The 98th Academy Awards red carpet had it all – feathered frocks, dazzling gowns, and plenty of super-racy looks. We are, of course, talking about Gwyneth Paltrow’s Giorgio Armani Privé ensemble when we mention the raciness.
The 2026 Oscars, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 15th, also featured appearances from celebs showing off their super-impressive weight loss transformations. Melissa McCarthy was one, flaunting her epic 95-lb weight loss in a striking embellished gown. And Kathy Bates is another noticeably-slimmer star whose red carpet appearance we can’t stop thinking about!
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Kathy Bates Flaunts Her 100-Lb Weight Loss In Custom Vera Wang Couture Dress At The Oscars
The 77-year-old Hollywood icon – who won the Best Actress Oscar back in 1991 for her unforgettable role in Misery – embraced color and sparkle with her custom Vera Wang Haute Couture mermaid dress.
The gown came in a stunning almost powder-blue shade and featured long sleeves, crystal embellishments on the bust, and a fabulous skirt with perfect movement as she floated along the red carpet. Her hair was styled in an Old Hollywood-inspired glamorous look, which only added to the wow factor.
As per the official Vera Wang Instagram page, the Matlock star wore a "custom gray washed teal Italian silk duchesse mermaid gown with a portrait neckline and adorned with a degradé of 1000 Swarovski crystals sewn by hand." Wow!
How Did Kathy Bates Lose 100 Lbs.?
The Titanic alum's weight loss has been a hot topic of conversation for a few years – and she has never been shy about discussing it. She previously said that her transformation took six to seven years to achieve, crediting changes to her diet and exercise for the first 80 lbs. She then explained that the final 20 lbs. were lost with the help of Ozempic.
"It's helped me tremendously that, over the last six or seven years, I've lost 100 lbs. I don't think I've been this slim since I was in college," Bates previously told Variety. We love her honesty!
She also told People: "There's been a lot of talk that I just was able to do this because of Ozempic. But I have to impress upon people out there that this was hard work for me, especially during the pandemic. It's very hard to say you've had enough."
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Fans Praise Kathy Bates' Oscars Look
Fans were full of praise for her look on Instagram. "Absolutely stunning!" exclaimed one fan, followed by fire and hand-clapping emojis. "This is how a REAL QUEEN shows up to the red carpet! Young ladies…take note!" the same fan added.
"OMG she looks stunning!" agreed a second, followed by the heart-eyes emoji, as a third said she was "classy" and a fourth said she was "so beautiful," followed by the blue heart emoji.
"She looks fab! Great color for her," gushed a fifth, as a sixth said she was "gorgeous," followed by the fire emoji, and a seventh said she was "spectacular," followed by the fire and blue heart emojis. "Perfection," praised an eighth.
"Now that's the glamour we need, gorgeous," raved a ninth, followed by the heart-eyes emoji, as a tenth declared: "This is THE best she has ever looked on the red carpet. Absolutely stunning. Hair and makeup is perfect. Gown is gorgeous!"
"LORD HAVE MERCY! Kathy Bates looks [expletive] INCREDIBLE," an eleventh chimed in, alongside the fire and heart-eyes emojis.
