Fashion Notes: The Best and Worst Dressed from the 2023 Golden Globes

It’s awards season and that means I’m back with best and worst dressed Fashion Notes, starting with this year’s Golden Globes.

There were many amazing looks from this year’s Golden Globes red carpet but also a handful of duds. Here, I break down the best and worst from the night — so you didn’t have to bother to watch!

Best: Donald Glover in Saint Laurent

Donald Glover’s Saint Laurent silk loungewear mixed with a traditional wide-lapel tuxedo jacket is my top pick for the red carpet. Between the 1970s-inspired stache and hair paired with the effortlessness of a subtle gold chain and leather loafers, this is a big risk that paid off immensely.

Sure, it’s not for everyone, but it’s sexy in all the best ways.

Worst: Lily James in Versace

The worst part of awards season is having to see the most beautiful of women wear the most awful gowns. In this case, Lily James takes the cake in this horrid Versace number. From the waist up, she resembles a brunette Jayne Mansfield.

Unfortunately, there’s the waist down, and boy oh boy is it bad. Imagine your mother sewing all of her pillowcases together and wearing it as a dress. That would look better than this disaster.

Best: Margot Robbie in Chanel

It’s difficult for Margot Robbie to look bad. I mean, she would literally have to go out of her way. In this stunning pale pink Chanel gown, there’s a Jean Harlow/Carole Lombard quality that we are increasingly lacking in today’s Hollywood.

Is it a WOW moment, not particularly. But it is a beautiful look. Doesn’t that count for anything anymore?

Worst: Selena Gomez in Valentino

I understand what Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli was attempting to do here with the voluminous sleeves paired with this weighted velvet gown for Selena Gomez. Altogether, though, it just doesn’t work. I want to rip the sleeves off so badly and add a giant glittering pendant.

Best: Hilary Swank in Prada

For whatever reason, Miuccia Prada makes the most gorgeous maternity gowns and it seems all the top actresses go to her when wanting to look their best with a baby bump. Hilary Swank in this rich crepe emerald number with black satin bows is precious without getting cartoonish.

The matching emerald jewels tie this ensemble together — demure and regal.

Worst: Claire Danes in Giambattista Valli Haute Couture

What is this? From Claire Danes’ hair to every foofoo detail of this Giambattista Valli Haute Couture dress, it’s just terrible. One of my biggest pet peeves in fashion is when designers slap a bow on garments like a Christmas present.

There are no redeeming qualities about this look.

Best: Austin Butler in Gucci

This classic double-breasted tuxedo from Gucci on Austin Butler really doesn’t need any explanation as to why it’s on my best dressed list. It’s all so Clark Gable. And my favorite part is that Butler is bringing back the 1970s sun-kissed tan.

Best: Julia Garner in Gucci

So this Gucci gown worn by Julia Garner could go either way. Is it too much or just right? In my opinion, it’s magnificent. Where else can you wear a dress like this other than a red carpet in front of a sea of flashbulbs? That’s what these things are for, after all.

This gown is attention-grabbing with its rich pink shade and crystal detail. It also has a sort of Cher feel, something you could imagine her wearing in her iconic variety show. I dig it, big time.

Girly for the sake of being girly needs a comeback.

Worst: Jessica Chastain in Casadei

It’s not that Jessica Chastain doesn’t look beautiful, she does, how could she not? It’s that this Casadei gown doesn’t do her any favors with its web-like pattern that creates the strangest design — almost like her body is being eaten by a creature.

Best: Hannah Einbinder in Carolina Herrera

“Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder pulled off a bit of old Hollywood in this Carolina Herrera black and white dress. With its full skirt and 1950s vibe, she really hit the nail on the head in terms of styling. The jewels around her neck are just enough, as are the bracelets on one arm.

Even better, Einbinder’s red locks are dazzling with this waved side part.

Worst: Ana de Armas in Louis Vuitton

“Blonde” had to be the biggest letdown of 2022 for movies. I was so looking forward to see Marilyn Monroe’s internal monologues come to life inside her real-life home where she was found dead. Not even Ana de Armas’s excellent portrayal of Monroe could save it.

I feel the same way about her Golden Globes dress. While Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière is one of the brilliant fashion minds of our time (though I preferred his stint at Balenciaga), he tends to make some of the hardest-to-wear gowns for the red carpet. Armas’s is no exception. If it looks hard to wear it’s because it is hard to wear.

Best: Anya Taylor-Joy in Dior

Dior’s satin yellow frock for Anya Taylor-Joy, like Julia Garner’s dress, brought much-needed color to the red carpet and some fashion excitement. This look, too, has a Cher-like quality that I just love — almost like the platinum version.

Is it all too much? Maybe. But it’s fashion. Isn’t it supposed to be?

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.