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Three new style rules we can all learn from the Golden Globes 2023

There were a number of standout styles on last night's red carpet
There were a number of standout styles on last night's red carpet

The Golden Globes returned to our screens last night, and the red carpet did not disappoint. Bold colours, sequins and modern takes on tailoring were the standout styles, along with a few more surprising trends you might have missed – from the inclusion of pockets on dresses, to the noticeable absence of fake tan. Here, we decode last night’s key fashion moments.


Posh dresses have pockets too

The inclusion of pockets was the most low-key trend of the event, but arguably the most important. For centuries, functioning pockets have been an oversight in womenswear. As Christian Dior said in 1954: “Men have pockets to keep things in, women for decoration.”

The red carpet is the final frontier on this topic. Less about having somewhere to put your phone and keys, than a tool to help put the wearer at ease.

Look at Elizabeth Debicki, in pink Dior (now in its feminist Maria Grazia Chiuri era), Hannah Redmayne in Valentino (Pierpaolo Piccioli has been dubbed the The Patron Saint of Pockets), and Hilary Swank in Prada (Miuccia has always been ahead of the curve).

For all three, the hand-in-pocket pose made for the best photos. Why? It lends a nonchalance to the look, while the bend in the arm makes it appear more toned. Suddenly they are wearing the dress, not the other way around, and a potential miss turns into a red-carpet hit.

Tamara Abraham, fashion editor

Elizabeth Debicki in Dior - Daniele Venturelli
Elizabeth Debicki in Dior - Daniele Venturelli
Hannah Redmayne in Valentino - Caroline Brehman
Hannah Redmayne in Valentino - Caroline Brehman
Hilary Swank in Prada - Daniele Venturelli
Hilary Swank in Prada - Daniele Venturelli

Farewell golden glow

Ten years ago, when no actress would have braved the photographers’ flashing lights without a top-toe golden glow (the art of which became a noughties phenomenon), the “celebrity tanner” rose to the top of every A-lister’s glam squad, from the tangerine-hued Christina Aguilera to more unassuming fake tanners like Jennifer Aniston and Sienna Miller

Hand in hand with the no make-up makeup trend that is coming back strong for 2023, bodies were noticeably untouched by DHA (the active ingredient in most self-tanning products that provides the pigment).

Anya Taylor-Joy was a vision of porcelain accentuated by her lemon satin two piece, while Michelle Williams and Lily James shone without adorning so much as their clavicles in bronze shimmer.

Compare the tawny-legged Heidi Klum, who clearly didn’t get the memo, to a minimalist Debicki, and the model-turned-presenter stands out as the lone ranger in a sea of understated complexions. Farewell golden glow, we’ll meet again in 2030.

Annabel Jones, beauty editor at large

Michelle Williams - Frederic J. Brown
Michelle Williams - Frederic J. Brown
Anya Taylor-Joy - Daniele Venturelli
Anya Taylor-Joy - Daniele Venturelli
Lily James - Mario Anzuoni
Lily James - Mario Anzuoni

The red-carpet dandies

Put the stately black tuxedo on hold for the moment; after virtual awards shows and a timid approach to red-carpet dressing, the boys are finally making a statement. Normally it’s the gowns that garner attention, but at the Golden Globes the merry men of the red carpet more than held their own in standout evening wear that was dandified and dressy.

Yes there were ample black tuxedos – the failsafe fallback for most men – but actors like Seth Rogan, Donald Glover, Eddie Redmayne and Andrew Garfield (who’s fast carving a niche for himself as The Most Stylish Leading Man around) upped the ante in bold, impactful outfits.

The latter’s rust-toned Zegna tuxedo takes a classic and injects it with vivid colour and vim, while a newly svelte Rogan continues to have great fun with fashion in a peach Valentino tux.

Stephen Doig, Men's Style Editor & Assistant Luxury Editor

Seth Rogen in peach Dior - Daniele Venturelli
Seth Rogen in peach Dior - Daniele Venturelli
Eddie Redmayne in a chocolate Valentino suit with a corsage - Jordan Strauss
Eddie Redmayne in a chocolate Valentino suit with a corsage - Jordan Strauss
Donald Glover in Saint Laurent satin separates - Monica Schipper
Donald Glover in Saint Laurent satin separates - Monica Schipper