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There is a time and place to be extravagant, indulgent, and over the top, and that’s the red carpet of the Academy Awards. The Oscars celebrate the most talented and successful names in the film business, and the red carpet gives those figures a place to shine like the stars that they are. Every outfit worn on the Oscars red carpet is stunning, but not all of these designer gowns cost upwards of $50,000.
The most expensive dresses to have ever been worn on the Oscars red carpet cost more money than a lot of people will ever see in their bank accounts. Check them out below!
Cameron Diaz – 2010
It’s been nearly a decade since Cameron Diaz stepped out onto the Oscars red carpet wearing this amazing number by Oscar de la Renta. Just by looking at it, you can tell that it cost a lot of money! According to The Blonde Salad, this golden gown is worth $62,000, making it quite a bit more expensive than the average red carpet dress, even for the Academy Awards!
2010 was a big year for Diaz, who reprised her role of Princess Fiona in the fourth installment of the Shrek franchise that year. She also appeared alongside Tom Cruise in the action-comedy Knight and Day.
Anne Hathaway - 2011
Anne Hathaway is one of those celebrities who pretty much looks amazing every time she steps onto the red carpet. But we are obsessed with this look from Valentino, which she wore to the 2011 Academy Awards.
According to Most Famous List, this dress was chosen from a selection of eight dresses, and cost a cool $80,000. It may be one of the most expensive Oscars dresses of all time, but it cost nothing compared to that Tiffany & Co diamond necklace Hathaway paired with it, which cost $10 million.
Jessica Biel – 2013
Another star who always looks positively dazzling on the red carpet? Jessica Biel, the former child star who has a long list of amazing red carpet looks under her belt. In 2013, she turned heads by showing up to the Academy Awards in this stunning number from Chanel. Finances Online reports that it cost $100,000, making it one of the world’s most expensive Oscars dresses ever.
Not all the fashion critics liked this look, with some of them saying that it was too safe. But we think she looks divine and glowing in the elegant dress.
Audrey Hepburn – 1954
Audrey Hepburn is a fashion icon and legend of the screen, so it’s no surprise that she has made it onto our list. In 1954, she attended the Academy Awards wearing a dress that went down in history as one of the most expensive and the most beautiful.
Although nobody knows how much the dress cost at the time, it was sold at auction in 2011 for $131,292, which makes it officially one of the most expensive Oscar dresses ever. The classic and chic gown was actually a customized version of the dress she wore in Roman Holiday.
Lupita Nyong’o – 2015
Have you ever seen something so beautiful as Lupita Nyong’o wearing this Calvin Klein gown? You can probably tell from looking at it that this dress cost a pretty penny. Made with more than 6,000 pearls, the custom-made dress turned all the heads at the Academy Awards in 2015.
According to Grazia Daily, the dress is worth $150 million, which even tops Audrey Hepburn’s iconic 1954 Oscars dress. The dress actually made headlines in the days following the Oscars after it was stolen from The London Hotel in West Hollywood.
Kate Winslet – 2007
This Valentino dress caught everybody’s eye when Kate Winslet wore it to the Academy Awards in 2007, and not just because of the spectacular green shade. The train of the dress turned the glam factor right up, making the actress look like a goddess. It’s no surprise that Winslet was later voted the best-dressed.
Wonders List reports that this now-iconic dress is actually worth $100,000. We love the way she paired it with an elegant up-do and kept a bare neck so as not to steal away attention from the gown.
Cate Blanchett – 2014
At the 2014 Academy Awards, Cate Blanchett turned up in this fabulous number from Armani Privé, which cost $100,000. But her overall look was one of the most expensive in Oscar history, and not just because of the gown. Finances Online reports that Blanchett was wearing $18.1 million worth of clothing and accessories.
As you might have guessed, the majority of those costs came down to the impressive diamonds she was wearing. Even if the dress only cost a small fraction of the overall price tag, it is still spectacular.
Charlize Theron – 2013
Not everyone can get away with a look as simple and classic as this, but Charlize Theron was radiant in this Dior Couture look at the Oscars in 2013. The South African-born actress wore the custom-made white gown which earned her a place on several best-dressed lists at the time.
The white dress is worth $100,000, according to Most Famous List, which means it is another of the most expensive Oscars looks ever. Theron looks like a million dollars in the strapless gown—we’d say it was definitely worth the $100,000!
Elizabeth Taylor – 1970
Another legend of the screen and the red carpet was the late Elizabeth Taylor, whose spirit continues to inspire people with the memory of both her talent and her impeccable style. Taylor wore one of the most expensive dresses in Oscars history: this periwinkle and violet chiffon dress which was sold at auction in 1999 for $167,500.
The gown was designed by Edith Head, which no doubt contributed to its hefty price tag. Taylor looked like a vision in the dress, which is fondly remembered by fashion critics.
Jennifer Lawrence – 2013
The most expensive dress in Oscars history is this record-breaker worn by Jennifer Lawrence to the 2013 Academy Awards. The Dior Couture blush-pink Cinderella-inspired ball gown is valued at $4 million. Dior lent it to the actress, as she was the face of the brand.
On her way up to accept her award for Best Actress, Jennifer Lawrence notoriously tripped over while wearing this dress. This gave the brand extended air time—an advertising blessing which probably would have cost millions to buy in the traditional way. It does look heavy to walk in!