Fashion-wise, there were some great looks, a handful of daring looks, but very little I'd consider truly awful. That's good news, I suppose. Let's dig in to the thrills, chills and blahs.
BEST DRESSED
I had never seen Ana de Armas before Knives Out, when I then learned she's one of the next Bond girls. I imagine this custom Ralph & Russo sparkly night sky dress, paired with an absolutely flawless selection of jewelry and red lip, was a great introduction for anyone who didn't know her name yet. A great first showing!
Unless you watched "The Politician" or her cute Netflix romantic comedy with Glen Powell, Zoey Deutch (daughter of Lea Thompson) probably is not on your radar. But in this beautiful canary Fendi jumpsuit, she should be. She gives great face, and the necklace is a perfect choice.
P.S. I thought it was a gown and it's a jumpsuit, which feels very David Bowie-esque and also shocking and also, I like it? What's happening.
Cate Blanchett looks 100% like a queen from an alien planet who romances Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: Next Generation in this Mary Katrantzou gown and I'm here for it! First of all, Cate historically looks amazing in butter yellow. Second, she somehow just knows the exact right way to style and carry couture details like a beaded bustier with a necklace-to-nowhere and billowing micropleated wings that look like the filter inside your hair dryer. It looks regal when it should look silly and I love her for it.
Kirsten Dunst has been in the game for so long and has had some really great red carpet slays over time, but this Rodarte is one of her best! That cotton candy lavender-pink was everywhere at this year's show, and flattered everyone. This has slight Ginger Rogers vibes that make you want to see her twirl and tap and fall in love.
Dakota Fanning also look sweetly angelic in her lavender-pink princess gown by Dior Haute Couture. This is what you wear to bag a prince, slay a dragon and dance a waltz.
Billy Porter continues to raise the bar and take typically staid men's fashion to new heights. An Alex Vinash suit with a feathered train? Why the hell not. He had to have handlers carry his train down the red carpet and there's something so delightful about how that upends all of our expectations.
Sandy B. didn't walk the red carpet, which is a shame because I'd love a closer look at this mustard moire ruffled gown that could be something from Queen Victoria's court if not accessorized brilliantly with dressed-down shaggy hair and gold chain necklaces.
Twenty-year-old Joey King can't blame us if we think she's still a tween, but she's helped us along by showing up in this very sophisticated Iris Van Herpen gown just on the right side of daring. I personally love Iris Van Herpen's M.C. Escher-esque optical illusions and always wish more people would wear her creations on the red carpet, but I didn't expect it from little Joey King (forever in my mind).
I will always have a weakness for a fancy tweed suit, but most especially when worn with such irreverent panache as Phoebe Waller-Bridge. This one is by Ralph & Russo and felt like it perfectly suited her personality, in addition to being impeccably tailored.
Saoirse Ronan wore this sexy, slinky sparkler that gives me serious 90's Jodie Foster and Armani collaboration vibes. I wish the bodice fit just a little better and I will not lie, I liked last year's sparkly dress a little more, but her overall look was classic.
This little scene-stealing nugget Julia Butters (of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) wore a surprisingly chic spin on the fluffy little girl princess dress by Mischka Aoki that she WORKED up and down the carpet. She was having more fun than anybody.
I don't even know the name of this color...neon lilac? Hot purple pink? I don't need to know the color to know it was made to be worn by Priyanka Chopra-Jonas. It's a classic Marilyn Monroe silhouette by Prada that could be boring in a more neutral shade, but really pops and feels true to the classic Indian color palette.
I feel like I've been on a real red carpet rollercoaster with Scarlett, but when she feels like turning up the Big Movie Star dial, she really can kill it. This scarlet (ahem) Calvin Klein gown is arguably one of my favorite looks she's ever worn, and her make-up and diamonds were timeless.
Not going to lie, it's entirely possible Nicole Kidman has worn this exact red Atelier Versace gown before and just pulled it out of the back of the closet leaving none of us the wiser. When you just deliver slam dunk after slam dunk, they start to run together in our collective minds. This isn't earth-shattering, but it's perfectly tailored, expertly accessorized and joins the canon of great Nicole Kidman Lady in Red moments.
I have to imagine this deep aubergine beaded and fringed Michael Kors gown on Rachel Brosnahan was stunning in person. On camera, it feels like the color gets a little lost, but I like that she rolled the dice on an unexpected shade and accented it with a deep red lip.
This is a classic Naomi Watts look: simple, yet edgy silhouette, lots of shine, gunmetal gray. She knows what works for her, and this Armani Prive was SO SPARKLY on camera that I gasped in my living room. I like that she has a signature style, but she switches it up enough that I never get bored with it.
What a fun and youthful big graphic gown by Valentino! I love that Kaitlyn Dever chose something kooky with a big impact. The silhouette looks turn-of-the-last-century, but the flowers have the graphic quality of a Marimekko print.
Three cheers for unexpected color, volume in the right places and a perfect fit on that bodice. Isla Fisher almost always delivers.
BEST WORST
I'll give her this: J.Lo is thoroughly unpredictable and chameleon-like. Just when you expect her to show up in some sexy, form-fitting Versace number, she comes in what I believe may actually be an early 90's Holiday Barbie gown by Valentino. If more is more, this is the most and even if I didn't love it, I don't know...do I love it? What I will always love is her chutzpah.
Likely image on J.Lo's Vision Board
This girl right here. Only Gwyneth can show up in what might be a couture interpretation of Princess Leia's bikini, with her butt cheeks hanging out, accessorized with a diamond necklace UNDER a high neckline and look effortlessly glam. This Fendi is the color of poo or sea muck and she's somehow glowing? Truly admire how she's always challenging us.
Few men could look as happy and frankly confident in a burgundy ruffled, wide-lapel tux than Wesley Snipes. He seemed to be positively radiating fun in a tux that would be such an epic misfire on nearly anyone else.
GOOD
Cinderella blue is always a winning shade, and this Armani Prive on Renee Zellweger is lovely in its modernity and simplicity ... but perhaps a touch snoozy. Still, it's very much in keeping with her past red carpet runs and a return to form for someone who used to routinely grace Best Dressed lists.
Reese has decided in recent years to adopt almost a uniform of sorts, frequently choosing simple silhouettes, solid colors (often neutrals), and a little frippery to give it some little something. There were some fun details on this Roland Mouret, including a gold zipper and a bias strap in the back, plus I'm digging her choppy bob. But I do have a hankering to see her play a bit more with textures and silhouettes the way she used to.
This ruby sparkler by Monique Lhuillier is maybe one of my favorite dresses Busy has ever worn. The shade is so deep, the fit is so good, her hair and stack of bracelets give it a casual air that feels very on brand.
I loved this deep navy Oscar de la Renta gown on Beanie Feldstein so much! I have one wish and it would be slightly less accessorizing. She wore somewhat kooky flower earrings AND a braided velvet headband AND a really bold winged eye and it just felt like a lot.
I saw a bit of chatter on Twitter about Charlize Theron's "horrible" lime and mesh gown and really prepared myself for like, a lizard costume, and then saw this and it's perfectly lovely! Is it my favorite Dior gown ever? Nah. Is it interesting enough and not boring? Yah! The necklace was a real winner.
I'm sure some people hated this graphic geometric Balmain dress on Shailene Woodley, but it has a Bob Mackie for Cher vibe that I can get behind. It's interesting and different and modern, and feels like she may bust out "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" any moment.
Many people LOVED Cynthia Erivo's custom Thom Browne beaded tuxedo gown and I wish I could explain why I merely liked it. As tuxedo riffs go, this is excellent, but something is missing for me to vault it into my "best." I think it feels a little Sister Act in Vegas?
This Altuzarra is one of the better overall looks I've ever seen on Kerry Washington, and yet it still isn't a perfect ten. The satin skirt did what satin skirts do, which is wrinkle and look generally messy. But I like the simplicity and the impact of just a sexy chain and a red lip. I cannot WAIT to see her in Little Fires Everywhere.
The details are great on Christina Applegate's sparkly striped column Pamela Rolland dress that is so classic, and looks like something Liza Minelli would wear in the 70s. Just hand her a bowler hat and a cane and she's ready to do a Fosse number.
Another classic red gown for a classic gal! Lauren Graham always exudes the same gumption of an Old Hollywood star like Rosalind Russell, so a tailored, red ruffled gown like this Azzi & Osta that looks like something out of a Turner Classic Movie seems just right.
Listen, this Tom Ford dress is something we've all seen (probably at least three times on Reese) but the subtle details, including the beaded band of white against sumptuous black velvet and Rachel Weisz's fantastic smokey eye and tousled waves, still made this one of the better gowns.
Is this the best of the night? Far from it. Is that pilgrim belt maybe too much? Definitely. Is this arguably one of the best ensembles Amy has EVER worn and close to a career best? YES! Amy struggles mightily with a tendency toward being adventurous in all the wrong ways, choosing frumpy silhouettes and just generally hiding her fabulousness, but this is a step in the right direction.
Laura Dern channeled Topanga Canyon Stevie Nicks vibes in this gilded floral Saint Laurent gown. It feels so completely her -- laid back, but luxurious -- and her gorgeous head of waves was the best complement.
MEH
Something just isn't quite right with this floral paisley Dior dress on Anna Paquin. I think the volume on the sleeves is jarring compared to the tricky tea length, and would maybe feel better balanced if the dress itself was more columnar. The shoes also felt oddly clunky, and the whole effect makes her look short. BUT the detailing of the paisley pattern is lovely.
I WANT to love this Proenza Schouler gown on my queen Greta Gerwig, but as per usual, I am finding this choker choice SO distracting. Remove the choker, and I think this would be one of my best of the night, but with the choker, it gives the illusion that she has incredibly broad shoulders and almost no neck and I just don't believe that's the case. Love her blunt bob. Love the subtle sparkles down the side. Always here for black and white. But the look overall isn't landing for me.
This goldish-greenish Gucci shift on Gugu Mbatha-Raw is fun and different, but again, what a tricky length! I like it but I don't love it. I also can't decide if the buttons on the sash are giving it sailor uniform vibes.
A black sleeveless Dior gown on Jennifer Aniston? Groundbreaking.
Margaret Qualley is poised to become one of the next big things, but her extremely simple, extraordinarily demure Chanel gowns are not memorable. They're lovely! But not a power move if the goal is to get noticed (and if that's not the goal at the start of your career, what you doin, girl?).
Margot Robbie's custom Chanel multicolored bodice somehow manages to be boring despite being out of the ordinary. It's fine. I could easily be convinced it was half-wedding dress, half-strapless top from Deb.
You guys, I'm really wrestling with Michelle Williams' creamsicle Louis Vuitton gown paired with this pale blue orchid. On one hand, it makes it interesting, and orange-and-blue are perfect complements. On the other hand, it would still be plenty interesting with just the orange part! If I had a third hand, I might argue the blue orchid would be beautiful as a hair accessory, or maybe just have a satin strap that exact shade of blue? It's breaking my brain.
Rachel Bilson has grabbed our attention with her surprising-yet-delightful new relationship with Bill Hader. This Brock Collection gown, however, is not really grabbing attention. It's a bit of a yawn, but maybe that's appropriate since she's not nominated for anything.
Rooney Mara is like this goth princess witch who seduces you with sadness. I liked her Swan Lake-style headpiece but, lawd, this girl just always seems like she's just arrived to haunt you. Her Givenchy gown felt like more of the same.
I've said it a million times, but Salma Hayek has insane access to the world's greatest design houses and they just never seem to deliver her the incomparable looks she deserves. This looks like a dress Sofia Vergara rejected. It's just very ho-hum and when you consider she's Salma Hayek, legendary bombshell, and is married to the executive whose company owns Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, it's just baffling.
I'll give Taylor Swift this: her Etro gown is anything but boring. The shape is lovely, the colors are daring and the print absolutely looks like a duvet from a Delia's catalog in 1998.
MEH TWINS
Through some sort of British actress mind meld, Jodie Comer and Olivia Coleman both chose the remarkably unique silhouette of a mock neck flanked by mutton sleeves that would make Anne of Green Gables jealous. Jodie's satin Mary Kantrantzou gown has a tent-like shape that is less successful where Olivia's Emilia Wickstead works because its narrow column contrasts with the volume at the sleeves. Regardless, this isn't a look I'm dying for in either instance.
WORST
I swear, I truly wrestled with whether this Gucci gown on Sienna Miller was bad or not and then I shook my head and was like, AMBER, it's basically a bathing suit and sarong made of wrinkly satin the color of lemons and limes. Couture by Sprite.
I saw so many people fawning over Lucy Boynton's steampunk disco Victorian Tin Man ensemble by Louis Vuitton and again, I really pushed myself to like it but it's truly what I think a magpie would design. It has just five too many elements between the silver fabric, high neck, lace trim, belt, balloon hem and disco platforms. Her hair and makeup look great, though.
Real life Gossip Girl Lainey Lui also tried to pull off an optical illusion on par with Joey King's but this is substantially less successful. The pink dye looks like someone tried desperately to hide a murder, the cape and slits and lines and cutouts and clunky heels are a lot of ideas adding up to visual cacophony. To her credit, however, this is a gown created by an indigenous designer named Lesley Hampton and it's noble to bring attention to her.
I looooove houndstooth. I love it in wool coats, and wool scarves, and wool skirts. As a floor length gown on Lorene Scafaria? Well, let's just say this looks like if Hot Topic produced a prom line.
And last but not least, Ray Romano wore a rumpled gray suit/shirt/tie combo that I feel very positive I've seen on a car salesman or bank branch manager. You can't hold my interest, no matter how low rates get, Ray.
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