The best dressed celebs at the 2026 Oscars, from Jessie Buckley to Teyana Taylor
Feathers! Florals! And full on cut-outs!
It’s Oscars night! We won’t call it Hollywood’s prom night because that’s such a tired cliché at this point. Instead, we’d rather look at it as the Olympics of Fashion, a veritable cage match of gowns and tuxes fighting for your attention and for the honour of being picked—by us, of course—as one of the best of the night. For the 2026 Oscars, we’re happy to report that the style mood was celebratory and glamorous, with lots of sparkle and colour on the red carpet this year. Here's the best dressed of the night!
Jessie Buckley in Chanel
When the Hamnet star hit the red carpet in this stunner, we both said the same thing: “Now that’s a Best Actress winner’s gown.” Regardless of whether you’re a frontrunner, it’s never a bad idea to show up to an awards show looking like you expect to be giving a speech that starts off “I’d like to thank…” The pink-and-red colour combo is eye-catching and just different enough to make her stand out. Her hair and makeup are perfect for it. She looks like a star.
Wunmi Mosaku in Louis Vuitton
The Best Supporting Actress nominee and star of Sinners has been dazzling all throughout awards season, unveiling one eye-popping gown after another and giving something of a master class on dressing a pregnant body in ways that are glamorous and sexy. This colour looks amazing on her, and as always, her hair practically makes the look. We love the neckline, but we’re not as in love with the shoulder cutout or the fact that the textile looks stiff and heavy.
Zoe Saldaña in Saint Laurent
It’s incredibly rare for us to compliment any gown that could double as sleepwear, but sometimes a lingerie-inspired style lands on the right wearer. This is chic and sexy. The skirt drapes beautifully. She’s always had a sleek, minimalist style and we like that she didn’t over-style the look or try to pile on too much in the way of accessories. That stunning necklace is all the look needed.
Rei Ami in Rahul Mishra, Audrey Nuna in Thom Browne, EJAE in Dior
We’re not usually fans of theme-dressing, but we figure the singers of the Best Original Song “Golden” get to show up to the Academy Awards dressed in three drop-dead gorgeous gold looks if they want to. We love Audrey’s dramatic skirt and squared-off shoulders, Rei’s amazing embroidered coat, and EJAE’s glamorous gown. They’ve been so great about dressing themselves with distinction while showing up looking like a unified group.
Elle Fanning in Givenchy
Forever a Disney princess. We’ve been covering the Sentimental Value star and Best Supporting Actress nominee’s style literally since she was a little girl and we always wondered if and when she’d finally abandon the princess styles she’s been sporting for her whole career. And while we always prefer when she opts to stay away from pale colours and white, this fantasy gown looks so pretty on her that we don’t blame her for working that princess look forever. She was born for these kinds of dresses.
Rose Byrne in Dior
We’ll say it: The star of If I Had Legs I’d Kick You and Best Actress nominee had the best look of the night. This is chic, surprisingly elegant for an Oscars gown, and graphically interesting. You don’t see a lot of florals on major awards red carpets, so when someone sports a dramatically pretty one like this, it really stands out. The styling is perfection, with that gorgeous necklace and the sophisticated chignon.
Wagner Moura in Zegna
Because sometimes, we’ve got to give a shoutout to quiet, unassuming elegance. The Best Actor nominee and star of The Secret Agent characterised his award season style with impeccable, elegant suiting. We love the beautiful cut of the jacket and the unusual shirt collar and brooch.
Renate Reinsve in Louis Vuitton
We get such a kick out of how the Best Actress nominee and star of Sentimental Value approaches the red carpet: respectfully but not too seriously. She keeps her choices simple and fuss-free, choosing not to get too caught up in trends or glamour. We thought this simple strip of a gown was dramatic and well-suited to her. This is an instance where the clean and low-key styling makes perfect sense.
Chase Infiniti in Louis Vuitton
The One Battle After Another star has had a great year on the red carpet, showing a preference for gowns with dramatic silhouettes or unusual features. This dress fits that bill, and the colour is very pretty on her and she looks amazing.
Teyana Taylor in Chanel
The star of One Battle After Another and Best Supporting Actress nominee has an eye-popping red carpet style characterised by bodycon gowns and the kinds of complicated designs that look like they’d leave a body sore after wearing them. This gown was a bit of a surprise because it’s relatively low-key for her—which is kind of hilarious because this is a legitimately eye-popping Oscars gown. The fit is perfect and we love the sheer bodice. We’re not prone to loving big hairy skirts like this one, but it’s impressive how well it moves and the graphic quality is head-turning.
Kate Hudson in Armani Privé
The Song Sung Blue star and Best Actress nominee has been working a classic old Hollywood style all year long and she saved a whopper of a gown for the main event. This is impeccably constructed, fitted, and styled. The colour looks amazing on her, and it stands out for being just a little unexpected. That jewellery is some of the best of the night. She looks like what she is: Hollywood royalty.
Michael B. Jordan in Louis Vuitton
The star of Sinners and Best Actor winner has been extremely consistent in his style choices all throughout awards season, showing a preference for impeccably fitted double-breasted suits in rich colours. It was a pleasant surprise to see him show up in an impeccably fitted black Nehru-style jacket. It was unexpected, unique, and chic. Love the buttons and the pocket chain. The whole look has a stripped-bare quality that speaks of confidence and success.
Gwyneth Paltrow in Armani Privé
We’ve got to hand it to the Marty Supreme star and living lifestyle brand. She tends to treat the trappings of stardom as somewhat beneath her, but when she wants to show up looking like a movie star, she makes it look effortless. A dress like this only works if the fit is flawless and the styling is superb. Done and done. Her hair looks fantastic and that stunner of a necklace tops off the dress perfectly. Minimalist glam done right.
Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez are the publishers of Tom & Lorenzo, hosts of the Pop Style Opinionfest podcast, and authors of Legendary Children: The First Decade of RuPaul's Drag Race and the Last Century of Queer Life.
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