The Oscars gala is Hollywood's biggest event of the year, full of elegance, glitz and glamour. Let's take a look at the 40 most iconic and memorable Oscar dresses from 1940 to 2019.
Vivien Leigh – 1940
Vivien Leigh won the Best Actress Award for her popular classic film "Gone with the Wind". Her beautiful dress, designed by Marlene Dietrich, also made a splash that night. Paired with a luxurious necklace from Van Cleef & Arpels, Vivien Leigh definitely deserves the red carpet.
Audrey Hepburn – 1954
That year, Audrey won the award for Best Actress for her iconic Givenchy print dress. It is considered the most popular look in Oscar history.
Grace Kelly – 1955
Dressed in a beautiful mint dress designed by Vertigo and holding the Oscar for Best Actress in one hand, Grace Kelly looks as elegant as ever. What's more, the dress she chose caused a lot of buzz because it cost $4,000 at the time.
4. Elizabeth Taylor – 1961
Without the elegant Elizabeth Taylor, the list would not be complete. Her splendor has added luster to the red carpet over the years, but who has forgotten this beautiful set? Her fourth husband, Eddie Fisher, gave her this beautiful Kristen Dior dress.
Julie Andrews – 1965
Julie Andrews wore an unbelievable pale yellow dress on the night she won the Best Actress Award. Although the designer is unknown, the color complements Julie's personality and skin tone. Classic styling!
6 Goldie Hawn – 1970
Horn was dressed in a gorgeous dress and we have to say, she looked beautiful! Also, let's take a moment to admire the sweet eyelashes that highlight her lovely blue eyes.
7 Jane Fonda – 1972
Instead of wearing the typical prom dress, Fonda opted for Yves Saint Laurent's haute couture suit. Her choice of costumes sparked a lot of discussion, but more often than not, attention shifted to her Oscar for Best Actress in the film Croot.
8. Faye Dunaway – 1977
Faye won best actress for her role in the film Network. Her dress code is quite interesting and not typical of Best Actress nominees. Still, she wore a classic black velvet dress — a dress that would never go out of style.
Meryl Streep – 1980
Oscar-winning fashion fans think it's their all-time favorite look, and we have to admit it's amazing! Streep wore a classic cream polo dress designed by the talented Pauline Trigère when she received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Jessica Lange – 1983
Jessica Lange, who won Best Supporting Actress in Tootsie, wore Valentino's dress to look even more dazzling. We love the fresh soft green that looks great on her.
Anjelica Huston – 1986
At least. In the '80s, this look was an absolute eye-opener. Houston wore an emerald green satin dress designed by Tzetzi Ganev. We loved her boldness and confidence in this outfit!
Jodie Foster – 1989
Foster won the Award for Best Actress of the Year for her role in The Accused. While we're sure she deserves an Oscar, we're less sure about the stockings that match the skirt. It seems that the combination of prom dresses and stockings is really a taboo!
Marisa Tomei – 1993
Tomei was dazzled by this adorable Chanel haute couture dress. A simple white satin dress with elegant long gloves and black piping, Tomei was impressive when she unexpectedly won Best Supporting Actress for "My Cousin Vennie."
14. Holly Hunter – 1994
Holly Hunter wears this skinny classic black Vera Wang dress, which complements her glamorous figure. Her hair is also simple but delicate, and we have to say that this hairstyle is a great fit for her. She won the Best Actress Award in the film Piano.
Susan Sarandon – 1996
Susan wore a very bronze suit. Her Dolce & Gabbana dress is paired with bronze sunglasses, hair and shawl. Whether on the red carpet or when she received her award, no one didn't give her a compliment.
Helen Hunt – 1998
Helen Hunt, who won Best Actress that year, wore an ice-blue Gucci dress designed by Tom Ford. The dress will never go out of style, and the dress helen chose will be inducted into the Oscar Hall of Fame.
17 Gwyneth Paltrow – 1999
This is one of the most iconic and popular Oscar dresses of all time. Paltrow was dazzling in this beautiful baby pink satin suit. This fitted dress, designed by Ralph Lauren, remains one of the most talked about styles in years.
Angelina Jolie – 2000
At the beginning of the millennium, people wore many different costumes on the red carpet. Julie wore a clean black floor-to-ceiling gown designed by Versace. This simplistic look looks charming in Julie's figure, and she steals almost every spotlight.
19 Hilary Swank – 2000
We love the colors that Swank boldly chose when he won best actress for "Boys Don't Cry." What keeps us hooked is her delicate, bold, luxurious necklace that matches this dress.
Julia Roberts – 2001
When Roberts won best actress for "Never Compromise," she chose a beautiful, clean, asymmetrical dress that Valentino made in 1992. While we can't help but notice that the dress looks a lot like Marissa Tomei's, Roberts is as charming as ever.
Halle Berry – 2002
We loved this Elie Saab dress, which Halle wore when she won a historic victory. Dresses, awards, speeches... Everything is the perfect combination and definitely an Oscar for Best Styling.
Catherine Zeta-Jones – 2003
Versace created an elegant and stylish maternity outfit for Catherine. Catherine was nine months pregnant when her role in Chicago won Best Supporting Actress. We like the smooth look and sparkling touch.
Nicole Kidman – 2003
That same year, Nicole Kidman won the Award for Best Actress for the film "All the Time." We liked her elegant and confident look. She chose Jean Paul Gaultier's dress, exuding a classic Grace Kelly temperament.
Charlize Theron – 2004
South African-born beauty Charlize Theron won best actress and surprised the audience with a glittering Gucci dress on the 2004 red carpet show. Charlize embellished her looks with delicate jewelry. And her old Hollywood curly hair is also very popular.
25 Reese Witherspoon – 2006
Sometimes wearing a classic vintage dress can also catch the eye, and that's exactly what Reese has managed to do. Reese won the Best Actress Award for her role in "Moving Forward", and she wore a delicate vintage dress from Dior in 1955, which looked very beautiful.
Jennifer Hudson – 2007
Jennifer Hudson won the Award for Best Supporting Actress for "Dream Girl," and she became completely popular with her own style. We love that this Oscar De La Renta dress complements Hudson's figure. Its colors are stunning, and she is dazzled by her lovely atmosphere and personality.
Marion Cotillard – 2008
Jean Paul Gaultier's mermaid-inspired dress is unique to say the least. The choice of color is good because it emphasizes the beautiful fabric scales. Cotilla won the Best Actress award that year, and of course she looked very beautiful when she received the award.
Penélope Cruz – 2009
We can't forget this super retro model that Cruz launched in 2009. While some might say it looks like a wedding dress, it's actually a 1950 Balman ball dress. Decades have passed, but this timeless look will not become obsolete.
Sandra Bullock – 2010
While some might say it's a disco dress, we like it fits like a glove worn on Sandra's amazing figure. We also liked the glitz and glamour of the Marcesa dress.
Natalie Portman 30 – 2011
Who can forget the charming dress Natalie Portman wore at the Oscars? Its lovely dark purple hue looks majestic. She co-designed the dress with designer Rodat, whose sisters designed some costumes for the film, which won her best actress award for Black Swan.
Octavia Spencer – 2012
Doesn't this dress have the feeling of Oscar royalty? Octavia, designed by Tadashi Shoji, is impressed by this super shiny dress that accentuates her figure. She won the Award for Best Supporting Actress and received the award in authentic style.
Jennifer Lawrence – 2013
Maybe Judd Law had some opinion on the dress (yes, he stumbled while walking behind Jennifer), but we absolutely liked Jennifer's gorgeous dress, which looked professional. This Dior dress is very beautiful and the colors are also very beautiful.
33 Lupita Nyong'o – 2014
Lupita Nío's moving eyes attract attention. This aquamarine Prada dress attracted a lot of attention on the red carpet. The best supporting actress winner wanted to wear this color because it would remind her of her home country.
Alicia Vikander – 2016
This bold canary dress may not be everyone's favorite, but we all love its standout glitz and sparkle that makes this Louis Vuitton dress even more vibrant. We loved that Alicia showed off on the red carpet with her best accessory – her smile.
35 Heidi Klum – 2016
We really don't know what to say about this Marchesa multi-layered dress. Heidi Klum's transformation on the red carpet drew comments from fashion critics, but she didn't have a good reason. One thing is for sure, no one can beat that perfect smile.
36 Priyanka Chopra – 2016
Priyanka snatched the limelight with this stunning Zuhair Murad gown. The white looked perfect on her, and with the delicate flowers embellished, it was a perfect match. Paired with $3.2 million worth of Lorraine Schwartz jewelry, Chopra is the Queen of the Red Carpet.
Emma Stone – 2017
Emma is dressed exactly like The Oscar for Best Actress, glittering with gold and presenting a stunning retro Hollywood look. Texture, patterns and tassels give Givenchy haute couture dresses "glamour". Oh, and don't forget Emma's cute hairstyle!
Viola Davis – 2017
This gorgeous red dress was perfect for Viola Davis and we loved it so much! She looked like a modern princess. Viola made a grand appearance and statement on the red carpet and we must thank Armani Privé for providing us with such a beautiful dress.
39 Irina Shayk – 2019
Sexy is a word, and we can't forget the beautiful, gold-trimmed, tight black Burberry dress that Erina wore at the Oscars. She accompanied then-partner Bradley Cooper through the most important nights of his career.
(Lady Gaga) – 2019
Speaking of the birth of a star, we have to take a moment to talk about Lady Gaga's elegant appearance. Dressed in Brandon Maxwell's black satin dress, we loved how she tempered her inner wildness and showcased this lovely Hollywood style.