Everyone’s got a lucky charm, a piece of clothing or jewelry, or a rabbit’s foot, they think will bring them luck in a tricky situation. We’ve heard many times how a male nominee is wearing “my lucky cufflinks;” a female nominee discussing her “lucky bracelet from my grandmother.” But the experts at Dalston Mills Fabrics, a London-based fabric seller, did a deep dive into which designer gowns–and which colors—were worn by the most female Oscar winners of Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.
Stylists and nominees: take note!
Wearing a black gown by Giorgio Armani or Valentino to the Academy Awards appears to be in sync with winning. Black may be the winning color (duh: it’s worn the most), but gold is a close second, with white coming in third. Sure, the votes are tallied before the gowns debut on the red carpet, but according to the study, wearing black could increase your odds by almost a third; 32 percent of nominees in those categories have won, going back in history. Think Cher in her sheer Bob Mackie gown in 1988 or Frances McDormand taking home her third Oscar in 2021, swathed in black Valentino. (Note both fashion houses are Italian).
So, if you wear a black Armani or Valentino, you’re chances are —well, you do the math. Reading this study will no doubt influence the dress choices of frontrunners Cate Blanchett, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Lee Curtis and Angela Bassett. (Both Blanchett and Yeoh donned black gowns at last weekend’s SAG Awards—Blanchett’s was by Armani—and she still didn’t win. Jamie Lee wore lipstick red; Angela Bassett wore California sunshine yellow. Curtis won.)
Thirteen percent of female winners in record history—the first Oscars were held in 1929—wore a variation on gold: Emma Stone in 2017 when she won for La La Land (that was Givenchy). Twelve percent have worn gowns in bright colors, the actual third luckiest color to wear at the Academy Awards is winter white. Back in 1954, when Audrey Hepburn took home Best Actress for Roman Holiday, she called her white Givenchy gown – based on a gown she wore in the movie – her “lucky dress.”
The fourth luckiest color? Blue. Green ranks fifth. So whoever’s considering yellow or pink right now (this spring’s hottest colors)—might want to look at other options.
The 92nd Academy Awards was an especially lucky year to wear Giorgio Armani, with both female winners in an acting category wearing Armani on the red carpet. Winner of Best Actress Renée Zellweger wore an Armani Privé white one-shouldered gown, while Laura Dern, winner of Best Supporting Actress, wore a pink Armani satin dress with a tasseled black upper. In recent years, Frances McDormand has won two Best Actress’ Oscars wearing Valentino. The most recent example is last year’s winner Ariana DeBose, who won her ‘Best Supporting Actress Oscar for West Side Story while dressed in Valentino.
Now, there are no stats to make us particularly trust Dalton Mills Fabric, the study is based on the long history of the Oscars.
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