For me, the Oscars are all about the movies and the performances and the celebration of the cinema. That being said, I'm more than aware that for some people it's a giant fashion show that somehow gets bogged down by clip shows and shiny gold men. For those people, this is for you. I am not a fashionista, but from my remembrance (and from photos), I have given below my Top 10 favorite Oscar dresses (year listed is the year of the ceremony).
10. Halle Berry in Elie Saab (2002)
When you know there's a good chance you're about to get a very historic Oscar and you happen to have the body and face of Helen of Troy, going outside the box is a great idea. Only Berry could pull off a sheer floral top with the burgundy skirt, but that's who wore it so it makes the list.
9. Grace Kelly in Edith Head (1955)
The black-and-white photos have never done this elegant, subtly mint green dress justice-just the faintest hint of color pops when offset by Kelly's alabaster skin and elbow-length white gloves.
8. Uma Thurman in Prada (1995)
Thuman has only ever received one Oscar nomination, and she sure made the most of it with a spectacularly gorgeous lavender Prada dress. Her makeup and statuesque beauty highlight it, but the thing that pulls this together is the supremely luxurious shawl. This is a woman who knows classic movie star glamour.
7. Elizabeth Taylor in Dior (1961)
Liz had just had one helluva a year with the death of her husband Mike Todd, then she ran off with Debbie Reynolds' husband Eddie Fisher and nearly died (you can see her tracheotomy scar in this photo). The Oscar was certain to be hers, and she owned the red carpet in her Dior (in fact, Melina Mercouri, Deborah Kerr, and Shirley MacLaine all skipped the ceremony Taylor was such a frontrunner).
6. Audrey Hepburn in Givenchy (1954)
Hepburn basically invented great Oscar fashion (and made herself a fashion icon for all-time) when she won her trophy for Roman Holiday and sported classic white Givenchy (don't you love that she totally pulls off the belt?).
5. Nicole Kidman in Dior (1997)
Joan Rivers famously hated it ("here comes Nicole Kidman in the ugliest shade of green I've ever seen"), but I cannot get enough-hyper elegant, slightly exotic, and a color no one ever rocked before (or really has rocked so well since). The top bead work reminds me of Berry's dress in the sense that only Kidman could pull it off, and she would remain a fashion icon for the upcoming sixteen years.
4. Cate Blanchett in Armani Prive (2007)
I honestly could put ten Cate Blanchett dresses on this list and just be fine with it. Between she, Kidman, and the woman at number two on this list, that's pretty much my entire fashion lexicon. If in doubt, I'll always list one of them as the best-dressed of the night. Though she didn't win for Notes on a Scandal, Blanchett clearly demanded the red carpet and looked like a goddess in this chic metallic gown.
3. Susan Sarandon in Dolce & Gabbana (1996)
I'm aware that some of you may hate this dress, but I don't care. I have always been obsessed with the confidence of this gown (along with the sunglasses). Copper is a color that only some people can pull off, but Sarandon surely is one of them. An actress at the height of her fame and power.
2. Kate Winslet in Ben de Lisi (2002)
Winslet always hits a home run, in my opinion. I even loved her dress at the 1998 Oscars. I have to admit, though, that I'm with the consensus-this gorgeous red Ben de Lisi dress is the clear winner. Winslet, like many before her on this list, didn't win her Oscar that night but this was a clear victor.
1. Julia Roberts in Valentino (2001)
I honestly wasn't sure where I'd go with the number one dress, but how could it not be this? Perfectly blending modern Hollywood with its classical roots, Roberts found elegant, simple lines with this black and white gown that brilliantly highlighted not only her beauty, but the ultimate accessory: Oscar himself.
Those are my choices-how about you? What is your favorite Oscar dress?
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