Best performance by a dress in a supporting role

The movies come and go, but the dresses stay with us. For those who tune in on Oscar night not for the winners,

but for the fashion, here's a trip down Oscar's red-carpet memory lane.

Grace Kelly, 1955

Edith Head, who designed Kelly's costumes in "Rear Window," "To Catch a Thief" and her Oscar-winning turn in "The Country Girl" in 1955, created Kelly's Oscar dress, of gathered ice-blue satin with spaghetti straps. Head's long career as a costume designer included 35 Oscar nominations, eight wins — and what some describe as the loveliest Oscar dress of all time.

Uma Thurman, 1995 This ethereal lavender Prada gown bumped Thurman (nominated for "Pulp Fiction") into the fashion spotlight. Though the designer was then little-known outside of high-fashion circles, this dress stole the red-carpet show for its elegant, floaty simplicity in a sea of fussy gowns. The organza shawl makes Thurman look as if she's wrapped in a lovely cloud.

Marcia Gay Harden, 2001

When in doubt, match the red carpet. Harden channels Ava Gardner (whom she once played, in a 1992 TV movie) in this simple, strapless stunner from Randolph Duke. She won that year, for "Pollock"; presumably she breathed as well, though it's hard to tell how.

Charlize Theron, 2006 Love it or hate it, this dress made a statement. (Some thought it looked as if Theron had two heads.) Theron wore the bottle-green Christian Dior gown with unshakable confidence and managed to look quite striking — of course, if you're Charlize Theron, this isn't too hard. Let's hope she never had to look to the left, though.

Cher, 1987

After the S&M-with- a-Mohawk outfit she wore in 1986 (when she quipped, "As you can see, I did receive my Academy booklet on how to dress like a serious actress"), Cher was relatively subdued the year she won for "Moonstruck," in a sheer, beaded Bob Mackie gown with wrap and headdress. Well, subdued for Cher, that is.

Lizzy Gardiner, 1995 OK, this was truly awesome. Costume designer Gardiner, who won an Oscar for "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," accepted her award wearing a self-designed column dress made entirely of gold American Express cards: more than 200 of them, each bearing her name and an invalid authorization number. Their color matched the Oscar nicely.

Joanne Woodward, 1958 This strapless green satin gown is nice, but why does it get Woodward into our Hall of Fame? Because she made it herself, at her sewing machine, that's why — and an evening coat, too. Woodward won her Oscar that year for "The Three Faces of Eve," and also won the eternal admiration of anyone who's ever struggled with a pattern and bobbin.