Each year, awards season concludes with the Oscars — also known as the red-carpet Olympics. Since its inception in 1929, the ceremony has been a mainstay for spectacular dresses: backless, strapless, sparkly, many-layered in silk chiffon. But not all gowns are sartorial gold.
At the Academy Awards, where good taste often trumps individuality, the most memorable fashion moments are typically the least predictable. No, the most prestigious night in cinema probably isn’t the best time to go for a shocking swan dress (sorry, Björk), but it is possible to respect the formality of a glamorous affair while serving up a little something extra.
As proven over the last 15 years, that “something extra” can be anything: a particularly flattering silhouette, a striking detail or even just a pretty color against impeccable skin. Here are our picks for each year’s best-dressed attendees since the start of the 21st century.
