In the sea of vintage white dresses that celebrities have worn over the years, few are as memorable as the one Winona Ryder wore to the 1994 Oscars. She had earned her first-ever nomination The Age of Innocence, and chose a now-iconic vintage flapper-style dress, sourced from Lily et Cie. It was a bold, slightly avant-garde choice for the era, especially when you consider that Ryder likely had dozens of designers begging to dress her that year in gowns that hadn’t even hit the runway yet. But, ever the trendsetter, she chose something from the archives. She knew, even at 22, that you can’t go wrong with good vintage. It’s timeless, and for an event you want to cherish forever — like your first Oscars as a nominated actress or maybe even your own wedding — timeless is the way to go.
Ryder’s 1994 Oscars dress is the ultimate argument for wearing vintage on special occasions, like, say, your wedding. We’ve all seen photos of “bad” ‘80s wedding dresses, but they’re not actually bad. They’re just frozen in time. Of course, that can be sweet and nostalgic in its own way, but wouldn’t it be incredible if your wedding dress holds up 50 years from now? Going vintage in a way that connects with your own personal style all but confirms this will happen. These 11 vintage white dresses, below, are shining examples of how a pre-loved item can absolutely steal the show.