The SAG Awards’ best & worst dressed

At the 2023 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, the decoration of our on-screen favourites was highly anticipated—but before that begins, the real fun starts on the red carpet.

My expectations were lowered after the anticlimactic couture moments of last year's Met Gala, but designers and stylists stepped it up a few notches. I was pleasantly surprised by the iota of fashion faux pas on the carpet at this event.

A few stars stood out amongst the glitz and glamour—for the good and bad.

Starting off with a controversial pick—leading both the tops of best and worst dressed lists across fashion editorials everywhere—is Everything Everywhere All at Once’s Michelle Yeoh in Schiaparelli Couture.

Yeoh’s gown was unusual, offbeat, and eccentric, and wouldn't work on just anyone. However, Yeoh’s natural composure juxtaposed the piece in such a way that the idiosyncrasy seemed intentional. She tops my list.

The next actress on my list rarely (if ever) falls on any worst-dressed list. Whether it's due to an uber-talented stylist or the fact that she could wear a paper bag and pull it off, Zendaya steals the spotlight on the red carpet.

The Euphoria and Spider-Man starlet adorned a strapless pink custom Valentino gown covered in delicate, beautiful roses. The shade of pink complemented her complexion perfectly and the silver jewelry on her neck, wrist, and hand was exquisitely balanced.

Pulling off a yellow dress isn’t always easy, but for a success story, look no further than Niecy Nash-Betts. This actress turned heads in a canary yellow custom Vera Wang gown and effortlessly chic silver and diamond-encrusted accessories. The discreet monotone belt cinched the actress in a most flattering way, and the delicate sheer mesh of the skirt trailed behind her as she walked arm in arm with complimentary-dressed wife Jessica Betts.

If you’re wondering who was wearing the outfit I wish I could have worn to this exclusive event, look toward Ant-Man and the Wasp’sKathryn Newton wearing Carolina Herrera.

The starlet’s stunning lilac gown with a sheer black bustier and trimming was the most elegantly youthful look on the carpet. The simple hair and makeup and delicate matching pointed-toed heels had an ethereal quality that made her look like a princess.

While the outfits men wear at award shows are rarely something to write home about, a couple actors rose to the occasion and made the cut this time around. Both Barry Keoghan and category winner Ke Huy Quan strutted the carpet in stylish suits.

Keoghan sported an all-white geometrically layered suit and pants combo, complemented by a monochrome tie, a pair of shiny brown oxfords, and a white Omega timepiece.

Quan was smartly dressed in a navy blue and black Gucci tux decorated with a snazzy De Beers brooch, a pair of trendy Oliver Peoples glasses, and a curiously droopy bow tie, emulating a similar quirky-yet-sophisticated vibe as co-star Michelle Yeoh.

While the good outweighed the bad, there were still a few questionable outfits.

Joely Fisher comes first on the worst dressed list, wearing a tragically unflattering voluminous, emerald-green gown with large geometric sleeve caps and oddly shaped ruffles running down the bodice. The dress looked like it was worn to a prom in the 80s, and it probably would’ve made the worst-dressed list then, too. Sorry!

While Nash gave us an example of how to wear a yellow dress, Claire Foy gives us an example of how not to. 

This Prada dress gave the vibe of someone trying to create a dress from memory, with no idea of how proportion and measurements worked. The deep plunge ended unflatteringly in the middle of Foy’s torso to meet a seam meant cinch the gown in the middle but, instead, made it look lumpy. The formless skirt lacked any shape, ending abruptly and bluntly at the floor.

While Foy is naturally radiant, the shade of yellow washed her out.

Irish actress Jessie Buckley looked like a knight’s squire in a crinkled aluminum dress and pageboy haircut. A cinched side attempted to give the dress some shape, but ultimately didn’t make it look like anything but a tinfoil arts and craft project.

Underdressed is an understatement for Damien Young and Hong Chau, who clearly didn’t understand the dress code.

Young wore a drastically mismatched outfit, pairing a velvety blue-grey suit jacket with a pair of lilac pants, electric blue espadrilles, and a red belt. It looked like someone had randomized a Sim, and then probably deleted the game. 

Chau was photographed in lingerie and a sparkly skirt. While she would look right at home at a slumber party or a nightclub, I’m not sure her attire was award-show-appropriate.

Overall, the bar was raised on this red carpet. With the Oscars coming up, you can count on my fingers being crossed it’s met once again—if not raised even higher!