An Oscars red carpet look isn't an easy thing to pull off, even for some of the most fashionable celebs. So many hours (and so much money) goes into everything from fabric choices to choosing the right designer to finding the perfect accessories, all in the hopes of having a look that will pop in front of the cameras. And while there have been decades of memorable fashion moments in Oscars history, there are also more than a few looks that, sadly, stand out for all the wrong reasons.
Most celebrities don't want to end up on the worst dressed list and it's important to note that not loving a fashion looks doesn't mean that we don't still love the celeb who was wearing it. We actually adore some of the worst dressed folks and honestly just wish that the fashion gods had smiled on them more favorably. And before we start picking apart what didn't work about a particular look, we want to make sure it's also clear that this is a non-body shaming zone, because bad fashion happens to every kind of body (that might be the worst kind of equality, right?). Also, we get that fashion is obviously subjective, so some of our choices might be controversial, but we're here to take a stand on some truly terrible looks. Scroll on to see which big names didn't nail it this year!
Billie Eilish
While we are enjoying the drama of Billie Eilish's new darker hair color (the black looks great!), her off-the-shoulder Gucci dress totally overwhelmed her. The dress was a mess of ruffles and "high fashion trash bag" was probably not the vibe she was hoping for.
Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman is undeniably gorgeous and she's been acting for over 30 years, so she's clearly had a super successful career. So why is she dressed like she is going to be the fanciest waiter at one of the post-Oscars parties? This simple look gives "can I offer you an hors d'oeuvre?" vibe that is just sad.
Regina Hall
It pains us to put Regina Hall on the worst list because she was a delight as one of the three hosts. Her bit about "special COVID tests" for some of the most hunky actors was perfectly and hilariously horny (and we really don't blame her for trying to use the Oscars as her own personal dating app). But this Vera Wang dress was in such a dull color that it makes us sad. If this dress was red or orange she'd probably have ended up on the other list.
Wesley Snipes
What is even happening here, Wesley? We've got purple satin board shorts with matching purple leggings and some sort of mini apron situation around the waist. Or maybe he just tucked in a matching napkin at lunch and forgot to take it off. That would make as much sense as the rest of this look.
Kristen Stewart
Look, we're not going to call out Wesley Snipes for wearing shorts and not mention that Kristen Stewart, nominated for playing Princess Diana, was wearing some decidedly non-regal hot pants from Chanel. This is an example of an outfit that would totally have made sense for the MTV Movie Awards but ended up looking just off for the more formal Oscars.
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman's Oscars look is one that might end up on both best and worst dressed lists, because fashion is always subjective. Here's why we didn't love it: The bodice darting of this dress results in an unfortunate case of external dress nipples and the aggressive peplum around her waist is bound to be a wrinkled mess by the end of the night, as that is not a forgiving fabric in terms of wrinkles.
Kourtney Kardashian
Sometimes a celeb will end up on a worst dressed list because their outfit is super wacky (paging Bjork and the swan dress). But sometimes all it takes to end up on the bad list is to wear something that is utterly forgettable. This tea length column dress Kourtney Kardashian wore is an example of a dress that is, well, boring. With a dress this simple, she could have pulled off some amazing statement jewelry or even a great bag or wrap. But no, she just put the basic in basic black.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Let's start with the good first: Tracee Ellis Ross is a gosh darn delight and the color of this dress is gorgeous. But, oh man, the bodice on this dress was one sneeze away from disaster. We also wish that the length had been a bit longer, because the proportions are just kind of off.
Timothée Chalamet
Timothée Chalamet is 26 and will almost certainly be on many Oscar red carpets in the future. Not to sound super old-fashioned, but can we put in a request that he consider future Academy Awards ceremonies as an occasion that does, in fact, require a shirt?
Jada Pinkett Smith
Well, we can safely say that Jada Pinkett Smith's dress is not going to be the most memorable part of her 2022 Academy Award experience. Ceremony drama aside, we do have to note that this monster couture gown just didn't work for us. It overwhelmed her and she could barely move as she walked the red carpet in the pre-show.
Lily James
There can be a fine line between sexy and "Barbie outfit meets honeymoon night lingerie" and we're afraid that actress Lily James is just on the wrong side of that line this year. And there is really no nice way to say it, but we hate those bad bridesmaid, dyed to match heels.
Kodi Smit-McPhee
Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee had a breakthrough role in The Power of the Dog and was one of the male celebs who experimented with color when it came to his tuxedo. While we always a love some color, this Easter egg hue was a bit too matchy matchy. A contrasting shirt color or a deeper color could have made this look really solid.
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Maggie Gyllenhaal is known for having a quirky sense of style and Schiaparelli Haute Couture is known for having some really strong lines and a distinctive point of view. That's a fancy way of saying that Maggie looks like an illustration of the letter "T" for fashion forward toddler's ABC board book.
Renate Reinsve
Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve starred in, and got rave reviews, for the nominated film The Worst Person in the World. We're not saying this dress is the worst dress in the world (see what we did there? We've got jokes!), but it has a real bedraggled, caught in an unexpected rainstorm energy that we don't love.
Chloe Bailey
Chloe Baily is such a talented singer and, judging by the extremely high slit on her LDVF dress, a loyal customer to her favorite bikini waxer. At the risk of sounding super old-fashioned, we just feel like dresses that leave absolutely no mystery about a celeb's underwear (or lack thereof) situation are a fashion risk that don't always pay off.
