Any event with a red carpet is our favourite fashion event, but the Academy Awards are in a league of their own [1], because we know the stars will bring their A-games. We can count on memorable gowns (or memorable pants! [2]) all up and down that famous Oscars red carpet.
Sure we've seen the best of the best dresses [3] on all the best dressed lists over the years, but think back — can you remember some of those dresses that were just so beautiful that you had to take a second look but they were overshadowed by either another star or maybe even something that same star wore another year? Because same. And that's why we went back through the dresses of that last 10 years to pull out a few of our favourites that we think deserve a second look.
Sandra Bullock, 2018
Sandra Bullock [5] nearly always nails it when it comes to red carpet looks. Her 2018 Louis Vuitton isn't one that's talked about as much as some of her past looks, but we absolutely love the creamy metallic finish of this gown. And her flawless, pin-straight hair complements the dress spectacularly.
Busy Philipps, 2017
In 2017, Busy Philipps wore this decadent deep green velvet Elizabeth Kennedy gown with Lorraine Schwartz jewels. The gorgeous dressed hugged her curves and the sheer paneling made them even more pronounced.
Naomi Watts, 2016
Naomi Watts [6] looked like a real-life mermaid in her Armani Privé gown in 2016. The metallic blue and purple shades caught the light every way she turned and her gorgeous diamond necklace was just the icing on the cake.
Chloë Grace Moretz, 2015
OK, let's be real. A large part of why we love Chloë's dress from the 2015 Academy Awards is because it has pockets. But we also love this Miu Miu gown because of the lovely print and it's muted colour palette.
Lady Gaga, 2014
She may be known for her over-the-top fashion -- we haven't forgotten about the red gloves she wore in 2015 [7] -- but this Versace gown she wore at the 2014 Oscars was all about the glam. The light pink dress with metallic accents was simply stunning and her scarf cape train added the drama that we expect from her.
Zoe Saldana, 2013
Zoe knows how to nail the fitted-dress look -- she's done more than a few red carpets in mermaid and trumpet gowns. We loved this pale belted Alexis Mabille gown from top to bottom, but especially the bottom. The dress gets an added dose of drama thanks to the multitoned ruffles on the train.
Jessica Chastain, 2012
Jessica looked like a casual queen in her 2012 Alexander McQueen gown. The black dress with gold accents draped to the floor and looked picture-perfect next to Oscar himself.
Florence Welch, 2011
We're huge fans of Florence's boho-chic style, which is why we wanted to bring this dress back to your attention. This yellow Valentino couture gown is everything our red carpet dreams are made of and the pale colour makes her red hair pop even more.
Rachel McAdams, 2010
It's been almost a decade and we still think of this dreamy Elie Saab Couture gown Rachel wore in 2010. The Oscars may be about the glam, but the understated elegance of this pastel full-skirted gown stood out among the crowd.
Taraji P. Henson, 2009
Taraji's dress from the 2009 Oscars gives us a little bit of mummy vibes, but in the best possible way. The fitted bodice of this neutral-coloured Roberto Cavalli flares out into an ultraromantic train that just floated down the red carpet. Swoon!