63 Style Lessons From the Best-Dressed Red Carpet Stars
A few weeks ago, a highly select group of VIPs received a coveted invitation to the biggest red carpet bonanza in Hollywood: GQ’s annual Men of the Year Party, which this year will be co-hosted by a quartet of megawatt stars in Jacob Elordi, Kim Kardashian, Travis Scott, and Tom Ford.
The dress code listed on the invite? Modern Red Carpet.
But what, pray tell, does that even mean? It means showing out the way that stars have at the biggest events on the planet for generations now: In the swankiest, swerviest, most spotlight-stealing fashion possible. Maybe that’s stunting in a disco-tinged jumpsuit like Lakeith Stanfield at the 2021 Oscars, suiting up in sumptuous red velvet like Gwenyth Paltrow in 1999, or keeping things simmeringly subtle like Frank Ocean's Prada look at the 2019 Met Gala. Whatever your interpretation, the best red carpet looks need to feel unexpected, look unforgettable, and radiate confidence.
To help jumpstart your own legendary party ensembles, here are 63 of the greatest red carpet moments ever—and what you can learn from each.
Getty Images1/63Lakeith Stanfield, 2021
Leaning retro can sometimes go awry on the red carpet, but Stanfield managed to pull the ‘70s look off with funky ease when he pulled this giant-collared, razor-sharp Saint Laurent jumpsuit out for the Oscars.
Taylor Hill / Getty Images2/63Zoe Kravitz, 2021
Proof that sometimes the most powerful fits are there ones that are barely there at all.
Ron Galella / Getty Images3/63Keanu Reeves, 1993
Keanu is no stranger to high-low tailoring—he’s been known to rock work boots with sharp suits and graphic hoodies with sport coats. But he’s never pulled that trick off better than he did here in ‘93, layering a badass leather motorcycle vest under a roomy three-button number.
Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images4/63Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler, 2023
Gerber’s disco-ball gown is stunning, but it’s Butler’s silky, sumptuous, pussy-bow blouse—designed by Saint Laurent, as was his exquisitely tailored tux—that utterly steals the show.
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images5/63Gwenyth Paltrow, 1999
This lush Gucci velvet suit became so instantly legendary that Gwenyth herself recreated the look more than 20 years later.
Gilbert Flores / Getty Images6/63Paul Mescal, 2023
Big shoulders, big flares, big vibes.
Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images7/63Letitia Wright, 2023
Wearing Prada, like Wright at this year's Golden Globes, is a surefire way to get a lot of compliments. The brand makes you look stylish and smart. Don’t you just want to ask Wright which local art gallery to visit?
Ron Galella / Getty Images8/63Wesley Snipes, 1995
This outfit looks like it comes with its own walk-in music, and it’s loud.
Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images9/63Timothée Chalamet, 2022
When the opportunity presents itself, defy expectations. Wear ruby red, go backless, and maybe indulge in a little ribbon around your neck.
Jim Smeal / Getty Images10/63Heath Ledger, 2000
An outfit is only as good as your attitude (and/or your sandals).
Ray Tamarra / Getty Images11/63Marc Jacobs, 2012
Fellas, don’t be afraid to lean into your sex appeal.
Brenda Chase / Getty Images12/63Lucy Liu, 2000
Lucy Liu sees the low-rise jeans trend of the 2000s and raises you this showstopper of a look.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images13/63A$AP Rocky, 2021
The next time you think you need expensive clothes to look good, remember that A$AP Rocky won the 2021 Met Gala by showing up wrapped in a thrifted handmade quilt.
Evan Agostini / Getty Images14/63Alexander McQueen and Sarah Jessica Parker, 2006
When your cultural heritage blesses you with raucous style moves—as McQueen's Scottish roots did here with his tartan kilt—lean into 'em.
Ron Galella / Getty Images15/63Drew Barrymore, 1995
Peak 1995 energy.
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images16/63Tyler James Williams, 2023
The pattern, the proportions, the swagger: It could only be Amiri.
Ron Galella / Getty Images17/63Iman and David Bowie, 1991
You can’t go wrong with loose, louche tailoring—in dove-gray wool or leather. Keep the underpinnings crisp and simple. (Lit dart optional…but certainly adds attitude.)
Variety / Getty Images18/63Justin Bieber, 2022
Speaking of loose tailoring: It doesn’t get any looser than the Bieb’s outrageous Balenciaga suit, which he synced up with a pair of the house’s equally massive, metal-tipped stompers. Because if you’re gonna go big, you gotta go all the way.
Steve Granitz / Getty Images19/63Björk, 2001
On most anybody else, this swan dress by the Macedonian designer Marjan Pejoski might look over-the-top and costumey. But when Björk took it for a spin on the Oscars red carpet, it became instantly iconic—a top-tier case of knowing yourself, your style, and what works for your individual vibe.
Dan MacMedan / Getty Images20/63Leon Bridges, 2019
One easy way to wear your heart on your sleeve (and chest and legs)? Pull up in one of Bode’s personalized Senior Cord suits.
Samir Hussein / Getty Images21/63Lily Rose Depp, 2023
A vintage Chanel minidress and full-length sheer gloves are excellent ways to reaffirm your Idol status.
Ron Galella / Getty Images22/63Outkast, 2003
The prep revival never looked bigger, bolder, or more bodacious than it did in the uber-stylish hands of Big Boi and Three Stacks.
Ron Galella / Getty Images23/63Woody Harrelson and Laura Louie, 1999
If there’s ever a time to swing for the fences in an oversized, collarless, hypnotic-patterned jacket, it’s on the red carpet of your own movie premiere.
John Shearer / Getty Images24/63Frank Ocean, 2019
Frank caused some consternation (though not around these parts) when he showed up to 2019’s camp-themed Met Gala in an understated, decidedly un-camp look. Four years on, though, his outfit remains a great reminder that sticking to the classics—in this case, black-and-white Prada from head to toe—is never a poor choice.
Dominik Bindl / Getty Images25/63Lupita Nyong’o, 2023
There’s bespoke clothing, and then there’s this show-stopping silver breastplate by Pakistani designer Misha Japanwala, who crafted it from a mold of Lupita Nyong’o’s torso.
Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images26/63Doja Cat, 2023
Nothing says drama like a shimmering, sprawling train.
Ron Galella / Getty Images27/63Daniel Day-Lewis, 1994
Before he was the king of American workwear, Daniel Day-Lewis was the prince of Victorian tailoring.
Ian West / Getty Images28/63Tilda Swinton, 2009
When is a top and trousers not just a top and trousers? When they’re tufted with silky, swooping, perfectly drapey waves. (And when Tilda Swinton is wearing ‘em, natch.)
Karwai Tang / Getty Images29/63Harry Styles, 2019
Everything about this look is perfectly dialed, from the glorious lace top to the shiny patent heels to the bulbous pearl dangling from his ear.
Ron Galella / Getty Images30/63Julia Roberts, 1990
Julia Effin’ Roberts in a Big Effin’ Suit. That’s it. That’s the caption.
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images31/63Lil Nas X, 2019
When it comes to dressing like a literal shooting star, Lil Nas X feels like the glimmering, frill-happy heir apparent to Sir Elton John.
Bauer-Griffin / Getty Images32/63Hailey Bieber, 2021
A typically sophisticated ensemble from the ever-elegant model and founder.
Mike Marsland / Getty Images33/63Jeremy O. Harris, 2023
Never underestimate the power of a strong shoulder and a bleached brow.
Dave Benett / Getty Images34/63Emma Corrin, 2021
To borrow the words of fashion critic Rachel Tashjian: “Now HERE is a person with a rich inner life.”
Jim Smeal / Getty Images35/63Brad Pitt, 1995
Do we think anyone at the 1995 Golden Globes signed Brad Pitt’s cast?
Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images36/63Antwaun Sargent, 2022
Antwaun Sargent, the artist and curator, is one of New Yorker’s best dressers with a knack for great suits.
Christopher Polk / Getty Images37/63Prince, 2004
This cherry-red suit Prince wore to a Clive Davis pre-Grammys party hits all the proper Prince style requisites: raucous color with a matching accessory (a feathered cap, no less!), flared pants, and a great little heel.
Robert Smith / Getty Images38/63Anne Hathaway, 2023
May we remember 2023 as the year when Anne Hathaway made everyone want to wear Versace.
Steve Granitz / Getty Images39/63Spike Lee, 2020
Spike Lee’s purple-and-gold Oscars suit was an homage to the late Kobe Bryant, in a way that only Spike Lee could pull off.
Mike Coppola / Getty Images40/63Elliot Page, 2021
Elliot Page’s intentionally wonky Balenciaga couture tux was one of the many reasons why the 2021 Met Gala made the bad suit look very, very good.
Rose Hartman / Getty Images41/63Naomi Campbell, 1990
Another Met Gala heater: Naomi Campbell at her first Met, wearing who else but Gianni Versace.
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images42/63Donald Glover, 2022
This zen yellow set from the London-based brand King & Tuckfield really kicked off Donald Glover’s post-pandemic style evolution.
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images43/63Sharon Stone, 1993
The year when Sharon Stone collected an armful of MTV Movie Awards for her Basic Instinct performance, and looked great while doing it.
Arturo Holmes / Getty Images44/63Lenny Kravitz, 2023
No one pulls off not wearing a shirt on the red carpet quite like Lenny Kravitz at the Oscars.
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images45/63Demna Gvasalia and Kim Kardashian, 2021
Kim Kardashian and Balenciaga designer Demna attended the 2021 Met Gala in incognito mode—proving that even when she’s entirely sheathed in black fabric, Kim is still our modern era’s most recognizable pop culture figure.
Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images46/63Zendaya, 2022
This slouchy, gray Fear of God suit defined post-pandemic red carpet tailoring, the impact of which we’re still seeing to this day.
Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images47/63Jeremy Strong, 2022
To complement the 2021 Met Gala theme celebrating “American independence,” Jeremy Strong’s Archivio J.M. Ribot suit was crafted from fabric dating back to the turn of the century.
Lester Cohen / Getty Images48/63Laverne Cox, 2023
At the 2023 Grammys, red carpet host Laverne Cox described her reptilian Kim Kassas Couture dress, beaded with ancient Egyptian figures, as “Cleopatra meets Goldfinger.”
Stefanie Keenan / Getty Images49/63Andrew Garfield and Laura Harrier, 2022
On the surface, it might not seem like Garfield and Harrier’s outfits have much in common. But they’re both proof that it’s the small details that often elevate a look: Garfield called in the all-over print while Harrier’s dress is boosted by a hood.
JC Olivera / Getty Images50/63Dev Hynes, 2022
This is a high-difficulty red carpet outfit. Balancing a double-breasted velvet suit, exaggerated lapels, and leather pants like Hynes does here requires incredible skill and confidence.
Ron Davis / Getty Images51/63Salma Hayek, 1996
Tailoring: not just for the dudes! Hayek’s power suit fits exactly how we want our tailoring to fit in 2023, meaning baggy but still well put together.
Mike Coppola / Getty Images52/63Riz Ahmed, 2022
Great fashion isn’t just about making something aesthetically pleasing but communicating something—whether that’s about yourself, a social identity, or the culture at large. Ahmed’s workwear getup at the 2022 Met Gala (“Gilded Glamour”) accomplished exactly that. “This is about celebrating and canonizing and glorifying those people behind the scenes, those people that gilded the Gilded Age,” he told GQ’s Sam Hine at the time.
Bryan Bedder / Getty Images53/63Offset, 2022
How do you take a white suit to the next level? Crush the accessories department: gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, a ring for nearly every finger, and Louis Vuitton sneakers. Knowing when to deploy a bedazzled brooch takes great touch.
Stephane Cardinale / Getty Images54/63Chris Pine, 2023
It doesn’t take much to turn your boring black suit into something special. Pine freaked this fit with a pretty neckerchief.
Jim Smeal / Getty Images55/63Salma Hayek, 1995
Hot tip for all aspiring Big Fit creators: You know you’ve nailed it when the dude in the car behind you almost gets in an accident rubbernecking the look.
Rich Fury / Getty Images56/63Tyler, the Creator, 2020
A great lesson from this Tyler, The Creator bellhop fit: Legendary fits aren’t created in half-measures.
Patricia De Melo Moreira / Getty Images57/63Rose Bertram, 2023
Never underestimate what long black gloves can add to an outfit.
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images58/63Giveon, 2022
Giveon knows what women have understood for decades: There is no going wrong with Chanel’s signature tweed suit.
Marc Piasecki / Getty Images59/63Isabelle Huppert, 2023
A black dress doesn’t have to be boring: it can be embroidered with flowers, tied with a ribbon, and topped off with a pair of killer sunglasses.
Ron Galella / Getty Images60/63Cher and Sonny Bono, 1973
Couples’ dressing is at its most sublime when both parties nail the assignment.
Kena Betancur / Getty Images61/63Olivia Wilde, 2023
Every suit wearer's secret weapon? Lose the shirt and you've got a subversive, galaxy-brain fit.
Ron Galella / Getty Images62/63Christian Slater, 1988
It’s so easy to kick a sport coat up a notch: You just need a long red scarf and heartthrob-level good looks.
Kevin Winter / Getty Images63/63Steve Lacy, 2023
Sometimes the most important question to answer when crafting an outfit is: How can I be as comfortable as possible? Lacy’s stylish solution is the world’s longest ribbed sweater.
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