Reese Witherspoon's Oscar Dress

Most Oscar nominees go all out when it comes to that final, iconic red carpet, but Reese Witherspoon went in a different direction in 2006.

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The actress, nominated for her musical turn as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line (2005), showed up in a silver tulle vintage Christian Dior, embellished with rose garland, eschewing the latest couture and custom-made gowns for something more suiting her style.

What’s even more remarkable, according to Reese, is that she found it at famed French couture reseller Didier Ludot’s Paris shop!

Now, before I continue, let me clarify that nobody really clarified when the gown was made. Reese and Christian Dior’s Archives both say 1957; Ludot says 1955, and there’s an advertisement from L’Officiel that backs it up. So if the year changes throughout, that’s why, I’m pulling from whoever’s speaking.

Ludot gave an interview to The New York Times in 2024—a year before he closed his shop permanently—and revealed that his favourite celebrity encounter was dealing with Reese ahead of the 2006 Oscars.

The story goes that Ludot wanted to keep the 1955 Christian Dior gown for himself, as he so admired the workmanship, and as he was putting it in his shop window, Reese’s team walked into the store and inquired about it.

He firmly told Reese’s team—though they’d only introduced themselves as representing a Hollywood actress, not her by name—that it wasn’t for sale, and when they persisted, gave a figure of around €35,000. They made a fitting appointment for Reese, and it fit her perfectly.

image via Pinterest

“This is the magic moment we live for! This couture ball gown was made to measure by Dior for an unknown woman. Fifty years later, another woman who wasn’t even born at the time, steps into the gown and it fits as if was made for her. It brought her luck, too, as she won an Oscar.”

After Reese purchased the gown, she brought it to Valentino’s atelier for the team there to fix up before the ceremony. The shoulders were adjusted to be more traditionally sat—the original dress had an off-the-shoulder structure—and she added a row of buttons to the centre of the bodice.

In 2020, Reese retweeted a tweet that asked “What’s an outfit you think about a lot?” and revealed that her Dior Oscar gown is the one she can’t stop thinking about.

“I have fallen in love with so many costumes over the years and I keep one from every movie. But one special dress stands out!

“My Oscar dress in 2006: it was a 1957 Christian Dior bought at a vintage store in Paris. So dreamy! ✨”