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Fashion
We’re Halfway Through Awards Season — Here’s Our Updated Best-Dressed Power Ranking
Spoiler alert: The top spot hasn’t changed.
We made it to 2026, and it’s not only the coldest winter in recent memory: It’s a winter full of awards — and the dresses worn to accept them. Long gone are the days of celebrities, say, buying several dresses for promotional junkets and calling on designers for one special gown. No: We are in the midst of a custom-clothing boon, with A-listers signaling both their immaculate taste and ties to specific luxury houses with bespoke clothing for all manner of events, from the smallest of dinners all the way to the Oscars.
It’s a little more than halfway through our favorite season (awards) and we have the Academy Award nominations. In the next few weeks, stars will dash from London for the BAFTAs to Los Angeles for the Actor Awards and do a bit more promoting in the hopes of securing a beautiful gold Oscar. With more dresses and suits than we know what to do with in the rearview mirror, we’re taking stock of the best-dressed girls and guys before we head into the last half of the season. A reminder that our list is, of course, entirely subjective, unscientific, and vibes-based. With that in mind, keep scrolling to see who’s ben hitting the right marks so far.
10Timothée Chalamet
Previous ranking: 9
The man behind the most viral movie marketing of the year knows his fashion. As his buzzcut grows out, he’s sticking to the same double-breasted silhouette for most of his public outings, like this brown Givenchy by Sarah Burton suit that delivers on his style ethos. It’s simple, roomy, modern, and uncomplicated.
09Rose Byrne
Previous ranking: N/A
Byrne snagged her first-ever Oscar nomination for her chaotic mom turn in If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You, and also got her first placement on our list with this jaw-dropping Loewe dress. Her effortful, intentional fashion has never looked better, and we’re placing bets on another solid Loewe moment before the Academy Awards next month.
08Jacob Elordi
Previous ranking: N/A
Not only is Elordi a first-time Oscar nominee with his role as the monster in Frankenstein, he’s also launching his blockbuster-hunk era as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. He’s a Bottega Veneta baddie through and through, wearing almost exclusively Louise Trotter’s dapper designs, and it’s virtually impossible for him to look bad in anything. (This look isn’t technically from an awards ceremony (forgive us) but he looks too d*mn good not to include.)
07Renate Reinsve
Previous ranking: 4
The Norwegian actor best known for her work with Joachim Trier is back with a tear-jerking performance in Sentimental Value — which we think will get her an Oscar nom — and more delicious fashion moments. Her relationship with Louis Vuitton means lots of custom dresses that are works of architecture in themselves, and she’s become something of a bastion of minimalism. This milkmaid-chic Calvin Klein isn’t the most flattering, but it somehow works on her.
06Emma Stone
Previous ranking: 8
Stone is now in the all-time greats conversation (if she wasn’t already previously) with her fifth acting nomination at the Oscars. She’s also climbing the ranks of our power ranking with her straightforward take on red carpets this season, with nary a necklace in sight. It works for her simple hair and makup looks, and it works for us.
05Chase Infiniti
Previous ranking: 6
One of the prettiest faces of the moment, and of the awards season, is a Louis Vuitton girl through and through. While her Golden Globes sculptural Vuitton moment made our best-dressed list, she’s delighted at every turn with fashion that is playful and dramatic. I haven’t stopped thinking about this bohemian Bode that was a refreshing counterpoint to all the gorgeous satin she’s been rocking lately.
04Tessa Thompson
Previous ranking: 5
Just like that weird Taylor Swift lyric about Charlie Puth, we declared Tessa Thompson should be a bigger artist. Her street style has directly informed our shopping habits this fall, and on the red carpet, she brings an old-school flair and penchant for drama to every look. She was the best-dressed star at Tory Burch’s New York Fashion Week show, and stylist Karla Welch snagged this Collina Strada dress off the Fall/Winter 2026 runway for Thompson to make her own at the Indie Spirit Awards three days after it walked.
03Eva Victor
Previous ranking: 3
Victor’s directorial debut, Sorry, Baby, is one of NYLON’s favorite films of the year, and their streamlined approach to dressing has found its fit with both Loewe and stylist Danielle Goldberg. They won big at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, scooping Best Screenplay (and Naomi Ackie took home Best Supporting Performance for her turn in Victor’s movie), and winning the carpet with this archival Donna Karan gray. It’s subtle yet effective fashion that emphasizes Victor’s beauty without overwhelming them.
02Elle Fanning
Previous ranking: 2
Fanning, like Reinsve, delivers a grounded, striking performance in Sentimental Value, and also knows how important humanity is in her fashion. She’s previously debuted Sarah Burton’s Givenchy at the Oscars and has ties to brands like Coach and Gucci, but she’s not afraid to play the field, something that works in her favor. All her looks have an air of Old Hollywood about them, but she brings them into the 21st century with modern glam and just the right touch of accessories. See: This sash-belted Givenchy by Sarah Burton worn to the Oscars nominees luncheon, kept low-key with her unfussy hair and makeup.
01Teyana Taylor
Previous ranking: 1
Nobody is having more fun shapeshifting for every premiere, event, and award ceremony this season than Taylor. She goes from vixen to fashion darling and back again, showing off her infamous washboard abs — and genuine love for fashion. This Tamara Ralph couture dress is part Barbie, part sculpture, and gets a retro touch with her flipped-up bob. We delight in the surprise of her next move, always.
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