The 62 Best Oscars Red Carpet Dresses of All Time
The Oscars are one of the most-watched red carpet events in the world (along with the Met Gala, of course) and the 97th annual Academy Awards on March 2nd will surely deliver plenty of memorable fashion moments. Hollywood’s brightest stars are expected to hit the red carpet in their most dramatic looks, since stylists often keep their best gowns and suits for last. In honor of the event, Vogue is looking back at some of the best Oscar dresses of all time.
Selected by our editors (past and present), this definitive list of top Oscar fashion moments revisits many iconic looks. Just last year, highlights included Carey Mulligan in a black and white Balenciaga gown—a recreation of a vintage 1951 design from the house. Lily Gladstone, meanwhile, brought powerful representation to the red carpet, wearing a custom look by Gucci featuring quillwork by masterful Indigenous artist Joe Big Mountain.
Another crowd favorite was Rihanna in her baby bump-bearing Alaïa number in 2023, complete with leather accents, as well as Lupita Nyong’o’s sky-blue Prada gown from 2014, when the actress took home Best Actress for 12 Years a Slave. Nicole Kidman’s unexpected Balenciaga halter dress with a dramatic bow detail, which she wore in 2007, was another hit. And who could forget Charlize Theron’s glittering Gucci gown from 2004, when she accepted an Oscar for Monster looking the part of a true Hollywood star?
Many picks are some of the Oscars’s more unexpected style moments, too: Céline Dion’s backwards Christian Dior tuxedo, Björk’s Marjan Pejoski swan dress, and Cameron Diaz’s slightly boho dress by Emanuel Ungaro Couture, among others. As for throwback hits, Barbra Streisand’s sheer jumpsuit by Arnold Scaasi, worn in 1969, is proof that having fun on the carpet always wins, as does Salma Hayek’s Armani look in 1997, complete with a tiara.
See these and more of Vogue’s votes for the best Oscars dresses below.
Photo: Getty Images1/62Rihanna in Alaïa, 2023
Leave it to Rihanna to deliver one of the most stylish maternity looks in Oscars history. Her bodycon Alaïa featured just the right amount of sheerness—and the leather accents made her otherwise-classic silhouette feel totally modern.
— Christian Allaire, Vogue Senior Fashion and Style Writer
Photo: Getty Images2/62Gemma Chan in Valentino, 2019
It’s a statement, it’s couture, it looks comfortable, and it has pockets!
— Lucie Zhang, Vogue Associate Director, Social MediaGemma Chan, Valentino, 2019
Photo: Getty Images3/62Mila Kunis in Elie Saab, 2011
I remember being so awestruck by Mila Kunis in this lavender Elie Saab dress at the 2011 Oscars. Between the strategic lace paneling and the gorgeous draping, it was a total showstopper in my book. Plus it’s a great color on her!
— Hannah Jackson, Vogue Fashion Writer
Photo: Getty Images4/62Julia Roberts in Valentino, 2001
I’ll never forget it and neither has the fashion world: Julia Roberts in her vintage Valentino gown for her first-time Oscars win for Erin Brockovich. The black and white, velvet and satin Valentino gown was classic and elegant then—and it’s still timeless today.
— Julie Tong, Vogue Commerce EditorJulia Roberts, Valentino, 2001
Photo: Getty Images5/62Sharon Stone in Vera Wang and Gap, 1998
There is fashion, and there is style. When Sharon Stone hit the red carpet in a crisp white button down and evening skirt, she proved to have the latter in spades. That she was able to respect the formality of the dress code in rolled-up sleeves is truly a wonder—though the diamond bracelets certainly helped!
—Leah Faye Cooper, Vogue Digital Style Director
