We Are the Goon Squad and We’re Coming to Town: The 2017 Golden Globes Fashion Review

by Cindy Davis · January 9, 2017

There were so many gorgeous looks at last night’s Golden Globe Awards, it’s hard to pick any one as a favorite, and of course such things are subjective. Forced into a corner, I’d choose these bold looks as top five fiercest, not just for what they’re wearing; the attitude seals their superior fashion sense.

Best of the Night:

Evan Rachel Wood in Altuzarra; on her homage to David Bowie and Marlene Detriech, Wood said, ”

This is my third nomination and I’ve been to the Golden Globes six times. I’ve worn a dress every single time and I love dresses. I’m not trying to protest dresses, but I wanted to make sure young girls and women know that it’s not a requirement … You don’t have to wear one if you don’t want to. Just be yourself because you’re worth more than that.”

Ruth Negga in Louis Vuitton

Riley Keough in Chanel

Kristen Bell in Jenny Packham

Millie Bobby Brown in Jenny Packham

Goddesses:

Kerry Washington in Dolce & Gabbana

Gillian Anderson in Jenny Packham

Thandie Newton in Monse

Gal Gadot in Mugler

Priyanka Chopra in Ralph Lauren

Viola Davis in Michael Kors

Felicity Huffman in Georges Chakra

… and a Pair of True Princess Moments:

Lily Collins in Zuhair Murad

Maisie Williams in Ong-Oaj Pairam

Giving Good Gown:

Brie Larson in Rodarte

Emma Stone in Valentino (*This gown was much prettier live on television than it photographs.)

Caitriona Balfe in Delpozo

Rachel Bloom in Christian Siriano

Tracee Ellis Ross in Zuhair Murad (*I do wish this had been full length.)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Georges Chakra

Sarah Paulson in Marc Jacobs

Naomie Harris in Armani Privé

Amy Adams in Tom Ford

Gina Rodriguez in Naeem Khan

Kristen Wiig in Reem Acra

Trace Lysette; I don’t love what’s happening with the midsection lining

Hailee Steinfeld in Vera Wang

Mandy Moore in Naeem Khan

Gorgeous, Despite the Dress:

Isabelle Huppert in Giorgio Armani; the top is lovely, but the transition at the gown’s waist doesn’t flatter Huppert like it should.

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton; sad, sad shoulders (the dress, not Michelle).

Busy Phillipps in Stella McCartney; the folksy pattern looks like it was stamped on.

Gwendoline Christie in Vivienne Westwood; beautiful dress, terrible color.

Claire Foy in Erdem; the color combinations, the glitter and shine, the unfortunate sleeves — it’s all just too much.

Anna Kendrick in Vionnet; this color is lovely, but something about the dress’s boobaging doesn’t work.

Jessica Chastain in Prada; more boobage issues, primarily the fit.

Nicole Kidman in Alexander McQueen; take away the sleeves and tighten the straps and it would be classic Kidman (which is at least adventurous, if not always stunning). Like Emma Stone’s dress, this one looked much better on television than in photos.

Your Dress Should Be So Much Better or, How You Learned to Stop Worrying and Get a New Stylist:

Sarah Jessica Parker in Vera Wang; many called this an homage to Princess Leia. I call it an all around disaster, and were I to pick worst overall look, she’d be tied with …

… Amy Landecker’s fussy beige mess.

Drew Barrymore in Monique Lhuillier; not at all flattering, maybe could have worked without sleeves.

Sophie Turner in Louis Vuitton; I kept thinking she was wearing an oversized shirt on top of her gown.

Janelle Monáe in Armani; is there crinkled paper inside the mesh? If the back length were chopped off, this would have been a better dress.

Felicity Jones in Gucci; the top of this gown looks like one of those t-shirts that pretends to be a tuxedo. The color of the bottom was lovely onscreen; take away the bow and carry that color/pattern up top and it might have worked, but still wouldn’t have been great.

Natalie Portman in Prada; nothing about this look works. The color is too severe on her, the “decoration” looks like old plastic garland was glued on, and the bottom hem is a mess.

Emily Ratajkowski in Reem Acra; all I’m getting here is satin sheets with a glitter tie.

Winona Ryder in Viktor & Rolf; I’m sorry, Winona, but it may be time to give up the goth thing — at least the crinkled, dragging down your bust goth things.