The 15 Best Golden Globe Looks of All Time, According to Bazaar Editors
The Golden Globes this coming Sunday are the first major award show of 2024, and the 81st ceremony will set the precedent for what this award season will look like. After last year’s Hollywood strikes put a pause on red carpets for months, those of us at home are more than ready for the drama. Hopefully, the guests and nominees are, too—and will use this weekend as an opportunity to really get Dressed Up.
While we await this year’s standout style stars, Bazaar editors have been reminiscing about the best looks of Globes past. In 2007, there was Reese Witherspoon’s yellow Nina Ricci revenge dress. The ’90s gave us Julia Roberts in a Giorgio Armani suit. And last year, Rihanna wore a couture Schiaparelli gown so good it transcended the red carpet—no, really, she didn’t even walk the carpet, just appeared like a vision later in the evening.
Below, the 15 Golden Globe looks that Bazaar editors can’t stop thinking about.
Reese Witherspoon in Nina Ricci, 2007
“I remember everything about this look causing a collective gasp: the bangs (they were new and everyone wanted them), the fact that it was bright yellow, the cocktail-length hem. It went viral in the early and purer days of the internet. It was billed as Witherspoon’s ‘revenge’ dress because she’d split from Ryan Phillippe a few months prior, but the truth is, she just looked fab.” —Leah Chernikoff, executive editor
Halle Berry in Reem Acra, 2003
“I love a baby-blue moment. It’s so nostalgic to me, like it’s the default color of memories. It’s also just a lovely shade most people don’t consider for award shows. Often, guests opt for something more serious or glitzy, which is why I love this Halle Berry dress from 2003. It’s so dainty and lovely and fun. And the long shawl adds the right amount of light, elegant drama. Why don’t we wear long shawls anymore?!” —Tara Gonzalez, senior fashion editor
Julia Roberts in Giorgio Armani, 1990
“Julia Roberts in an oversize men’s Giorgio Armani suit, at the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards in 1990, is one of my favorite power moves on the red carpet to date. I’m not sure it gets any cooler than this moment. She was so effortless—it was impossibly chic. Not to mention she won that evening, for her role in Sweet Magnolias.” —Jaclyn Alexandra Cohen, senior fashion and accessories editor
Cher, 1973
“Our red carpet North Star, Cher, has so many iconic moments. The midriff-baring number she wore to the 1973 Golden Globes on the arm of Sonny Bono further solidified her as a total babe. Her confidence and huge smile were the most memorable part of the look!” —JAC
Isabelle Huppert, 1992
“At the 1992 Golden Globes, Isabelle Huppert wore a look that embodied elegant evening dressing in the ’90s. From the charming (and somewhat awkward) fit of the dress to the iridescent taffeta, the oversize statement earrings, the silky woven bucket bag—this look was everything you would want it to be and more.” —JAC
Lupita Nyong’o in Ralph Lauren, 2014
“The Golden Globes is less serious than the Oscars, but it’s still an occasion to get a little fancy. I think Lupita Nyong’o really nailed that mix in 2014, when she was nominated for 12 Years a Slave. The shape of her Ralph Lauren dress is elegant and restrained, but the tomato red makes it fun and poppy.” —Izzy Grinspan, digital director
Sarah Jessica Parker in Richard Tyler, 2000
“The first year SJP won for her role as Carrie in Sex and the City was 2000, and she wore this incredible beaded Richard Tyler gown accessorized with very of-the-era chandelier earrings and easy windswept curls. It was a grown-up, glammed-up version of the show’s iconic naked dress, and the vibe was brilliant.” —Brooke Bobb, fashion news director
Audrey Hepburn, 1990
“Audrey Hepurn’s white satin gown from 1990 is one of those special dresses that seems so simple but somehow still vibrates with an otherworldly force. She looked so angelic that it almost doesn’t feel human (which is par for the course for any Hepburn look). But what I might love most are the photos of her outside the award show with a long white cape draped around her. She looked like the world’s chicest statue! Everyone obsessed with quiet luxury needs to take a break from Sofia Richie and consider this specific look.” —TG
Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein, 1996
“I was a toddler when Gwyneth Paltrow attended the 53rd Golden Globes in Calvin Klein, yet the 1996 look resonates with me now as a late-20-something. I find this gown’s streamlined silhouette and stark color blocking, along with her strappy black sandals, to be an instructive take on low-key luxury and upscale minimalism—even more than the viral outfits Paltrow wore to her court case last fall.” —Halie LeSavage, fashion commerce editor
Kate Hudson in Michael Kors, 2016
“I’ll never forget Kate shimmering in a strapless Michael Kors gown. I love the choker touch—I think it just brought the whole look together. Let’s not forget accentuating her toned abs! I thought she looked stunning here.” —Alicia Banilivy, retail credits editor
Lady Gaga in Valentino, 2019
“I love the periwinkle Valentino gown Lady Gaga wore when she was nominated for A Star in Born. It’s dramatic in a way that telegraphs Old Hollywood. In fact, it was apparently a reference to the blue dress Judy Garland wore when she was nominated for the same role in the 1954 film. But the color and the shape still feel like 2019.” —IG
Keri Russell in Monique Lhuillier, 2019
“Love a plunging neckline done right. Keri Russell radiated confidence in this breathtaking Monique Lhuillier metallic gown. I loved how she styled her hair and chose the perfect earrings and clutch as a finishing touch.” —AB
Zoë Kravitz in Saint Laurent, 2020
“I’m a big fan of prints and always feel surprised that we don’t see more of them at award shows. Wearing them is the easiest way to make a statement! Of course Zoë Kravitz would be bold enough to go there. This Saint Laurent look feels so now, given that polka dots are back in a big way.” —TG
Jennifer Lawrence in Dior, 2017
“Jennifer Lawrence dominated in Dior at the 2017 Golden Globes. It’s giving royal chic. The cutout details created a striking visual impact, adding a touch of modernity and daring to a classic silhouette. As for the masterful necklace, it served as a centerpiece that added elegance and contrast to her sophisticated and timeless look. 10/10.” —AB
Rihanna in Schiaparelli, 2023
“I can vividly remember where I was when this happened. Rihanna was said to be making an appearance, but the red carpet came and went without her. Then, nearly 40 minutes later, photos started popping up of her in this incredible Schiaparelli couture look with a velvet shawl that resembled oversize puffed sleeves. It’s the kind of look that doesn’t need the red carpet—it is the red carpet.” —TG
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