Nicole Kidman wore Armani to the 2023 Oscars: surprisingly great?

Nicole Kidman only attended the Oscars as a presenter – she wasn’t in any of the nominated films or anything. I enjoy “presenter Nicole” – she comes out to have fun, and if you told me she took an edible or had a few shots before the Oscars carpet, I would believe you. Nicole wore Armani – this dress grew on me throughout the night and I ended up really liking it.

Rooney Mara in Alexander McQueen. What an awful dress in general, and specifically on Rooney. This is one of my picks for worst dress. I’m so tired of her washed-out BS.

Andrea Riseborough in Alexander McQueen. Well, she was certainly part of the bridal trend!

Embed from Getty Images

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Lanvin. I haaaated this too. Julia is a lovely, petite woman – it shouldn’t be this hard to find something flattering?

Eva Longoria in Zuhair Murad. Eva has this thing where she always looks exactly the same no matter what she’s wearing or how she’s styled. While this is a different silhouette than she usually prefers, it looks… the same as everything else she wears.

Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.

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62 Responses to “Nicole Kidman wore Armani to the 2023 Oscars: surprisingly great?”

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  1. SAS says:

    Nicole looks amazing!

    The thing I noticed most about Rooney’s look was her terrible posture. Audrey Hepburn would never, sweetie.

    I have the same dress blindness with Jessica Chastain. Yes, she’s always incredibly beautiful but you could re-post a look from any red carpet in the last 5 years and say it was from this Oscars and I wouldn’t blink.

    • Becks1 says:

      I loved nicole’s dress, she looked great!!

      “dress blindness” is a really good way to describe it. I do feel that way about Jessica Chastain and Amy Adams.

    • bananapanda says:

      I’m confused by Rooney – is she pregnant or standing weird? Also, in the theater she was wearing a cool red coat which you can see when Sarah Polly won best screenplay.

      • Smalltowngirl says:

        I looked up other pictures from last night and the dress definitely billows in the front. It is part design, but I also think it is possible she is pregnant. Her son is 2.5 now.

  2. Watson says:

    Nicole Kidman always knows how to show up for a red carpet. That woman knows how to dress. I’d say overall most of the woman last night turned it out from Fan bing bing to Hong chau, Tems to Rihanna.

    The rest of these ladies look ok, and arent hate worthy. There were far worse offerings!

    • Kitten says:

      She also has the perfect stature–tall with great posture– to show off a beautiful dress. She looks incredible.

      • Barbie1 says:

        I usually hate her lol but she looked gorgous. Really liked her hair.

      • Southern Fried says:

        Her wig game is the best, whether it’s full on or partial, idk the correct terms. Love her looks almost always.

      • Barbie1 says:

        I always forget she wears wigs. Hoping she is not half bald under there. Tragic for ladies.

      • Fabiola says:

        Nicole looked perfect. I love the dress and fit. Eva’s dress looked too big on her.

  3. greenmonster says:

    “I’m so tired of her washed-out BS.” I felt that descriptone so much!
    I had no intention to stay up late to watch the Red Carpet or the whole show, so I just looked at the photos this morning. I know the carpet itself is not helping but why are so many women wearing colors that wash them out? Makeup and hair was awful in some cases too. I’m also getting tired of bad shades of blonde on so many women.

  4. Mina_Esq says:

    I like Rooney’s dress. This was 100% styling fail. It needed painted nails and better makeup at the minimum.

    Nicole looks great because honestly her body is amazing and she is so pretty. Otherwise, it looks like she forgot to comb her hair and her dress is infected with cordyceps.

    • DouchesOfCornwall says:

      I’m not getting the dress. A poney tail to the train? was that intentional?

  5. FeedMeChips says:

    I honest to god thought I was looking at a picture of Avril Lavigne when I scrolled past the thumbnail so I will see myself out.

  6. Still In My Robe says:

    Nicole has gone so over-the-top with her face work the past couple of years that it’s hard to see anything else now whether she’s acting or on the red carpet. She wears a dress amazingly well always, but her hair and face look literally snapped onto her head. I don’t begrudge any woman the impetus to fight off aging in a very shallow industry, but it makes me so sad when it gets awkward to look at what was once a very pleasant face.

    • Chaine says:

      Yeah the utterly flat Botox forehead and eyebrows are something else. She looks perpetually angry. Same with Andi McDowell, if you have these straight unmoving eyebrows all the time you just look mean.

      • molly says:

        It’s better than the Surprise!! face she had for a few years, but yeah, she’s constantly messing with things. Always such a shame when beautiful women can’t seem to stop tinkering.

        (But her dress was amazing! She’s had some tragic dress misses, and this one was outstanding!)

    • Isabella says:

      She poses so beautifully, though, and really seems to love fashion. Oh, to wear this dress!

    • Severine says:

      I’m always shocked that Nicole has so much work done but NEVER fixes the crooked tip of her nose. Am I the only one who notices how screwed up the underside of her nose is? If anything she should get that fixed and let her face show some expression for a change. I miss her raw, pure glow and natural beauty in Days of Thunder.

  7. Erin says:

    I don’t think Eva looked the same, to me this was just straight up bad and I’ve seen her in much better dresses.

    • Josephine says:

      I thought it was bad as well – so, so dated and it looks like one of those dresses you buy in a Vegas “boutique”

    • kirk says:

      Eva’s dress looked like designer kept thinking ‘how about some more ribbon lines for visual interest’ and wound up with dress that’s competing with itself for focal point or overall theme.

      • North of Boston says:

        That’s a great way to put it. The ribbon, line elements were too much and wound up distracting from the silhouette and overall look. Even if just the bottom/skirt part was solid or just half as busy, it woul have been much better.

      • lucy2 says:

        I agree, it’s really overdone.

  8. Annalise/Typical Virgo says:

    I was just a kid but I remember when Nicole was still with Tom, and wore that legendary chartreuse dress (not sure of the designer, but leaning towards Chanel) with the gorgeous gold embroidery, bold jewelry (BIG chandelier earrings), red red lips, and her hair in a simple updo, presumably so as not to compete with all the other statement pieces, AND to show off the earrings. This must have been 30 years ago. I think that really kicked off Nicole’s reign as one of the most Fashionable Women Who Takes Risks On The Red Carpet. In my opinion, her dress here is ok, but her face is looking weirder and weirder to me every time I see her. it’s distracting.
    And I agree with the other commenter who said Rooney’s issue is that she is CHRONICALLY under-styled. I actually like her dress, it’s definitely Rooney, she always seems to go for delicate-looking vintage dresses that often have very pretty, unique and interesting details if you really look. BUT, someone give this girl some makeup!! please! I mean GEEZ! A red lip, with her pale skin and dark hair, would be STUNNING with this dress. And if I never have to see her wear her hair in that severe looking middle part pulled up into a bun of nothingness (or whatever it is, I couldn’t bear to look at it for very long) in the back of her head, it will be too soon. At least pull a few tendrils loose to soften it up! FGS!

    • HandforthParish says:

      It was a Dior dress back in the Galliano dress- whatver we think of the man, he had a run of amazing collections in the late 90s for Dior.
      One of the most memorable Oscar fashion moments for me.
      She looked glorious.

      • Kitten says:

        I remember Tom looking so small–like a tiny man accessory for Kidman. Nicole just GLOWED in that stunning dress, completely eclipsing Tom Cruise’s presence lol.

    • The Old Chick says:

      That Dior dress was glorious. Before she’d had too much work done as well. She looked stunning.

    • Ponchorella says:

      That Dior dress was one of my favorite looks on anyone ever!

  9. Lens says:

    I feel bad for the women who wore white. And there were a lot of them. They must not have known the awful white carpet and backdrop would completely wash them out. Only Eva popped a little – I guess because of her skin because she was showing a lot of boobage. Or maybe because it was so busy.

  10. L84Tea says:

    Eva’s dress is cut terribly. It’s got her frame all mashed up and stacked in wonky layers, so she looks all disproportionate.

    Nicole on the other hand, looks STUNNING.

  11. Giddy says:

    I understand what everyone is saying about Nicole, but she still looked fabulous IMHO. She looked like a star, and when she came on stage with that leg, she looked incredible. Add to that she and Keith seem happy, so good for her.

  12. MsIam says:

    Eva is wearing one of the worst looks I’ve seen. The rest are just meh.

  13. Tarte au Citron says:

    I just can’t with Rooney. I have grown to loathe severe center parting these days. It is the Oscars ffs, zhuzh it up!
    An updo. Do volume. Do some waves. Do something! That’s Zoom call WfH hair.

    • Barbie1 says:

      I loathed everything about her look. I feel like this is what she always does.

    • tealily says:

      Yes! I deep side part with some waves would have looked incredible here. Also a pinker cheek.

  14. ChillinginDC says:

    Does Rooney Mara hate color?

  15. Abby says:

    Nicole is a goddess and the only actual proper Hollywood star there, along with Samuel L Jackson.
    The rest were not dressed properly for their body types AT ALL or the dresses were just terrible. All that money and they’re blind to their own reflection in the mirror.
    Good on Nicole, the only one with taste.

  16. Gelya says:

    No to Nicole. I hate these big flowers on dresses. Mara dressed in a 19th century nightgown. To much 80’s bridal on Andrea. I told my husband that Julia’s dress made her look shorter. He was totally agreeing. I liked Eva’s dress. I do think it would have looked better on somebody else. It’s not a good dress for Eva. She is beautiful. She deserves a good dress.

  17. NMB says:

    Nicole’s outfit is amazing. She looks fantastic. Her face is…..typical Nicole Kidman face, but that is the best dress she’s worn in years.

  18. Maddie says:

    I loved Nicole’s dress. I also loved the joke that Jimmy told about her and the AMC movie theaters. Also a thought…I wonder if Tom Cruise didn’t show because he knew she would be there. I honestly don’t know if I have ever seen them in an awards room at the same time. If that’s the case I’m glad because he’s just awful

  19. Kirsten says:

    Nicole Kidman looked fantastic — the dress is so cool; this is the best red carpet look for her in a long time.

    I also loved Rooney’s dress — this is a softer look than she normally goes for, and I think she looked lovely.

  20. Whyforthelove says:

    Wow Nicole looked amazing! Rooney always looks like she wants to be invisible.

  21. Coco says:

    Nicole was do so well with laying off the Botox and filler and was looking so good. Now she seems to have went over bored on both.

  22. art maven says:

    Nicole looked good. I would have removed the flower details and cut a couple of inches off her hair. Her hair looks the best I’ve seen it in ages.

    Eva’s dress was unflattering and seemed to highlight her uneven breasts. I’m fine with uneven breasts, even delighted by them, but when she was on stage, I thought she lost some boob tape. I couldn’t unsee it.

  23. tealily says:

    I really wanted to brush Nicole’s hair for her though. I just looked like a heavy, itchy mess.

  24. lucy2 says:

    Nicole looks fantastic. It’s a little more of a rock vibe, and I like it.
    Rooney’s dress is so washed out.
    Eva’s has just too much going on. The skirt area is interesting, but the top is fighting it, and that is just…not a good look.

  25. THRILLHAUS says:

    So much about RM’s styli bc and overall presence just screams “latent eating disorder” to me. She always looks like she’s trying to disappear. (Source: am EDNOS in recovery, please don’t come at me!)

  26. QuiteContrary says:

    Nicole definitely looked like she’d enjoyed a few edibles LOL.

    I actually would have loved Rooney Mara’s gown in a deep lavender — any actual color. And without the pony tail train. The gown’s structure is otherwise lovely.

    • Jenn says:

      Somewhere I read the description “xannied out on the red carpet” and, although there is nothing funny about prescription pill abuse, I laughed in spite of myself. She definitely looked great and very… at ease, lol

  27. Xylo says:

    Yeah, Nicole heard there was a beige carpet and a bridal theme, and said “f*** that”. 😉

  28. Jessica says:

    Julia…yikes. She looks like she is going to the PTA fundraiser. This is the Oskuhs, darling.

    Eva is also a no for me. She has been wearing a lot of oversized pantsuits lately which have looked great, and then she wears this. Priyanka wore almost this exact same dress last year and I also didn’t like it then.

    Nicole..no on the dress and I can’t with her face anymore. I also miss her natural curly hair she used to wear on the red carpet. But…she understood the assignment last night and at least dressed like she was going to the Oscars.

    I am shocked you found a picture of Roona smiling. All the ones I saw of her..she had on a sad dress and a sad face and looked like she was going to an 18th century ghost funeral.

  29. Nuzzy says:

    I wanted to give a level to whoever taped Eva’s girls into her dress. Left was much higher than the right… or maybe the right one got unstuck and fell? Tricky dress, but you gotta get the girls right.

  30. HeyKay says:

    Nic Kidman makes me a little sad when I see her these days.
    She looked fine. The styling, hair, gown all fine.
    But she has done something to her face that leaves her looking waxy, or plastic or IDK.
    A different or shorter hairstyle maybe would have looked nicer.

    I never want to see Keith Urban slipping the tongue to anyone. Ever.

    Kidman in the “peak” years with her and Cruise at the Oscars, they were both at the height of their looks, popularity, upswing of their careers. For several years running she had The Best Star Power Look of the Oscars. And she and Tom were both only too happy to stand still, pose together, let a thousand lightbulb flashes go off and be stunning.
    Now she seems to be trying so so hard.

    JL-D looks like she is going to a low key garden party wedding, not the Oscars.

    Eva L. her dress looks 2 sizes too big.

  31. Hahaeffoff says:

    I thought that was maria Shriver. Lmao