The Most Popular Oscar Red Carpet Gown: Grace Kelly’s 1955 Dress

The Life Magazine photograph of Grace Kelly wearing a dress by Edith Head, Photographed by Philippe Halsman. Grace later wore the dress to the Oscars.

Although many gorgeous designer gowns by legendary fashion designers have graced the red carpet at the Academy Awards, including gowns from Dior, Givenchy, Valentino, Vera Wang,  Ralph Lauren, Armani, Armani Prive and many more, none of those gowns  were rated as “the best remembered. In a survey this week by ABC News “Instant Index” Grace Kelly’s  1955 green/blue gown designed by costume designer Edith Head, was rated by viewers as still the number one Oscar dress choice.

Grace’s mint green studio created gown cost $4,000 to make in 1956.  At the time, that was the most expensive Oscar dress ever.  Apparently Grace kept the beautiful gown after the awards and today it sits on display in the  exhibit on Grace Kelly’s style that first was staged at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.  Surprisingly frugal, Grace kept dresses and handbags in her wardrobe for years and wore things more than once.   Her Oscar dress was worn three times:  for a life magazine cover, for the premiere of the Country Girl movie and finally for the Oscars.  Can you imagine any A list actress wearing a dress on the red carpet three times today? Although the Duchess of Cambridge and Michelle Obama wear their wardrobe dresses over and over like any working woman, actresses are not always so frugal.

Mediarun ‘s chart of the dresses worn by Best Actress Oscar winners since 1929.

What was your favorite Oscar dress of all time readers? Take a look at the chart by Mediarun for a look back at the history of the Best Actress Dresses worn at the Academy Awards. It’s fascinating to see how fashion changes every year!

Doris Day at the 1960 Oscars in a stunning IRENE gown. (via Los Angeles Examiner)

If you look at the chart, you can see MGM Costume Designer Irene Lentz dressed many of the Best Actress winners including Vivien Leigh and Ginger Rodgers.  Here’s a look back at the beautiful gown see did for her friend Doris Day for the 1960 Oscars.   The photo is from the old Los Angeles Examiner newspaper.