Renée Zellweger's Best & Worst Red Carpet Outfits Of All Time

Renée Zellweger has spent over two decades embodying everyone's favorite wine-swigging, diary-writing, tragically relatable heroine, Bridget Jones. Audiences have been right there with her for the journey and, as she returns to the role for a fourth time, the nostalgia is real. Along with Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor and rising star Leo Woodall of "One Day" and "The White Lotus" fame, "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy" is reopening the book on one of our most beloved romcom idols.

Much like Bridget's relentless pursuit of love (and a functioning fax machine), Zellweger's red carpet history has had its flashes of undeniable brilliance, but also a few fashion choices that belong in the same category as blue soup and inappropriate Christmas jumpers. To borrow a turn of phrase from the character herself, it is a truth universally acknowledged that when one outfit starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces. As the world welcomes Bridget back, it's the perfect time to look at Zellweger's style journey.

With a dress that shimmered like champagne bubbles, Renée Zellweger's ensemble for the 2008 Oscars ceremony certainly got our seal of approval. A devoted Carolina Herrera muse, she chose a strapless silver gown drenched in shimmering beadwork. The intricate embellishments gave the dress a liquid-metal effect, pooling into a soft train that floated behind her. She kept the styling sharp, opting for pointed metallic pumps, as the tantalizing thigh-high slit and inspiring celebrity pixie cut added drama in all the right places. After years of red carpet dominance, she still knew how to surprise.

But not every red carpet moment is a triumph. Zellweger's appearance at Elle magazine's 2014 Women in Hollywood bash is proof that even A-listers have their off days. The black dress, with its swirling sheer paneling and awkwardly structured sleeves felt, well, jarring. Granted, the figure-hugging design was a classic choice for the "Bridget Jones" actress — and typically, we do love an iconic, versatile celebrity LBD – but the overall effect here was underwhelming.

Unfortunately, the dress wasn't the only thing that missed the mark that night. The outfit was tied to a particularly brutal moment in her career: Instead of celebrating her contributions to the industry, many fixated on her appearance. The relentless scrutiny took its toll, leading Zellweger to therapy and, ultimately, a diagnosis of depression. As she reflected to Vulture, "When you learn that your skin is not quite as thick as you need it to be, what is that gonna feel like? Well, now I know. I got the hardest kick. And it ain't the end."

When Renée Zellweger took to the red carpet to collect her second Academy Award in 2020, this time for "Judy," she did so in a breathtaking Giorgio Armani Privé dress. The asymmetrical shape clung to her figure beautifully, quickly becoming one of her finest looks to date. The comprehensive beading gave it a soft, luminous glow under the camera flashes and stage lights. Zellweger likes to champion minimalist allure, and later reflected on the choice to British Vogue, saying, "The construction was remarkable. I felt like myself in that dress. Elegant, understated."

At first glance, Renée Zellweger's 2005 Oscars gown seems like a showstopper. The strapless red Carolina Herrera design, complete with a dramatic fishtail and contrasting white trim, had all the makings of a memorable high-fashion spectacle. And memorable it was — just not for the reasons one might expect.

A year after winning her first Academy Award, Zellweger returned to the ceremony to present Best Supporting Actor to Morgan Freeman. But behind the scenes, her night unraveled into a Bridget-worthy blunder. She later recalled to British Vogue that as she was leaving the event, someone accidentally stepped on the train of her dress whilst she kept walking, causing it to rip right off from beneath her. As if that weren't enough, the wardrobe malfunction led to an even greater fiasco: "There were parties and things afterwards, but I needed to go home and do a little bit of a costume change," she explained. Unfortunately, she hadn't brought her house key. This left her with no choice but to scale her balcony and climb through the bathroom window — still wearing the shredded dress. "With a hole under my booty," she laughed.

Renée Zellweger wowed us all with her racy little number for the 1999 Oscars ceremony. Donning mauve satin by L'Wren Scott, she boasted old-world opulence whilst pulling off the sultry sheen of maximalist millennium style. The high neckline was embroidered with intricate gold detailing, as the slinky satin fabric and fringe hemline kept it firmly in the red carpet trends of the day. As was common for the time, she kept additional attention to detail to a minimum — just a gold beaded clutch and delicate jewelry. The entire ensemble feels delightfully nostalgic today, but it's one we'd love to see her resurrect for a modern red carpet revival.

At the Hollywood Film Awards in 2019, Renée Zellweger accepted the Hollywood Actress award for her transformative turn as Judy Garland in "Judy." For the occasion, she opted for sleekly defined sophistication, arriving in an arresting black midi by A.W.A.K.E. Mode with a dramatic oversized collar. We loved this look for the sculptural contours it brought to the otherwise simple cut.

Paired with classic black court heels, David Webb jewelry, and a graceful updo hairstyle, the look brilliantly balanced power with polish. It was exactly the kind of refinement her stylist, Petra Flannery, aimed to maintain. "Renée has this elegance about her, and her style persona has remained classic, timeless, and chic," she told Vogue. "It was up to me to continue that, to bring a modern edge through different silhouettes and colors, but maintain that feeling." Here's hoping for more.