These Romantic Red Gowns at the 2021 Academy Awards Won the Red Carpet — See Arrival Photos

While most of us have only gotten more and more accustomed to wearing our trusty lounge sets at home, it’s clear that this past year’s lockdown has only made celebrities more ready than ever to strut their stuff in designer clothing. In an unexpected move, the Oscars chose to enforce a formal dress code, ensuring that all of the famous folks were dressed to the nines (sorry, Jason Sudeikis — no hoodie allowed!). But this year’s nominees and presenters have risen to the challenge for the 2021 Academy Awards and we’re surprised by how much we’re loving some of these red carpet looks — especially those that went with a romantic red gown to match.

Of course, celebrities have never needed an excuse to dress up in high-end jewelry and floor-length gowns. The Oscars are basically Hollywood’s prom — and you better believe that everyone is looking to be crowned prom King and Queen. While this year’s red carpet is actually a pleasant pink (at least at its Los Angeles locations), there’s something about the drama of a ruby red gown that many of these nominees just couldn’t resist, and we don’t blame them.

From Viola Davis’ cutout white custom Alexander McQueen to Carey Mulligan’s dazzling metallic gold Valentino Couture look, check out all of arrival photos from our most dearly-missed tradition: the celebrity red carpet, no Zoom involved at all.