Oscars, Best Dressed, 2026

   

Finished my final project before the official Spring Break - woo hoo!

Now ... onto Oscars attire.

I have to say, this year was the return of elegance overall - and our eyes are grateful.

This year was about black and/or white, sometimes with floral prints, or about jewel tones -  all of the above with or without feathers somewhere -  as well as showing off that (mostly loaned) bling! 

There was also a minimalist trend, but some of them look like they literally pinned up their silk sheets as a dress!

Now, when I do my Oscars Best-Dressed List, for the women, I don't just choose the stars, I choose everyone I saw that I could name, including people's dates, etc. And I choose things that I would actually wear (if I could pull it off lol).

I'm not a fan of the feathers thing, unless they're in the right place?

I don't know, they remind me of those old redneck roach clips from the 80s lol.

Also, let me just say this - ladies of a certain age?

You don't wanna do feathers near your face - they age you. I don't know why that is, I can't explain that phenomenon, but it's true. 

At the cuffs, the hemline or the train, separating the upper half from lower, and maybe at the shoulders - but not near the face. 

Some of these dresses have feathers, but in the right place. IMO, most of them could've left them off and they'd be just as stunning if not more so.

I can rarely pick a favorite, and these are in no particular order (although you'll see a lot of Dior, one of my faves).

Without further ado, the ladies ...

Elle Fanning -  in Dior, of course - classic 50s Dior style.

The dress looks like something Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn would've chosen, right?

It perhaps could've been in another color (or she could've have gone with honey-blonde hair instead of near platinum blonde) because it does wash her out a bit, but still stunning.

Rose Byrne - Dior.

Anne Hathaway wore similar, but I think Rose interpreted the better overall look. IMO, Anne missed the mark a tad .. she didn't get it lol.

Zendaya - - Louis Vuitton

Rocking not only that 30s-ish Louis Vuitton, but that new nearly $200K engagement ring from Tom Holland (though upcoming costar and friend, Robert Pattinson, was her Oscar date).

I love Zendaya, she has the cutest personality and she believes in herself without being arrogant. She's like "I think I'll try this now," and she usually succeeds because she has no fear of failure or doesn't care, she just moves on to try something else.

Tom Holland, too, is the cutest, they have very compatible personalities, and he can dance, woooo, can he dance! Zendaya can too, but he was classically trained and can do it all, while also being very athletic. 

Zendaya and Tom Holland are adorable, and I wish them the best!

Charithra Chandan - Miss Sohee

Stunning in Emerald, and IMO, nobody rocks the bling better than people with darker skin - it really becomes it's intended statement piece.

For example ... 

Priyanka Chopra-Jones - Dior.  

The dress itself is fairly minimalist and it fits her perfectly, and the draping adds some flare  - but it's really the statement-piece necklace that makes the look pop, right?

 Could've done without the feathers at the slit at the leg, but that's the thing, this year. 

Li Jun Li - Gaurav Gupta 

I love, love, love this one because looks vintage, but also ... not. 

It's like something a designer in the 50s would've imagined for the future, like mid-century modern, right?

In fact, Li's dress - and Marsai's dress below - might be tied for my favorites?

I'm just not sure it was fitted/tailored for her properly, is the only drawback.

Or it could be that the designers forgot to show her how to stand and display it for photos? 

Ya can't just stand there with your hands on your hips, like you're about to scold your kids for photos, that's not gonna work lol.

Designers are supposed to show you how to stand, how they want the dress displayed, and either they forgot, she forgot, or she just didn't want to lol.

Teyana Taylor - Chanel

If you're gonna wear feathers, THIS is the right way to do it! 

Of course, very few have a figure like Teyana to rock it like this, either.

Marsai Martin - Christian Siriano

This dress is the one, as mentioned above under Li Jung Li's, that could have actually possibly tied for my favorite, but the "dog collar" look of the necklace detracted a bit, am I right? 

  

Ava DuVernay -  Louis Vuitton. 

I could've sworn this was a vintage Oscar de La Renta from the 80s (except he didn't do midnight blue then) or a Dior from the 50s, but nope - it's Vuitton.

Zuri Hall - Celia Kritharioti. 

There's something very flamenco or even tango about this dress, right? I love it!

And can I just say that I'm really glad to see so many Indian designers, this year - because if you've ever seen/been to an Indian wedding with the bride and guests wearing luxury sarees and lenghas, you know that nobody does design for the female body like Indian designers.

Speaking of lehengas ... 

Gracie Abrams - Chanel

She was on many best-dressed lists, this year, but I'm not sure many are aware that the basic design is based on an Indian Lehenga. 

Yes, a liiiitttle bit of cultural appropriation there, but it worked for her. Might have worked even better in a brighter color, but I think she was going for the black/white contrast look, with her pale skin doing the "white" work as contrast.

Anne Hathaway - Valentino. 

Speaking of black and white contrast looks - yes, it's similar to Rose Byrne's Dior, but I think Rose wore the look better. As much as I love gloves, they just didn't work with this gown, for me, and something about the height of Anne's partial updo actually detracted from the look, am I right?

Miyako Belizzo - vintage Christian Dior, 1999. 

Can I just say I love it that she said "Eh, eff the trends, I'm gonna wear what I like, vintage Dior from '99" - and I'm glad she did, this fits her perfectly and is stunning!

Barbie Ferreira - Zac Posen for Gap. 

That's right, this cobalt blue stunner was actually designed by a designer with The Gap companies!

Now - I'm not going to do a worst-dressed list because it's kinda mean, but I will say this ... 

Though some put her on their best-dressed list, IMO, if anyone in the room  - especially blunt men -  exclaims "What the F? She looks like a plant!" like my husband did about Demi Moore's dress?

Then you probably shouldn't wear it unless you WANT that reaction - or it's a theme party or an art performance or exhibit?  😂

(I'd say more Ursula the Sea Witch, only skinny, but ... yeah.)

Not that we dress just to impress men, we also dress because of way it makes us feel and if WE like the way we look - but that's just not a good reaction to get from anyone, right? 

If the feathers were gone, it would've been stunning!

And again, like I said, you would think with her obsession with looking younger - much like her character in The Substance - she would've understood the feathers up top like that ages the face!

She's ordinarily a fashion icon, so we'll give her a pass, but yikes!

Okay, on to ... The Men

This year, good news - men's lapel brooches are back!

As are pocket chains.

Both can be very elegant, when not overdone.

(Not digging the huge swirls and flowers, though, I gotta be honest).

Monochrome is still a thing - some can pull it off, some can't.

So without further ado ... 

Not only did Michael Jordan win Best Actor, but IMO, he also gets my vote for best dressed in this modern Louis Vuitton tux with Mandarin collar and pocket chain.

Nobody else even came close or wore anything remotely similar! 

(Although the pocket chains are a thing, right now, as well as men's brooches).

Shaboozey's Victorian-esque Campillo tux complete with Newmarket wing-tip collar would have been my favorite - except for the shoes!  

And yes, I know the shoes are Christian Laboutin, but it's just a personal thing -  I don't care for contrast two-toned dress shoes on men, for some reason?

He is also wearing pocket chains and a brooch, which actually looks very elegant on men (if not overdone).

Hudson Williams in a monochrome laydown-collared Balenciaga and brooch.

Javier Bardem, with or without the "No War" pins, in a satin-lapeled, monochrome laydown-collared Armani.

Benicio del Toro, also rocking the satin-lapeled, laydown-collared monochrome Armani, but with shades. 

Chase Stokes - Dunhill. Never in my life would I ever thought I would've said I'd like a full velvet suit, - maybe just the jacket at most  - but the full monty works for him!. 

Not sure about the shirt, though, it's kind of ... anti-climactic. It looks kinda like he just stuck a department-store oxford button-down under there, it's ... boring. 

He could've done more with the collar? Even just unbuttoning it a bit, an open collar, would've worked, as some are doing with the tux lately?

Or maybe even a small tasteful lapel brooch would've worked to detract from the boring shirt lol.

Chris Evans, in a more traditional, classic Armani tux - but with flat Satin lapels - and shades!

And there you have it, my picks for best dressed at the 98th Academy Awards!