The Ghosts of Bad Fashion Past

Though there is much to be said for red-carpet experimentation, sometimes things can go very, very wrong. And unfortunately for the army of stylists pulling (and cutting) the strings to make sure their actresses look appropriately elegant, bad fashion at the Oscars is often the most memorable.

There was Barbra Streisand's 1969 ensemble, the year she was nominated for her role in "Funny Girl." She wore a pantsuit that featured sheer black tulle, white collar and cuffs, floppy bow, and bell-bottoms. As if all that weren't enough, the whole thing turned see-through under the glare of flash photography. Do you remember whether or not she won the award for Best Actress that year? (She did — in a tie with Katharine Hepburn.)

There was Demi Moore in 1989, wearing what appeared to be Spandex bicycle shorts with a bustier and a long coat with a bustle and gold lining. Julia Roberts looked bra-less and too casual in an Armani slip dress in 1990, the year Michelle Pfeiffer and Jodie Foster looked polished in ensembles by the same designer. Don't forget Celine Dion in 1999, wearing a backwards white pantsuit designed by John Galliano. (Do try to forget the white fedora, if you can.) Then there was Charlize Theron in a stiff Dior gown with a bow on her shoulder that overwhelmed her well-coiffed head last year.

Not all surprising ensembles are faux pas, of course. Bjork's 2001 "dead swan" dress, designed by Marjan Pejoski, was widely mocked by the Los Angeles fashion press. But, as she explained to the Guardian, "They didn't get it. They actually thought I was trying to look like Jennifer Aniston and got it wrong."