Oscars 2023: Best/Worst Dressed

Story posted March 24, 2023 in Arts & Entertainment by Commradio Staff.

Best- Cara Delevingne

Cara Delevigne hasn’t been on a Best Dressed list in what feels like years, but this Elie Saab look is bringing her back.

Elie Saab really hit it out of the park for the Oscars, as Saab designs were also worn by Miranda Kerr, Suki Waterhouse, and Monica Barbaro, but Delevingne’s look was the best.

The model and actress is not a stranger to walking a carpet – or a runway – and this look made her look like a pro. The bright red, one-shoulder dress with a leg slit that goes all the way up is the best Delevingne has looked in a long time, and she really does look stunning.

The dress is very long, which helps illustrate Delevingne’s long legs and matching red heels, and has an exaggerated bow on its one shoulder. The bright color stands out against the champagne-colored carpet, as The Academy opted out of a traditional red.

Delevingne has had many controversial red carpet looks, but this definitely isn’t one of them. It is truly one of her best and, hopefully, most memorable. – Izzy Charboneau

Worst- Allison Williams

This Giambattista Valli dress was one of the worst looks of the night, which is a shame because it could have been such a good look.

The “M3GAN” actress wore a nude, sheer long-sleeved dress with pink and silver floral designs on it, and the bottom was hemmed with white feathers. This part of the look was gorgeous, but it was unfortunately ruined by the giant pink coat attached to the back of it that just sort of looked like she was carrying a duvet cover around.

Williams’ hair and makeup are stunning, but it just looked like she was drowning in tulle that she should have dropped. It was a very bold statement for Valli to make, but it kind of fell flat.

Valli also designed the dresses worn by Sandra Oh and Sofia Carson, which have also received mixed reviews. Williams’ pink look and Oh’s yellow were both bold color choices by the designer as well. – Izzy Charboneau

Best - Emily Blunt

It’s almost impossible for Emily Blunt to appear on a red carpet and not make the event's best-dressed list.

Blunt looked elegant as ever in a sleek and stunning white Valentino dress. The off-the-shoulder neckline helped make this simple look more memorable and suited Blunt's frame well.

Blunt's classic beauty was on full display, paired with slick-back hair and simple makeup. The pink rain-drop-like statement earrings made the look flashy enough for Hollywood's most glamorous night.

Blunt is always appropriately dressed, and given that she was a presenter, not a part of any nominated projects this year, the simple but elegant look was the perfect pick. -Sophia D’Ovidio

Worst- Elizabeth Banks

Elizabeth Banks was an entertaining addition to Sunday’s ceremony as she presented alongside “Cocaine Bear.”

However, Banks's dress wasn’t a fun addition to the carpet.

The gown wasn’t the right fit for Banks’s frame and honestly looked like she was drowning among all the excess fabric. Whatever geometric silhouette the designer Vivienne Westwood Bespoke was attempting didn’t fit Banks' rather petite figure.

Banks was even tripped while going up to present, so whether it was Cocaine Bear or the gown, the dress wasn’t a good enough look to warrant almost falling at the Academy Awards. -Sophia D’Ovidio

Best- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Finally something other than a plain black suit, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson showed up to the Oscars looking Oscar-worthy dressed in Dolce & Gabbana.

To match and complement the champagne red carpet for the 2023 awards ceremony, he wore a satin, salmon-colored tux jacket with a black bow tie. He pushed the limits and wore something unlike everyone else and looked proud throughout the night.

The contrast of the black with the salmon-colored satin is very appealing to the eye. An honorable mention for the Rock’s outfit was him next to Emily Blunt while presenting the first award.

The Rock showed that even with a muscular build, he can look dainty, elegant and can play with feminine elements to create a spectacular red carpet look. 

Best- Lady Gaga

Everything about Lady Gaga during the 2023 Oscars was fabulous. This elegant look, styled by Versace, is all about balance. Lady Gaga wore a unique detailed dress that was monotone in black and brought the dramatics with bold makeup but had a slick hairstyle.

Her revealing, but covered-up dress showed something different on this year's red carpet. It was strong and structured but also flowed and was soft. Lady Gaga accessorized with silver crystals which elevated the look and made the look older to match her age.

The triangle-shaped chest on her dress could possibly be an ode to her past fashion style of pushing the limits and dressing avant-garde.

Lady Gaga, as always, dresses stylish, elegant, and sophisticated, but stays true to herself by not sticking to trending silhouettes or conventional makeup. She is one celebrity that consistently dresses to impress and makes it seem effortless.

Worst- Florence Pugh

Florence Pugh is a rising celebrity who is a classic and natural beauty, but unfortunately, nothing about her look at the 2023 Oscars complemented her true beauty.

Florence Pugh dressed in Valentino showed up to the Oscars in biker shorts, a deflated parachute, and dramatic heels with a busy hairstyle. Pugh had too much going on for this look to be successful.

Nothing about this look was flattering or impressive. She needed to look in the mirror and take a few things away from this red carpet look.

It seems like Pugh wants to be a style icon and test out-of-the-box gowns, but nothing so far has been successful. It might be correct to assume that her fans are waiting for her to lean into her natural beauty instead of her attempting to make a fashion statement by taking risks.

Sometimes playing it safe isn’t always successful, and Pugh might be learning this. The shoes were different, the dress was different, and biker shorts were different, the hair was different and the large statement necklace didn’t help flatter the already overly busy look.

Pugh is overwhelmingly beautiful, but nothing about her 2023 Oscar look showed off her beauty.

Worst- Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria did not impress anyone with her elevated taste at this year’s Oscars. Longoria was dressed by fashion designer, Zuhair Murad, who is well known for his glamorous and coveted bridal gowns.

The Oscars isn’t the place for a dramatic wedding dress, especially one with this many different things going on. For the Oscars and red carpets, when competing to look the best, celebrities should be more willing to dress simply and let their natural beauty take control.

This dress had a high neck-necklace feature while being a low cut top, as well as long sleeves that also puffed out, not to mention the dress was bedazzled head to toe in a tribal-inspired pattern.

Nothing about Longoria’s red carpet look was simple or relaxing to look at. Her beauty was only shown through her flawless hair and makeup, but the over-the-top wedding dress did not complement the style choices of the wet-slicked hairstyle or ‘natural’ makeup look. -Natalie Simone

Izzy Charboneau is a second-year student majoring in digital and print journalism and political science. To contact her, email ijc5186@psu.edu.

Sophia D’Ovidio is a second-year majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact her, email sgd5184@psu.edu.

Natalie Simone is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email nvs5790@psu.edu.