Unforgettable Oscar Gowns Throughout The Years

Published on February 21, 2021
The Oscars: Hollywood’s biggest event of the year is full of elegance, glitz, and glamour. Let’s take a look at the absolute most unforgettable Oscar gowns worn by the most iconic stars.

Audrey Hepburn, 1954

Audrey won Best Actress that year and wore an iconic Givenchy floral dress. It’s considered the most favorite Oscar look of all time.

Audrey Hepburn, 1954

Audrey Hepburn, 1954

Vivien Leigh, 1940

Vivien won Best Actress for the popular and classic movie Gone With The Wind. Her beautiful Marlene Dietrich designed dress also stole the show that night. Paired with a Van Cleef & Arpels luxury necklace, Vivien definitely looked red carpet-worthy.

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Vivien Leigh, 1940

Vivien Leigh, 1940

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Grace Kelly, 1955

Wearing a beautiful mint colored dress designed by Vertigo and an epic Best Actress Oscar win in one hand, Grace Kelly looked as gracious as ever. What’s more, her choice of gown got everyone talking as it cost $4000 at the time.

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Grace Kelly, 1955

Grace Kelly, 1955

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Elizabeth Taylor, 1961

This list wouldn’t be complete without the exquisite Elizabeth Taylor. Her splendor has graced the red carpet for many years but who forget this beautiful ensemble? Her fourth husband Eddie Fisher gifted her this stunning Christian Dior gown.

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Elizabeth Taylor, 1961

Elizabeth Taylor, 1961

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Julie Andrews, 1965

Julie Andrews wore an incredible pale yellow dress on the night she won her Best Actress award. While the designer is not known, we love how this color compliments Julie’s personality and skin tone. A classic look for sure!

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Julie Andrews, 1965

Julie Andrews, 1965

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Goldie Hawn, 1970

It was the decade of the flowers and all things natural. Hawn rocked this flowery look and we have to say, she looked beautiful! Also, let’s take a second to admire those luscious lashes that accentuate her lovely blue eyes.

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Goldie Hawn, 1970

Goldie Hawn, 1970

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Jane Fonda, 1972

Fonda digressed from the typical ballgown look and opted for a haute couture suit from Yves Saint Laurent. Her choice of dress got everyone talking but luckily the attention was diverted to her Oscar win for best actress in the movie, Klute.

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Jane Fonda, 1972

Jane Fonda, 1972

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Faye Dunaway, 1977

Faye won Best Actress for her role in the movie Network. Her choice of dress was rather interesting and not a typical look that a Best Actress nominee would wear. Nevertheless, she wore the classic black velvet look- a look you can’t go wrong with.

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Faye Dunaway, 1977

Faye Dunaway, 1977

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Meryl Streep, 1980

Oscar fashion fans consider this look their favorite of all time and we have to admit, it’s stunning! Streep accepted her Best Supporting Actress Oscar award in this breathtaking classic, cream, popped-collar dress designed by talented Pauline Trigère.

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Meryl Streep, 1980

Meryl Streep, 1980

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Jessica Lange, 1983

Accepting her award for Best Supporting Actress in Tootsie, Jessica Lange dared to wear more sparkle in her Valentino dress. We love the fresh toned down green color and it looks amazing on her. She pulled this fabulous look off with ease!

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Jessica Lange, 1983

Jessica Lange, 1983

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Anjelica Huston, 1986

Daring to say the least. Back in the ‘80s, this look was surely an eye-opener. Huston rocked the asymmetrical look with an emerald green satin dress designed by Tzetzi Ganev. We love her boldness and confidence in this ensemble!

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Anjelica Huston, 1986

Anjelica Huston, 1986

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Jodie Foster, 1989

Foster won Best Actress that year for her role in The Accused. While we sure she deserved that Oscar, we are not so sure about the dress that accompanied it. It looks like a prom dress and the nude stockings really are a no-go!

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Jodie Foster, 1989

Jodie Foster, 1989

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Marisa Tomei, 1993

Tomei dazzles in this lovely Chanel Haute Couture gown. With a simple white satin gown, elegant full-length gloves and black piping down the sides, Tomei was dressed to impress when she unexpectedly won Best Supporting Actress for her role in My Cousin Vinny.

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Marisa Tomei, 1993

Marisa Tomei, 1993

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Holly Hunter, 1994

Holly Hunter looks exquisite in this tight-fitting, classic black, Vera Wang dress that complements her smashing body. Her hair is also simple yet sophisticated and we have to say, this look works for her. She won Best Actress in the movie The Piano.

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Holly Hunter, 1994

Holly Hunter, 1994

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Susan Sarandon, 1996

Susan wore a very bronzed-out ensemble. Her Dolce & Gabbana ballgown is paired with bronze sunglasses, hair, and shawl. No one could miss her on the red carpet or when she accepted her award for Best Actress.

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Susan Sarandon, 1996

Susan Sarandon, 1996

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Helen Hunt, 1998

Helen Hunt won Best Actress that year and wore an ice blue, elegant, and classy Tom Ford for Gucci dress. This kind of dress will never go out of fashion and Helen’s gown choice is something written in The Oscar’s hall of fame.

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Helen Hunt, 1998

Helen Hunt, 1998

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Gwyneth Paltrow, 1999

Another one of the most iconic and favorite Oscar dresses of all time. Paltrow dazzled in this beautiful baby pink satin ensemble. Designed by Ralph Lauren, this fitting gown is still one of the most talked-about looks over the years.

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71th Annual Academy Awards Arrivals

71th Annual Academy Awards Arrivals

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Angelina Jolie, 2000

The start of the millennium saw a lot of different looks being worn on the red carpet. Jolie wears a clean, black, and floor-length gown by Versace. This simplistic look looks amazing on Jolie’s figure and we can safely say she stole the spotlight.

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Angelina Jolie, 2000

Angelina Jolie, 2000

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Hilary Swank, 2000

We love this daring color that Swank chose for her look when she won Best Actress for Boys Don’t Cry. What we simply cannot take our eyes off is the exquisite, bold, and luxurious necklace she paired the dress with. Just wow!

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Hilary Swank, 2000

Hilary Swank, 2000

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Julia Roberts, 2001

When Roberts won Best Actress for Erin Brokovich, she chose a lovely, clean, and asymmetrical dress made by Valentino in 1992. While we can’t help but notice that it looks similar to Marisa Tomei’s gown, Roberts looks stunning as always.

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Julia Roberts, 2001

Julia Roberts, 2001

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Halle Berry, 2002

Who could ever forget this epic win? Also, we adore this Elie Saab gown that Halle wore for her historic win. The dress, the win, the speech…everything was a fabulous ensemble and it’s definitely an Oscar look that tops the list.

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Halle Berry, 2002

Halle Berry, 2002

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Catherine Zeta-Jones, 2003

Versace pulled off this amazing maternity look for Catherine with elegance and style. Catherine was nine months pregnant when she won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Chicago. We love the flowy features and the touch of sparkle.

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Catherine Zeta-Jones, 2003

Catherine Zeta-Jones, 2003

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Nicole Kidman, 2003

That same year, Nicole Kidman take away the award for Best Actress for the movie The Hours. We love how she strutted her look with grace and confidence. She opted for a Jean Paul Gaultier dress and gave off a classic Grace Kelly vibe.

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Nicole Kidman, 2003

Nicole Kidman, 2003

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Charlize Theron, 2004

South African-born beauty Charlize Theron won Best Actress and also stole the red carpet in 2004 with a sparkling Gucci gown. Charlize topped off her look with intricate jewelry pieces. Did we also mention how much we love her Old Hollywood wavy hair?

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Charlize Theron, 2004

Charlize Theron, 2004

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Reese Witherspoon, 2006

Sometimes wearing a classic vintage gown can also bring attention and that’s exactly what Reese managed to pull off. Wearing an intricate vintage Dior gown from 1955, Reese looked absolutely fabulous while accepting her Best Actress award for Walk The Line.

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Reese Witherspoon, 2006

Reese Witherspoon, 2006

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Jennifer Hudson, 2007

Jennifer Hudson won Best Supporting Actress for Dreamgirls and she totally blew the red carpet with her look. We love how this Oscar De La Renta dress complements Hudson’s figure. The color is amazing and she simply dazzles with her lovely vibe and personality.

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Jennifer Hudson, 2007

Jennifer Hudson, 2007

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Marion Cotillard, 2008

This mermaid-inspired dress designed by Jean Paul Gaultier is just unique, to say the least. The choice of color is great as it accentuates the beautiful fabric scales. Cottilard won Best Actress that year and she surely accepted her award looking gorgeous.

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Marion Cotillard, 2008

Marion Cotillard, 2008

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Penélope Cruz, 2009

We just can’t get over this superb vintage look that Penélope pulled off in 2009. While some may argue that it looks like a wedding dress, it’s actually a vintage Balmain ball gown from 1950. 50 years later and this timeless look doesn’t get old.

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Penélope Cruz, 2009

Penélope Cruz, 2009

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Sandra Bullock, 2010

While some may call it a disco gown, we love how it fits like a glove on Sandra’s amazing figure. We also love the glitz and glamor this Marchesa gown showcases. After all, it is the Oscars, right?

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Sandra Bullock, 2010

Sandra Bullock, 2010

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Natalie Portman, 2011

Who can forget the stunning dress Natalie Portman wore to the Oscars? It was majestic with it’s lovely, dark purple hue. She created this dress with designer Rodarte, whose sisters designed some of the costumes for the film which won her the Best Actress award, Black Swan.

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Natalie Portman, 2011

Natalie Portman, 2011

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Octavia Spencer, 2012

Doesn’t this dress showcase an Oscar royalty vibe? Designed by Tadashi Shoji, Octavia was dressed to impress with this super sparkly dress that compliments her figure. She won Best Supporting Actress and accepted her award in true style.

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Octavia Spencer, 2012

Octavia Spencer, 2012

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Jennifer Lawrence, 2013

While Judd Law didn’t have a good run-in with this dress ( yes, he tripped and fell while walking behind Jen), we absolutely adore this grandeur look that Jennifer pulled off like a pro. This Dior gown just screams fabulous and the color is perfectly pretty.

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Jennifer Lawrence, 2013

Jennifer Lawrence, 2013

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Lupita Nyong’o, 2014

Lupita turned heads with this breathtaking look. This sea blue Prada dress turned heads on the red carpet. The Best Supporting Actress winner wanted to wear this color as it reminded her of her home country.

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Lupita Nyong'o, 2014

Lupita Nyong’o, 2014

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Alicia Vikander, 2016

This bold canary dress may not be everyone’s cup of tea but we love the accentuated glitz and sparkle that gives this Louis Vuitton piece extra pizazz. We’re loving how Alicia flaunts it on the red carpet with the best accessory ever- her smile!

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Alicia Vikander, 2016

Alicia Vikander, 2016

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Heidi Klum, 2016

We don’t really know what to say about this Marchesa multi-layered dress. Heidi Klum sure got fashion critics speaking when she rocked up on the red carpet, and not for a good reason. One thing’s for sure, no one can beat that perfect smile.

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Heidi Klum, 2016

Heidi Klum, 2016

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Priyanka Chopra, 2016

One word- wow. Priyanka stole the show with this breathtaking Zuhair Murad dress. White looks perfect on her and the embellished, delicate flowers really put the final look together. Paired with $3.2 million worth of Lorraine Schwartz jewels, Chopra was the queen of the red carpet.

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Priyanka Chopra, 2016

Priyanka Chopra, 2016

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Emma Stone, 2017

Dressed just like her Best Actress Oscar, Emma dazzled in gold and pulled off an amazing vintage Hollywood look. The texture, patterns, and fringes gave the Givenchy Haute Couture dress its “oomph”. Oh, let’s also not forget Emma’s lovely hairstyle!

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Emma Stone, 2017

Emma Stone, 2017

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Viola Davis, 2017

This gorgeous red hot dress completely suits Viola and we are so loving it! She looked like a modern-day princess. Viola made a grand entrance and statement on the red carpet and we have to thank Armani Privé for this beautiful look.

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Viola Davis, 2017

Viola Davis, 2017

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Irina Shayk, 2019

Sultry is the word and we cannot get over Irina’s beautiful, gold embellished, black figure-hugging Burberry gown she wore to the Oscars. She accompanied her then-partner, Bradley Cooper on the most important nights of his career.

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Irina Shayk, 2019

Irina Shayk, 2019

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Lady Gaga, 2019

Speaking of A Star Is Born, we have to take a minute to speak about Lady Gaga’s polished look. Wearing a Brandon Maxwell black satin full-length gown, we love how she toned down her inner wild child and came out tops flaunting this lovely Hollywood look.

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Lady Gaga, 2019

Lady Gaga, 2019

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