns 60 next month, looked so bananas, in fact, that her name has been on the lips of bloggers everywhere for the past day-and-a-half.