Meryl Streep’s Best Red Carpet Fashion Moments, In Honor of Her New Vogue Cover

Since she made a name for herself at age 28 with her critically acclaimed turn in Julia, Meryl Streep has had plenty of practice on the red carpet. Much like her performances, her style never misses. During her 40-some years in the public eye, the Academy Award–winning actress, who covers this month’s issue of Vogue, has gravitated toward wardrobe classics that seem to only get better with age, like fluid, full-skirted gowns and sharply tailored jackets done in a neutral color palette that allows her to hold the spotlight. In other words, you won’t find any body-conscious silhouettes or overly busy prints in her red carpet fashion repertoire.

When she does take risks, she executes it in a way that feels more causal-cool than contrived: see the blue jeans and menswear-inspired blazer she wore to the 1984 premiere of The River Wild. She topped off the jacket with an oversize flower brooch, a detail she would later bring back in 2006 while promoting The Devil Wears Prada, only this time it turned up on the collar of a ruffled button-down that recalled her bohemian early days. She’s continued to keep things fresh thanks in part to this keen understanding of extras, be it a well placed statement belt or an eye-catching set of earrings—even throwing in a pair of tinted glasses now and again just for fun. Her shoulders may be her best fashion accessory; she’s made off-the-shoulder necklines a signature at the Academy Awards, most memorably with the filmy gold number she wore when she took home the trophy for The Iron Lady. It’s always a look best paired with an Oscar.

Here, in honor of her newest Vogue cover, a look back at Streep’s red carpet wins throughout the years.

Meryl Streep Talks to Anna Wintour About Her New Movie, Harvey Weinstein, and Her Most Challenging Role (No, Not That One)