You might have heard: Anne Hathaway has a rather fashion-forward movie coming out in a couple of months time. It was practically beholden on her, then, to make a splash on the Oscars red carpet – which she did by choosing florals. Groundbreaking. The gloves, the hourglass strapless gown, the Bulgari jewellery, the Roger Vivier shoes; it’s all very much classic Hollywood and she looks every inch the film star. Mission accomplished.

Undoubtedly one of the best looks of the evening. It takes some skill to wear that volume of feathers and Tiffany & Co. diamonds without being overwhelmed by them but, such is Taylor’s presence, anything less would underserve her. She looks both fierce and feminine which, one senses, is exactly what she was going for.

At this point, Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most well versed in the business at this Oscars red carpet stuff – so of course he looks great. The most groundbreaking thing about this look is that ‘tache  – which, possibly against my better nature, I’m actually inclined to like – but the cut on the tux is impeccable and the flash of watch and whimsical bee brooch are lovely.

The Sinners star scooped the award for Best Actor at the 2026 Oscars – and happily chose something more interesting than a basic tux to do so. Riffing on military uniforms with its stand-up collar, oversized buttons and chain detail, the custom Louis Vuitton suit was a refreshing point of difference. Excellent Piaget watch, too.

Nicole Kidman attended the Oscars to present the Best Film award, which is about as prestigious as appointments get without being actually nominated. She’s stuck to her style preferences for highly embellished pale column gowns. It’s a beautiful dress but I do tend to think the same design rendered in a deep green or navy would have been more striking with her colouring.

These kind of overt princess gowns are fully within Elle Fanning’s wheelhouse and, frankly, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Especially when it could be the biggest night of your career to date. Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Sentimental Value, I suspect this gown (and that Cartier necklace) looks even better close up so here’s hoping we get a shot of her on stage accepting her gong so we can get a glimpse.

Oh, for heaven’s sake. Chalamet appears to be on a one-man mission to erase every single bit of popularity he’s amassed over the last decade. This is utterly and inexcusably pretentious and ruins what, beneath all the ‘16-year-old at their secondary school prom’ styling, is actually a really rather beautiful suit. The cut feels fresh and the fit is (bar an inch or so on the trousers) perfect but the boots, rings and sunglasses are all giving bouncer at a gangland wedding. Next.

This looks like something a particularly glamorous Austen heroine might wear to bed. I haven’t quite worked out if that’s a slight or a compliment. The Repossi jewellery is lovely but it definitely needed something bolder – a gobstopping pink or yellow diamond would have been my choice – but the hair is gorgeous and the understated makeup suits the simplicity of the gown. The overall effect, however, is just a little underwhelming.

Demi Moore is officially in her Grande Dame era. Having secured her gong at last year’s ceremony, it’s time for her to settle into her rightful place handing out trophies to rising stars while quietly wearing the most jaw dropping gown on the red carpet. This is perfection. No notes.

The 2025 Oscar-winner returns this year in a presenting capacity and has hit the ‘this-night-isn’t-about-me’ nail on the head with this look. It’s simple, elegant, and dressed up enough for an event of this magnitude but unlikely to pull focus from any of the evening’s nominees. Except for that Cartier necklace which, rightly, everyone should be taking notice of.

Her red carpetry this awards season has been a little hit and miss but, given she’s swept up every statuette going, she probably doesn’t care too much what the fashion critics think right now. Fair enough. Still, to my eyes this is one of her more successful looks. It doesn’t particularly push any boundaries or force her outside her comfort zone but it is pretty and romantic. The jewellery is spectacular.

Nominated for Best Actress for her role in If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Rose Byrne has gone the classic Old Hollywood route: sculpting black gown with a smattering of embellishment, bright red lip, absolute stonker of a diamond round her neck. She looks fabulous but the colour choice does suggest she thinks this may not be her night.

There’s something rather charming about the fact that Joe Alwyn arrived at the Oscars looking like he’d stayed up drinking tequila until 3am the night before. A pair of under-eye patches in the car on the way here wouldn’t have gone amiss but otherwise this is pretty great in a rock’n’roll DGAF kind of way. Hat tips for the Chaumet brooch and Hublot Classic Fusion watch.

Last year’s Best Actress winner returned to the red carpet for the 2026 ceremony in full Jessica Rabbit mode. Opting for sculpting red velvet, a thigh-high slit, Tiffany & Co. jewellery and cascading waves, it’s a tried-and-true red carpet formula. Does the whole thing feel a little dated? Sure – but she looks confident and relaxed so I won’t quibble.

Well this is a bit of a mess, isn’t it? Like something Miss Haversham might create if she pulled a Sound of Music on some lace curtains. I have no doubt a lot of skill and craftsmanship has gone into the making of this dress but the top half doesn’t seem to fit quite right and the skirt is just plain awful.

If, like me, your greatest exposure to Kristen Wiig is her fabulous turn as the rainbow bright Maxine Dellacorte in Palm Royale, you’ll know this is quite the about turn. She’s found possibly the only non-confectionary-hued gown in Elie Saab’s collection and it makes for a sophisticated if pared back choice. The sporty cut of the neckline is the perfect foil for that stunning Boucheron necklace.

I’m not sure I’ll ever be on board with the sunglasses on the red carpet at night thing but I’m willing to overlook it for this dose of traditional British charm. It’s really rather refreshing to see someone remember all the details that come with black tie: properly handtied bow tie, cummerbund, patent leather shoes. He’s even wearing a pocket square. Well played O’Connell.

Also nominated for Best Actress, Renate Reinsve is the intellectuals’ choice for the win – which means she’s probably not taking the gong home. Unfortunately, she’s unlikely to be taking home any best dressed awards either. This is overly simple, the train looks unfinished and she needed some far more interesting styling choices with the hair and jewellery. A case in point for why you can’t just pick a bright colour and call it a day.

Wearing a custom Louis Vuitton mermaid gown and more than 57 carats worth of De Beers diamonds is certainly one way to make a splash at your debut Oscars. The dress apparently took more than 750 hours to make – and it really does fit her like a glove – but I would argue she’s disappearing slightly behind all those ruffles. The colour looks stunning on her.

Sinners breakout star Miles Caton could have been forgiven for taking the tried and tested tux route for his first Oscars appearance. I, for one, am thankful he didn’t. The Western boots offer some subtle method dressing while the burgundy is an inspired choice for a colour-drenched suit. The tie pin and Hublot watch are brilliant finishing touches.