Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images
The 97th Academy Awards have arrived, which means we’ve finally reached the end of a memorable awards season jam-packed with scandals, plot twists, and head-turning fashion. Tonight, even before any winners were called on stage at the Dolby Theatre, we tracked the best, worst, and weirdest looks on the Oscars red carpet — and gave extra points for anything other than a black mermaid gown. This is Hollywood’s biggest night, after all! And a chance to enter fashion’s history books, alongside Gwyneth Paltrow’s pink taffeta perfection and Halle Berry’s bombshell Elie Saab sheer gown.
Not everyone was judged equally. We hold the night’s biggest names and top nominees — including Emma Stone, Cynthia Erivo, Blackpink’s Lisa, Demi Moore, and Mikey Madison — to a high standard. You know, Timothée Chalamet–level standards. Our favorite little red-carpet freak.
To see every single red-carpet look, head over here.
The Best
Zoe Saldaña in Saint Laurent
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Yes, yes, yes. This tiered strapless gown has all the makings of an iconic Oscars gown: elegant, a little funky, full of delightful details from the sheer gloves to the bedazzled bandeau bodice.
Timothée Chalamet in Givenchy
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Never in a million years did we expect Chalament to show up in a butter-yellow leather suit, but it’s truly delightful. Even if he doesn’t win tonight, this press run cemented him as a true Hollywood star playing by his own rules. And no, we don’t think the pants are too long.
Ariana Grande in Schiaparelli
Photo: Arturo Holmes/WireImage
Grande and Schiaparelli couture are a match made in Wicked heaven, channeling vintage glamour while also nodding to Glinda’s signature, voluminous pink gown.
Michelle Yeoh in Balenciaga
Photo: Frazer Harrison/WireImage
Reader, I gasped. This color, this cut, this train. Yeoh just does not miss.
Elle Fanning in Givenchy
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images
The A Complete Unknown actress continues to channel the film’s ’60s time period in a classically beautiful Givenchy gown designed by its brand-new creative director, Sarah Burton. (Burton will debut her first collection for the house later this week in Paris.)
Demi Moore in Giorgio Armani
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Demi Moore came dressed like the presumptive winner she is, drenched in embroidered sparkles.
Colman Domingo in Valentino
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Like Yeoh, Domingo never misses. He needs to be nominated every year just to grace the red carpet with his presence. Chalamet can’t be the only man out here giving us some capital-F fashion.
Selena Gomez in Ralph Lauren
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Okay, bedazzled gowns are officially trending. Gomez took hers in a more Marilyn Monroe, Old Hollywood direction — a tried-and-true formula, but it’s working here.
Mindy Kaling in Oscar de la Renta
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Props to Kaling for choosing this feathered silver gown that’s both sleek and festive. Does she look like she’s about to star in a Real Housewives of Potomac reunion? Not no, but we’re into it.
Felicity Jones in Giorgio Armani
Photo: Frazer Harrison/WireImage
Also on the silver theme, Jones keeps her look simple but statuesque in this metallic column gown.
Miley Cyrus in Alexander McQueen
Photo: Frazer Harrison/WireImage
If someone else wore this gown, it would probably be too boring to mention. But this is Miley Cyrus and she’s wearing funky mesh gloves and bleached eyebrows, we cannot deny it moves us.
Lily-Rose Depp
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
I’m just a freak, yeah. What else would you wear to an awards show largely dedicated to praising your ex-boyfriend?
Halle Berry in Christian Siriano
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Is this groundbreaking? No, but it’s mesmerizing and a modern twist on the sparkly metallic trend that dominated tonight’s red carpet looks.
Bruna Marquezine in Atelier Versace
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images
The fit on this gown is perfect, as is the choice of necklace. No notes.
The Wackiest
Cynthia Erivo in Louis Vuitton
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
We appreciate the drama, but this velvet gown is leaning a bit too Megamind. Erivo is a hero, not a villain!
Lisa in Mark Gong
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
A look made for Diane Keaton, not a Korean pop star. Points for risk-taking, though.
Director Nicolas Keppens
Nicolas Keppens with producer Brecht Van Elslande (left) Photo: Penske Media via Getty Images
Belgian filmmaker Nicolas Keppens, the director of the animated short Beautiful Men, snuck in a plus-one when he showed up to the ceremony with one of the characters from his film strapped to his chest in a cute pink backpack. Silly? Yes. Effective marketing? Absolutely. Now I really want to see hisstop-motion film about three balding brothers who travel to Istanbul to get a hair transplant.
Bowen Yang in Etro
Photo: Arturo Holmes/WireImage
Yang’s puffy pink blouse and embroidered leather jacket are perhaps more appropriate for the Grammys, but the look is growing on me. In the absence of a “best cosplay of a country music star” category, let’s call this one wacky in a good way.
Whoopi Goldberg in Christian Siriano
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images
She looks like a spaceship (complimentary).
Charlotte Lawrence in Valentino
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
I wonder if this little cat friend met the balding Turkish man doll.
The Worst
Kylie Jenner in Miu Miu
Timothée is pushing sartorial boundaries and you show up like a Vegas cocktail waitress? I’m just confused, honestly, unless her only goal was to enrage Club Chalamet.
Emma Stone in Louis Vuitton
Photo: Frazer Harrison/WireImage
This isn’t bad, exactly. It’s just underwhelming compared to Stone’s past looks. She sets a high bar. Stone won last year and probably doesn’t want to pull focus, and we respect that. But there’s a lot of sparkly all-over gowns on the carpet this year and this one just doesn’t stack up by comparison.
Mikey Madison in Dior
Photo: Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Mikey, the star that you are, and yet … this look divided the Cut’s Slack channel. But everyone agreed that we expected more from the Anora star. She has fed us so many fantastic looks. And in the ruthless world of red-carpet commentating, a meh Mikey Madison look hurts us more than whatever Scarlett Johansson was doing tonight.
Penélope Cruz in Chanel
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Cruz is always on the mood board, but this look is a bit matronly.
Margaret Qualley in Chanel
Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
We are a bit shocked by how boring this look is. Wasn’t Qualley supposed to be a fashion person? The hair is not saving it, either.
Anok Yai in Marni
Photo: Arturo Holmes/WireImage
What in the Project Runway? Yai deserves better.
Jeff Goldblum
Photo: Arturo Holmes/WireImage
Our favorite creepy uncle usually knows how to toe the line between tacky and suave. But this ensemble fell fully into the garish category for us.
Monica Barbaro in Dior
Photo: Frazer Harrison/WireImage
I left A Complete Unknown wondering if Barbaro is the most beautiful person ever to exist, which is why it pains me to place her here. I choose to blame Dior, which had a flop of a night across multiple looks.
Coco Gauff in Miu Miu
Photo: Arturo Holmes/WireImage
This is the Oscars, not prom! Her Rolex is a nice touch, though.
Benny Blanco
Photo: Getty Images
We love a supportive fiancé but why is he dressed like a magician?
