My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

BeeNee a

the Oscars are coming up on this Sunday, February 26, and every year, I am front row center to see the fashion and maybe cheer on a movie or three. It is one of the most profitable non runway shows that a designer can show off a gown, a shoe, or some stunning jewelry. There have been over the years, so many incredible fashion moments, but for me, these have been some of my all time Oscar favorites.

1. Hillary Swank in Guy Laroche (2005)

Navy to me is only second to black in how universally flattering of a color it is on women. Back in 2005, Swank was big news in Hollywood and I was looking forward to seeing what she would wear, and when I first saw this, I admit, I thought it beautiful but I wasn't wowed by it UNTIL she did a turn to the side, and this dress shot up to an 11. This 100% follows the so called fashion rules, that I believe in: "if you're going to do really sexy, show one body part at a time." The back real estate made covering up her entire front totally worth the wait for the reveal. The train, the ruching, the simple jewelry that didn't distract from the simplicity of the dress...it was altogether beautiful, and she was indeed a winner in dress and statue both.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

2. Nicole Kidman in Balenciaga (2007)

If you were watching the Oscars a mere 5 years after Kidman hit the red carpet in this stunning cherry red big neck bow dress, you'd have seen Emma Stone sporting an almost identical, even in color, dress, but I think Kidman did it much better. When you are tall, you can afford to wear a column dress with little detail because your height carries off the glamour of the dress, which she did. A lot of people hated the bow, but it's one of only two major details on the dress and having it up towards the face, forces all eyes to be on her. Her hair was styled perfectly without a lot of fuss. The cuffs added just that bit of sparkle, and her pale skin really worked in her favor to really pop the dress and lipstick both.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

3. Courtney Love in Versace (1997)

Love was most known for being Kurt Cobain's (Nirvana) widow who had a major drug addiction and suffered heavily from depression. In the wake of Cobain's death, she was well known for hitting red carpets looking gaunt and strung out, with her hair looking dirty, track marks down her arms, her make-up disheveled and the whole bit, so imagine, this walks in the door. Jaws were visibly dropping at the site of her. She looked healthy and beautiful..quite literally like an angel. The dress was simple with a bit of ruffle down the back, but the magic of this dress and this moment came from the happy realization that she'd turned a new leaf. Unfortunately it didn't last but a few months and she was back to her old self, but Oscar pictures, thankfully, are forever.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

4. Brie Larson in Gucci (2016)

I typically hate ruffles down the front of a dress. I very crudely refer to them as va-jay-jay flaps because that's what they remind me of, but this I felt looked more like some lovely water goddess washing up on a beach somewhere. Nice delicate details in the bit of sheer fabric about the bust and the eye catching belt as the focal point of the dress. The color worked really well against her skin, and the hair, make-up were really beautiful; very natural and unfussy.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

5. Octavia Spencer in Tadashi Shoji (2012)

I'm a firm believer in fashion for all because fashion belongs to the people. One of my major pet peeves with the plus size set in Hollywood is they tend to show up on red carpets in the big tent dress. It's got no shape, usually empire waist if it even has one, and it does nothing but remind you of a blanket. This is NOT that. This is stunning and really shows plus size women that they too can look phenomenal. It took 1,000 hours of work, a team of 10, and six fittings to make this gorgeousness. The sequins visually pull and snatch in that waist. The arms are covered, but it's not that stupid flutter sleeve that has to go with a blanket dress. Make-up is beautiful as is the classy chignon and the equally dazzling earrings which do not overwhelm the dress and that hint of badass with the black nails. Love it.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

6. Julie Roberts vintage black Valentino (2001)

I remember waiting for Roberts to arrive on this night because she was slated to win an Oscar and clearly she did, but she showed up very near the end of the red carpet in vintage Valentino, and for me it was well worth the wait. Everyone was talking about not only her win, but this vintage number because it wasn't something that had been really seen as of late, at the time, in fashion. This really and truly is in my all time top 5 of Oscar dresses. I love this dress so hard. It's black, which is a girls best friend, it had the simple bit of illusion mesh in front with that white Y piped down the front showcasing her height, and a peacock of black tulle and white stripes down her train. Once again, following the trend in great dresses...natural make-up, sleek chignon, minimal jewelry to totally allow the dress to be the star.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

7. Jennifer Lopez

The only woman alive perhaps who could take every girls dream of a big poofy princess dress and make it sexy. I LOVE this. This must have been 20 lbs worth of beading, crinoline, and tulle alone. The nude color is not too much and is enhanced by the beading in front. She's like Glenda the Good Witches Sexy cousin, LOL. I'll say it on repeat here again, but minimal jewelry, natural make-up, and a no fuss hairstyle.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time
8. Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford

My obsession with Tom Ford knows no bounds. Not only is he 'the' fashion designer in my eyes, but he's also a great film maker as well, so it stands to reason that he would have an amazing showing on Oscar night, and that he did with Paltrow in this cape number. Now, I must say, by the time, this hit the runway, capes had been done by everyone. Lupita started the trend back up probably 2 years prior to this, saw it on JLO, and every other person and I was so over it, but Ford brought me back with this for sure. Pure white, simple, clean, and elegant. The cape just hung about her shoulders set in with just the tiniest hint of shoulder pads. When the jacket came off, the dress in it's simplicity with a slit up the back, was perfection. Sometimes simple can be stunning too. Love, love, love.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time
9. Jessica Alba in Versace (2006)

I vividly remember Alba's entrance this year. Alba was still young Hollywood in 2006, and if you aren't as well known as the big wigs, you do exactly what she did which is show up bright and early and first to the red carpet so you can get the most attention and interviews and coverage to sell the brand that is you. She showed up and showed out. I love this dress. This was a jaw dropper for me. The dress was just elegant the ruching and the lace down the front and on the train. I also really loved the way the train moved. Sometimes a train can be very stiff and just hang there, but this one made her float. Also, kudos to her for being able to pull off this color which I don't think would work on most other women.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time
10. Amy Adams Oscar de la Renta (2013)

As much as I love JLo's aforementioned sexy princess dress, I adore Amy's homage to the 50s evening gowns of a bygone era with this stunning powder blue strapless beaded bodice dress with tiered skirt which, if you look up close, you can see literally hundreds of eyelashes, like eyelash lace, sewn into each layer. Talk about craftsmanship. I mean this is THE princess dress through and through and she definitely pulled it off.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

11. Charlize Theron in Vera Wang (2000)

Theron has had many successful Oscar walks, but out of them all, I love this the most. This was really the year when she was starting to be recognized in Hollywood, and she wanted to stand out, so instead of a stuffy Oscar evening gown, she chose this light as a feather low back second skin Vera Wang in a notice me hard to pull off color, burnt orange. When she walked, the wind picked up the dress and when I tell you the train floated on air, whew, just wow. With her coif and make-up, altogether, she looked like she walked right off the pages of a 1930s starlet catalog which I quite imagine, was the point.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

12. Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton (2012) and Vera Wang (2006)

Williams always reminds me of someone from a bygone era either in what she wears, or how she styles her hair, or both. Back in the day when Williams was still with the late Heath Ledger, she showed up to the 2006 Oscars in the saffron 1930s inspired gown that will probably remind you a bit of Kiera Knightly's infamous green dress in "Atonement." The dress was a bit shocking in a good way because yellow is a very hard color to pull off without looking like big bird or sickly which is why most stars avoid it, but she effortlessly made it look fantastic popping it with a red lip and vintage jewelry. A few years later, again with a vintage themed Vuitton dress in a salmon color with delicate tiered peplum that took some 300 hours to make, she stunned again. The back detail had a bit of her nude corset on display and just a hint of a train flowing behind her. Once again, natural make-up, minimal jewelry.

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

Honorable Mentions

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time
Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Haute Couture (2011)

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

Halle Berry in Elle Saab (2002)

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time

Anne Hathaway in Armani Privé (2009)

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time
Gwyneth Paltrow in Zac Posen (2007)

My Favorite Oscar Dresses of All Time
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