The 2023 Golden Globes started this year’s award season off with a bang on Jan. 10. This award show often predicts the trends that will most likely continue at other award shows, or what we hope will not be repeated later in the year. However, I found this year’s outfits to be far more elegant and striking than many other red carpets in the past. The stars that we all know and love pulled out all the stops for this year’s show after no red carpet last year. Due to the controversy surrounding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (H.F.P.A.), the group of journalists that vote on the awards, the Golden Globes were not broadcast and were cut down to only a select group attending. Therefore, this year had much more anticipation to see what styles celebrities are going to be wearing this season. 

There were two main trends I saw on the carpet this year, with the first being almost purely monochromatic black with some vintage, gothic glamor-inspired looks. Many of this year’s attendees flaunted Victorian-esque outfits that featured sequins, tulle and vampirish gowns and tuxedos that I found to be very elegant. The most eye-catching from this category of outfits was Daisy Edgar Jones. Jones’s look blew me away, in her Gucci dress that featured an elegant bodice that flowed into a beautiful tulle skirt. Not the most conventional of dresses, but paired with her stunning updo, it was a breathtaking look. 

Jones was not the only one to take the red carpet by storm in this style. Jamie Lee Curtis and Liza Koshy wore similar mesh-heavy, embroidered black pieces. Other notable looks include Natasha Leone, Jennifer Coolidge and Jessica Chastain who all wore striking, goth-inspired outfits. Although Chastain’s outfit is not black, the spider-like pattern displayed on the dress gave more of a mysterious, gothic impression. On the monochromatic side, Colman Domingo and Jeremy Pope sported stately, all-black suits. I was especially impressed by Domingo’s look, with the black diamonds that were featured all over his tux, something I had never seen done before, and thought it added more character to his overall appearance. 

Another trend that I noted while looking at the plethora of outfits was the recurring theme of pastels. I was surprised at the surplus of muted blues, yellows and especially pinks that appeared on the red carpet this year. It highly contrasts with the other major theme of gothic glamor and is not a typical trend to see on the red carpet. However, there was a bountiful number of dazzling pastel-centered looks. 

Pink was a very popular color for the stars this year. Starting strong, Margot Robbie wowed in a couture Chanel dress with a tulle skirt, similar to Jones. Billy Porter had an astounding Christian Siriano tuxedo that flowed into a dress. Elizabeth Debicki and Julia Warner were stunning in their elegant pink dresses. I especially loved the simplicity of Debicki’s look but enjoyed the tasteful ruffles that Warner’s outfit featured. However, my personal favorite of all the pink looks was Seth Rogen. Although not the most complex outfit, his pastel suit radiated old Hollywood. 

Although not pink, Ayo Edebiri’s pastel blue dress paired with mustard yellow gloves, while unconventional, was a beautiful combination. Also in pastels include familiar faces such as Laverne Cox, Anna Taylor-Joy and Kaley Cuoco whose brightly colored outfits shined on the red carpet. 

Overall, I found this year’s looks to be intriguing and masterful. There was not very much overlap between the two themes, however, there were some outliers such as Letitia Wright and Jenna Ortega whose looks were independently stunning. I searched through pictures online, trying to find one I could genuinely critique but found nothing. This year’s Golden Globes red carpet hosted some of the best looks I have seen. This could be due to the fact there was no chance for these actors to shine last year, causing them to go for broke with this year’s fashion. 

This surplus of wondrous looks leads to a true struggle to name just one person “Best Dressed.” Everyone has different stylistic opinions, but after surveying the celebrities who attended, I landed on Ana de Armas’ look being my favorite. I enjoy the simplicity of her white and black Louis Vuitton dress. The dress possesses a sense of sophistication with the patterned panel on the front and the lack of distracting jewelry. I was struck by how astounding she looked in something that should have been perhaps less in vogue. Armas, however, did not fail to leave a lasting impression on this year’s Golden Globes.