The Worst Oscar Dresses of All Time

(Image credit: Getty Images)

last updated 15 September 2021

For the Oscars every year, actors and actresses travel to Hollywood from all around the world for a little recognition from The Academy. Last year, we got a steamy performance from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper (opens in new tab), an insane amount of sexy dresses (opens in new tab), and, of course, the drama that led to the awards having no host (opens in new tab) for the first time since 1989 (opens in new tab). There was plenty to love, but there were also a few unforgettable looks on the red carpet, and I don't mean that in a good way. I get it, picking a gown for Hollywood's biggest night can be hit or miss, but these gowns from past years' Oscars were definite misses. (They also made me really love my three-year-old-sweatpants I watched the Oscars in.)

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Lady Gaga

The highlight of the 2015 red carpet was definitely Lady Gaga's red gloves, which spawned plenty of memes (opens in new tab). My favorite? The Lady Gaga "cleaning starter pack (opens in new tab)."

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St. Vincent

St. Vincent took a risk at the 2018 Academy Awards in this Saint Laurent look. It's hard to hate anything from the iconic fashion house, but this runway ensemble didn't work IRL.

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Bjork

Icelandic artist Bjork's swan dress is probably the most iconic on the list of worst dressed. The look was designed by Macedonian designer Marjan Pejoski, who actually made two copies of it as it could not be dry cleaned. One was auctioned off (opens in new tab) for $9,500 in 2005 (!!) and Valentino even paid tribute to this swan ensemble in its spring 2014 couture fashion show (opens in new tab).

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Faith Hill

The singer's dress for the 74th Academy Awards resembled a rainbow cake explosion. We're not sure what made Hill decide on this look, but it's a hard pass from us.

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Uma Thurman

The actress looked like she was drowning in her dress at the 76th Annual Academy Awards. And, question: Are the gold and blue embroidered pieces remnants of a vest? We're confused.

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Whoopi Goldberg

I saw this dress and immediately thought "Count Dracula." Sorry, Whoopi.

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Kate Hudson

The actress looked unrecognizable (and not in a good way) at the 2001 event, when she stepped out in this gray dress with a fringe neck shawl. I prefer to remember her in this 2014 Atelier Versace look (opens in new tab) instead.

8/25

Sally Kirkland

There's a laundry list of things of things that aren't great about this dress. But the rhinestone bindi was an extra layer of WOW.

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Sophia Loren

The iconic star was the "Belle" of the ball in this yellow ruffled number at the 2009 Academy Awards.

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Lizzy Gardiner

Costume designer Lizzy Gardiner wore a dress made out of gold American Express cards to the 1995 Academy Awards. The cards were real, but had expired. That year, she won an Oscar for Best Costume Design for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, but in an ironic twist of fate, this dress landed her on worst dressed lists.

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Kelly Ripa

The star wore a strapless Christian Siriano creation to the 2018 Academy Awards. From the front, the gown looked great. From the back? That's another story.

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Edy Williams

The year is 1974. The outfit is a leopard printed bikini underneath a spotted furry coat. Perhaps she had a backup gown...in the car?

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Susan Sarandon

The actress arrived to the 1996 Oscars in a Dolce & Gabbana gold gown. She matched the Academy Award statue.

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Sally Kirkland

The actress looked like she was ready to fly away in this semi-sheer multi-colored dress at the 2007 Academy Awards.

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Demi Moore

At least Moore can say she was an early adopter of biker shorts.

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Geena Davis

The actress looked like a runway Las Vegas bride at the 1992 Academy Awards.

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Kim Basinger

The star arrived to the 1990 Academy Awards in a white gown with one shoulder ripped off and a corseted bodice. The look did not seem comfortable at all.

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Hilary Swank

The actress and Tyra Banks (see next slide) should have gone to the Oscars together, as Swank's Dior dress was more suited for prom than the Academy Awards.

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Tyra Banks

The model's giving me sugar plum fairy vibes with this poufy purple gown dress from the 2000 Academy Awards.

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Helena Bonham Carter

Bellatrix Lestrange is that you? Carter appeared to channel her Harry Potter character's preference for moody colors with this black-and-white multi-layered dress at the 2013 Academy Awards.

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Cher

Two questions: how is that skirt staying on and is that headpiece heavy? Cher wore this dominatrix-meets-fortune teller outfit to the 1986 Academy Awards and it was just as memorable as you'd expect.

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Lizzy Gardiner

It was 1995 and apparently plastic was really in for this costume designer. I guess this is one way to keep yourself from swiping your American Express card...

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Heather Mills

Heather Mills arrived in lacy separates for the 74th Annual Academy Awards in 2002. In hindsight. this outfit wasn't the best choice for a fancy red carpet event—especially the Oscars, where glamorous gowns or sleek pantsuits are de rigueur.

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Melissa McCarthy

The comedian wore a gray David Meister dress to the 2013 Academy Awards. Though the dress had some embellishments on the shoulder and sleeves, plus ruching in the middle, it looked washed-out. We'd love to see her in a brighter look.

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Jennifer Hudson

The actress and singer arrived at the 2007 Academy Awards in a brown Oscar de la Renta look. Though the dress itself was fine, her cropped outerwear reminded us of something The Tin Man would wear.

Marina Liao is the former fashion news editor at MarieClaire.com, where she covered celebrity style (from Meghan Markle to Katie Holmes), fashion trends, and shopping advice, plus conducted original interviews with industry insiders. She's also had many opportunities to write content in other areas such as beauty, food, tech, and even home. Her previous fashion stints include POPSUGAR and Cosmopolitan.