As the 82nd Annual Academy Awards and its famous red carpet roll around this Sunday (March 7), Intermission has compiled some of the best and worst Oscar looks of the past several years to help give you some perspective when judging this year’s attire.

BEST
Jennifer Garner, 2004 Valentino
In 2004, Jennifer Garner turned heads when she sauntered down the red carpet in this vintage goddess gown. It took 15 yards of taffeta, countless more yards of chiffon and over 300 hours of work from four couturiers to produce this exquisite, fiery orange creation from Valentino. The work certainly paid off. While vintage, the one-shouldered Valentino fit Garner like a glove. The “Electra” actress kept the rest of her appearance uncomplicated with a simple banged up-do and natural, peach-hued makeup that complemented her entire look.

Reese Witherspoon, 2007 Nina Ricci
In 2007, Reese Witherspoon was still coping with the dissolution of her seven-year marriage to Ryan Phillipe. What better way to make your ex eat his heart out than with this stunning, beautifully tinted Nina Ricci gown? The perfect fit, graduated deep amethyst and gentle waves were the perfect combination of subtle elegance. Witherspoon topped off the look with soft, natural make up and let down her blonde locks to contrast with the darker tone of her dress. Her chic, relaxed-glamour look was a far cry from the vintage Southern belle Dior gown she wore the previous year, when she won Best Lead Actress for “Walk the Line.” For Witherspoon, this Nina Ricci design was the ideal capper of a flawless red carpet season.

Michelle Williams, 2006 Vera Wang
Mustard yellow is not an easy color to pull off. Of all the pretty, sweeping romantic gowns of 2006, Michelle Williams one-upped them all with the bold hue of her sophisticated Vera Wang. She was a splash of color among the sea of the more neutral, muted shades of her peers. Confidently strutting the red carpet with then-paramour Heath Ledger, Williams left no doubt in anyone’s minds that her “Dawson’s Creek” days were far in the past. The “Brokeback Mountain” actress was here to stay.

RUNNER UP
Anne Hathaway, 2009 Armani Priveskirt
Although still a relative newcomer to the red carpet, Anne Hathaway is quickly sealing her status as a fashion icon with gorgeous turns like this sterling number she wore to last year’s Oscars, where she received her first nomination for Best Lead Actress in “Rachel Getting Married.” The dazzling sparkle and fit of her dress, as well as her classy chignon, make us excited for what Hathaway pulls next.

WORST
Gwyneth Paltrow, 1999 Ralph Lauren
The dress is not necessarily ugly. However, the Oscars are all about the glitz and glamour. People tune in to ogle extravagant dresses they can only dream of, not to see a cheap Pepto-Bismol confection they could easily see on a rack at Macy’s or at any generic high school prom in the country. On top of that, Paltrow could have at least gotten a prom dress that wasn’t so ill fitting. With all the extra saggy space in the bosom, Paltrow could have stuffed it with the Oscar she won that night for Best Lead Actress in “Shakespeare in Love.”

Tilda Swinton, 2008 Lanvin
Sure Tilda Swinton’s black Lanvin contraption was supposed to be an avant-garde, fashion-forward choice. Maybe it was too fashion-forward for the masses, but really now, did she just stop by a dumpster on her way to the Oscars to pick up this shapeless, garbage bag? Neither her black attire nor blistering red hair was particularly flattering with her pale complexion. She looked like the alien cousin of Oscar the Grouch. The only thing more painful than this look was her tribute later that night to George Clooney’s nipples during her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress in “Michael Clayton.”

ON THE FENCE
Bjork, 2001 Marjan Pejoski
You know this dress. The infamous swan dress Bjork wore to the 2001 Oscars. It’s impossible to forget, and therein lays its brilliance. The Marjan Pejoski creation has become a fixture in the pop culture consciousness after being spoofed in countless comedy sketches and Halloween costumes. Is it a clever subversion of Oscar’s tradition of lavish glamour or simply the most horrid feathered monstrosity to ever waddle down the Kodak Theater’s hallowed red carpet? You decide.