After going through all those black, gray, and beige gowns, I’m ready for some color! Here are my top 16 vibrantly-colored gowns of the ’00s, seeded, like those in the Neutral Division, according to both design and the fame of the wearer. As before, click the images to see larger versions. And my bracket’s located below the gown pics.

Color Division Rankings

1. Halle Berry, 2002

Elie Saab

Best Actress Winner, Monster’s Ball

This dress presents a quadruple threat: it was a) worn by Halle  Berry b) for her emotional Best Actress win c) on the historic night when two black actors first won Best Actor and Best Actress in the same year, and d) it’s absolutely gorgeous. Not to mention unique. Its strategically-placed embroidery, sheathlike silhouette showcasing Berry’s perfect figure, and lush train of burgundy silk make this the gown to beat in this division.

2. Hilary Swank, 2005

Guy LaRoche

Best Actress Winner, Million Dollar Baby

Swank gets huge points for originality with this midnight-blue gown that made her back the focal point. The front is clingy as a catsuit, sparing this long-sleeved number from getting too nunlike, while plenty of artful draping add interests. And when Swank turned around — wham! — the audience got an eyeful of rarely-bared yet still alluring skin.

3. Kate Winslet, 2002

Ben Lisi

Nominated for Best Actress for Iris

Here Winslet puts a flowery spin on the one-shoulder trend, choosing a fairylike spray of flowers in lieu of a strap. This simple and winsome touch makes her run-of-the-mill (if lovely) red gown a contender. Whether those flowers can take the gown past some of the more unique and memorable creations on this list, though, remains to be seen.

5. Hilary Swank, 2000

Randolph Duke

Winner, Best Actress for Boys Don’t Cry

After seeing Swank play a girl credibly passing as a boy in Boys Don’t Cry, it was almost a shock to see her looking so fresh and feminine at the ‘00 Oscars. Swank has the air of a countess in this full-skirted, lavish, silken number. The olive color was an unusual and striking choice that, I think, made the dress work: Imagine it in a pale neutral instead. Pretty, yes; memorable, no.

6. Kate Winslet 2007

Valentino

Nominated, Best Actress for Little Children

Winslet is every inch the goddess in this mint-colored Valentino, which merges Old Hollywood glam with the “toga” trend current in ‘07. It flatters her statuesque figure, and the single shoulder strap calls attention to her face and sleek updo. The streamer in back adds an elegant touch. And, as with Swank’s ‘00 dress, color makes the gown: what would have been blah in white shimmers in green.

7. Gwyneth Paltrow, 2007

Zac Posen

Presenter

Paltrow rocked the geometry in ‘07: This dress is all about the intersection of pleats, triangles, and crisscrossing lines. She looks modern, chic, and confident, like someone who’s finally found her own style. The muted orange flatters her pale skin tone and is much in keeping with her Zen-by-way-of-Whole Foods persona.

8. Marcia Gay Harden, 2001

Randolph Duke

Winner, Best Supporting Actress for Pollock

Bombshell is the word that leaps to mind when viewing Harden in this daring red strapless gown. It’s very vintage and very Marilyn. Though the fit perhaps could be better, especially around the hips, Harden still strikes quite a figure in the sleek dress, with a shawl wrapped around her elbows for added elegance.

9. Keira Knightley, 2007

Vera Wang

Nominated, Best Actress for Pride and Prejudice

Here it’s all about the luscious burgundy silk of this gown, yards and yards of it, beautifully flounced and folded and pleated. The design, in fact, may be a little on the weak side, especially that shoulder strap/panel thingy, but it’s still a great look and color for Knightley. Elizabeth Bennet would have approved.

9. Reese Witherspoon, 2007

Nina Ricci

Presenter

Witherspoon loves purple and blue shades, and no wonder: They highlight her fair skin and bring out her blue eyes. This dress, with its layers of subtly-different shades, was one of her best blue-hued choices. Its swirled skirt is both modern and girly, an apt fit for her likeable, girl-next-door persona. The (chiffon?) fabric is also an unusual choice that adds texture and interest to the gown.

11. Renee Zellweger 2001

Lily et Cie

Host, Technical Awards Banquet

This fun, flirty dress in a unusual canary shade helped put Zellweger on the map. It looks comfortable, as if it’s something she just threw on, but in an elegant, relaxed way. The color brings out her hair, and that draping in the front is intriguing: is it a flounce or train? Plus, the little-seen sweetheart neckline adds to the dress’s charm.

12. Salma Hayek, 2005

Prada

Presenter

Hayek shone in this deep blue gown with carefully-placed black accents. The form-fitting dress with its plunging neckline showcased her famous figure, while its black bands and straps added shape and structure.  The sheen of the silk was lovely, especially in the gathered train, though perhaps that train could have been better-placed: It cuts Hayek off at the knees, making her look shorter than she is.

13. Katherine Heigl, 2008

Escada

Presenter

Though I’m not loving the wannabe Marilyn hair and lipstick, otherwise Heigl is a knockout in red Escada. Here’s how to do goddess right: with a couple of modern touches (like that neat circular shoulder) and a lot of classic glam (that sensuously flowing skirt). This is a minimalist dress that relies on cut and color for its impact — no extraneous frills or “interesting” pieces-for-the-sake-of-pieces here — and it works beautifully.

14. Charlize Theron, 2000

Vera Wang

Presenter

Here Theron works a hard-to-pull-off color: terracotta. It’s a great match with her glowing, slightly freckled tan, and her blondish-brown hair color. Totally 30’s, the clinging column ends in a cunning, subtly-scalloped swirl around Theron’s feet. The dress may be a little too clingy for its own good, though, and the silver clips are a mite distracting.

15. Laura Linney, 2001

Valentino

Nominated, Best Actress for The House of Mirth

At first glance only a column, albeit in a stunning shade of red, this dress has several surprises in store: a smart crisscrossed back, and a flowing, ethereal train. Its lines accentuate Linney’s long, lithe figure, while the teensy straps and high neckline show off her shoulders. The red shade itself makes a nice contrast with her fair skin and blonde hair.

16. Jennifer Garner 2004

Valentino

Host, Technical Awards Banquet

Garner is smashing in a little-seen color: orange. While I love the shade and the overskirt, which hints at Renaissance gowns, I’m not crazy about how the draping calls attention to her waist.