Golden Globes 2017: 4 fashion moments worth talking about

As awards-show season kicks into high gear, it’s time for another season of pretty starlets in pretty, unmemorable gowns and actors in a string of identical, improperly tailored tuxedos. And while there’s nothing wrong with standard red carpet fashion, it does have a tendency to get boring. So, as is our wont, let’s take a moment to celebrate a few of the brave souls who did something surprising on the red carpet at the 2017 Golden Globes.

Evan Rachel Wood

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Often when women do menswear on the red carpet, there’s an impulse to go very slinky. But Evan Rachel Wood decided to go dapper instead in her perfectly tailored tux, resulting in a look that’s full-on Marlene Dietrich.

It was an unusual choice for Wood, who has tended toward sequins and mermaid silhouettes in the past. She wanted to make a statement, she said:

I’ve been to the Globes six times. I’ve worn a dress every time. And I love dresses. I’m not trying to protest dresses. But I want to make sure that young girls and women know they aren’t a requirement and that you don’t have to wear one if you don’t want to. Just be yourself, because your worth is more than that.

Janelle Monáe

Photo by David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

In a role reversal, Janelle Monáe, reigning queen of dapper red carpet menswear, decided to go high femme at the Globes in her sparkly, tulle-heavy Armani Privé gown. What really elevates the look is the pearls dotting her hair, and how they’re reversed and mirrored in her polka-dotted skirt.

Emma Stone

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Emma Stone’s wildly underwritten character in La La Land became a real person primarily on the combined strength of Stone’s charm and her fantastic vintage wardrobe. Now Stone is continuing the trend of expository wardrobe into awards-show season. If ever there was a gown that said, “Hello! I am representing a movie about old Hollywood nostalgia and artistic dreamers,” it’s this starry, dreamy Valentino. It is also, for my money, the best iteration of the sparkly + pink trend that dominated the red carpet this year.

Ruth Negga

Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage

Ruth Negga is dressing like a cyborg about to go into battle, and I am here for it. That long stripe of exposed zipper down the front is the perfect finishing detail on this Louis Vuitton — that, and her severely chic slicked back hair.

This is just a taste of what’s to come

The Golden Globes may or may not predict the Oscars, but in terms of fashion, they tend to be just a warm-up act. Many of the biggest stars save their most elaborate looks for the more prestigious awards, and the Globes’ well-documented quirkiness and tendency toward drunkenness mean that they’re the place for second-tier wardrobe.

For our purposes, that’s both a good thing and a bad thing. Second-tier wardrobe tends to be less prestigious than top-tier, but it also gives people room to take risks. The Evan Rachel Woods of the world are much more likely to break out a tux in the relative safety of the Globes than they are at an event with the self-importance of the Oscars, where the pressure to put on a princess-y ballgown is immense.

But we can continue to hope and pray that come February 27, some brave soul will put an outfit that gives us all something to talk about.

We're here to shed some clarity

One of our core beliefs here at Vox is that everyone needs and deserves access to the information that helps them understand the world, regardless of whether they can pay for a subscription. With the 2024 election on the horizon, more people are turning to us for clear and balanced explanations of the issues and policies at stake. We’re so grateful that we’re on track to hit 85,000 contributions to the Vox Contributions program before the end of the year, which in turn helps us keep this work free. We need to add 2,500 contributions this month to hit that goal. Will you make a contribution today to help us hit this goal and support our policy coverage? Any amount helps.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via