Vintage Oscar

Oh, for the good old days, when the stars were let loose without a stylist to help them dress for the Oscars. Here's the nearly-naked dress Cher chose in 1987. A model appeared in it at a fashion show of vintage Oscar gowns staged by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills on Jan. 30, 2007. Keep clicking to see more from the show.

A Red Carpet Parade

To many Oscar fans, what the actresses wear on the red carpet is at least as important as who wins, and it's often more memorable. Here, a model wears the Vera Wang gown Keira Knightley wore to wow the crowd in 2006. It was brought out of the closet for a fashion show of gowns from Oscars past at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills on Jan. 30, 2007.

A Red Carpet Parade

Fashion Winner — GETTY IMAGES/Vince Bucci

Here's Keira Knightley in the gown, arriving at the 78th Annual Academy Awards on March 5, 2006. She was nominated for Best Actress for her performance in "Pride & Prejudice."

A Red Carpet Parade

Jennifer Garner wore this dramatic dress on the red carpet in 2004. A model wore it during a fashion show at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills on Jan. 30, 2007.

A Red Carpet Parade

In 1995, actress Sharon Stone made fashion headlines by throwing on an old Gap T-shirt and a skirt for her trip down the red carpet. A model wore the outfit during a fashion show at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills on Jan. 30, 2007.

A Red Carpet Parade

Halle Berry wore this super-glamorous Elie Saab gown on the red carpet in 2001. It was revived for a fashion show at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills on Jan. 30, 2007.

A Red Carpet Parade

Renee Zellweger wore this sleek red gown to the Oscars in 2005. Here, a model wears it on the runway during a fashion show at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills on Jan. 30, 2007.

A Red Carpet Parade

Legendary Hollywood costumer Edith Head created three of the gowns featured at the "Celebration of Oscar Fashion" in Beverly Hills on Jan. 30, 2007. Head wore this embroidered, cream-colored strapless dress to the 1959 Academy Awards, where she celebrated her 15th costume-design nomination.

A Red Carpet Parade

A model shows off the seemingly see-through sequined pantsuit designed by Arnold Scaasi and worn by Barbra Streisand to the 1969 Oscar show. More than two dozen red-carpet contributions were recognized on Jan. 30, 2007, at the film academy headquarters with "A Celebration of Oscar Fashion," a retrospective of iconic Oscar wear.

A Red Carpet Parade

Julia Roberts wore this black-and-white vintage Valentino in 2001 when she won the Best Actress Oscar for "Erin Brockovich." It was among the fashions on display at the 2007 Oscar Fashion Preview at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills on Jan. 30, 2007.

A Red Carpet Parade

Other timeless looks on display included Carol Channing's 1968 rhinestone-encrusted Oscar gown, which weighs 50 pounds, according to event curator Andre Leon Talley of Vogue magazine. Channing won the Best Supporting Actress award that year for "Thoroughly Modern Millie."

A Red Carpet Parade

Not every memorable dress dress made its way down the runway. A few of the more fragile creations - including costume designer Lizzie Gardiner's one-of-a-kind minidress made from American Express Gold Cards - were modeled by mannequins.

A Red Carpet Parade

Two gowns worn by Oscar winner Charlize Theron made it on the runway. Here's the jeweled nude sheath she wore when she won best actress for "Monster" in 2004.

A Red Carpet Parade

The following year, Theron wore this ice blue tulle dress designed by John Galliano for Dior Haute Couture. It was among the memorable gowns shown at the 2007 Oscar Fashion Preview at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills on Jan. 30, 2007.

A Red Carpet Parade

It's not vintage, but among the chosen for the Oscar fashion retrospective was the bright marigold Vera Wang gown worn by best supporting actress nominee Michelle Williams in 2006.

A Red Carpet Parade

Wearing the periwinkle chiffon gown that Elizabeth Taylor wore to the 42nd Academy Awards on April 7, 1970 (it matched her eyes), a model struts down the runway during "A Celebration of Oscar Fashion," the standing-room-only event presenting gowns worn by nominees, winners and presenters at the Academy Awards over the years, on Jan. 30, 2007.

A Red Carpet Parade

Looking pretty in pink, a model shows off the princess dress made for Gwyneth Paltrow by designer Ralph Lauren for the 1999 Oscars, when she won the Best Actress award for "Shakespeare in Love."

A Red Carpet Parade

Hilary Swank's midnight-blue backless gown from 2005 is modeled during the private show of gowns from Oscars past at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills on Jan. 30, 2007. Vogue magazine's Andre Leon Talley, the curator of the event, called the gown "one of the great Oscar dresses."

A Red Carpet Parade

Oscar producer Laura Ziskin and Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Tally are surrounded with models after a fashion show at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 30, 2007. Asked what he expects at this year's show, Tally said: "I think you're going to see a return to glamour that you would associate with old school Hollywood of the '50s."