Our Picks For Best Dressed at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards

Last night’s red carpet at the 2014 Golden Globes was a pleasant rarity in that there were such few fashion missteps. Sure, Paula Patton looked like she’d gotten into a tussle with a queen-sized sheet and Drew Barrymore’s dress looked like a kindergarten arts and crafts project, but most attendees stunned and wowed with their dress choices. Black, white, and red gowns abounded, perhaps signaling a return to a more classic and minimalist era. And while some of the most stunning dresses incorporated high-high slits or plunging V-shaped necklines, they still managed to look elegant and demure, so that the sexier design elements merely added coquettish attitudes to otherwise simple and classic silhouettes, perfectly balancing restraint and coyness.

Below, find our list of fashion winners for the evening!

CATE BLANCHETT

Winner of the Best Actress in a Drama award for her role in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, Cate Blanchett looked ever so elegant in a black lace Armani Couture gown with a high scalloped neckline and an open back that plunged all the way down to her sacrum (the base of the spine). The gown’s sheer underlay, the asymmetrical cut of the short sleeves, and the ultra sexy back added a boudoir-worthy sexiness to this appeal that counteracted its otherwise classic Victorian quality. Because the dress made such an unforgettable statement, Blanchett kept the accessories at a minimum, primarily relying on a pair of diamond-encrusted, laurel wreath-shaped earrings from Chopard.

LUPITA NYONG’O

Simplicity at its most magnificent, Lupita Nyong’o’s Ralph Lauren cape dress was reminiscent of the white Tom Ford gown and cape ensemble Gwyneth Paltrow donned to the 2012 Academy Awards.  But unlike Paltrow’s ensemble, which constituted of a simple column gown with an asymmetrical neckline topped off with a cape, Nyong’o’s dress was technically a single piece. In other words, the cape-like back of the dress is built into the gown, a detail that’s particularly noticeable when you examine how the material drapes over the short sleeves, offering a peek-a-boo look at her long arms. Also, the off-the-shoulders cut of this Ralph Lauren number allows for a bit more skin to be revealed, allowing Nyong’o’s collarbones and her shoulders glisten. And, of course, the deep red shade works beautifully with Nyongo’s skin tone, making the dress appear all the more magical.

MARGOT ROBBIE

After watching Margot Robbie at the Golden Globes last night, I decided I desperately need to incorporate more lunges and squats into my fitness routine. It’s hard enough to pull off a white gown, but one with a glove-like fit? Most women would shudder at the thought. Robbie, however, looked like the most gorgeous of ingenues in her cream-colored Gucci gown, which had a V-shaped neckline and featured emerald-colored stones along the arm holes, the sides of the bodice and right below the bustline. The dress itself is at once minimalist and grand, the result of a simple and clean silhouette combined with sparse jeweled embellishments. And, while it has a thigh-high slit, the dress never feels tawdry — even on a woman as sexy as Robbie. But what had us most perplexed (and amazed) was how, as figure-hugging a number as this was, we never saw a panty line, a bra strap, or even a bit of bulging or bunched up material. A fit that impeccable is, in and of itself, worthy of an award!

LIZZY CAPLAN

Masters of Sex actress Lizzy Caplan opted for one of the more unusual and edgy gowns of the evening: an Emilio Pucci black silk gown with gold and platinum bead and crystal embroidery covering the long sleeves, the gown’s side panels, and the criss-crossed  straps forming an “X” shape along the chest area. The black-and-gold combination, combined with the geometric shapes created along the neckline and the V-shaped pattern created via the embroidery all work together to give this gown an Art Deco vibe that’s absolutely magnificent.

KATE MARA

Debuting her new platinum locks, House of Cards star Kate Mara looked statuesque in a J. Mendel Pre-Fall 2014 grey hammered satin gown. With a plunging neckline that reveals just the right amount of cleavage, this dress manages to fuse together the free-flowing quality of a Grecian-inspired number and the precise sculptural elements of a more futuristic design. If you examine the top half of the gown, you’ll notice the satin shimmers like molten metal, which itself creates a modern and space-aged vibe, which is magnified by the strong and sculptural shape of the sleeves. This material is draped so exquisitely that it converges right at her belly button, creating a starburst-like effect, with tiny pleats in angular lines radiating toward her hips and below her bust line. Undulating ruffles accentuate the hemline of the shimmering fabric used for the upper half of the gown, adding to its fluid appearance. And, like curtains, the material opens up to reveals a softer, paler gray fabric used for the column-like, floor-length skirt, which itself features delicate knife pleats that convey a softer, daintier, more classic feel.

JULIANNA MARGULIES

The Good Wife star looked like a princess in this black Andrew Gn gown, which features golden leaf designs all along the bottom of the skirt and the dainty cap sleeves. While some have called this a “miss,” I thought the dress has a Baroque quality that seemed fitting for Margulies, a woman with such poise and elegance that she practically seems to have emerged from a different era. Her side-swept hair and cat eye makeup, meanwhile, helped to channel screen siren Sophia Loren.

AMBER HEARD

Sure, the slit on Amber Heard’s dress seemed to rival that of Angelina Jolie’s gown at the 2012 Oscars (the very one that earned its own Twitter account, with the handle @angiesrightleg), but there’s no denying that she looked stunning in her navy blue Versace gown. Slit aside, part of what makes this dress so alluring is its intricate asymmetrical neckline, how one single broad strap reaches across the chest and hugs the neck before gracefully slithering down the back, also at a diagonal slant. The beautifully draped bodice and the ruffled accent along the hip add to the va-va-va-voom quality of this dress, which Heard magnified with her sultry updo. The entire look is so sex on a platter!

ELISABETH MOSS

Actress Elisabeth Moss took home an award for her work in the miniseries Top of the Lake last night, proving she’s got way more roles to tackle and really sink her teeth into than that of Peggy from Mad Men. Though she normally favors very feminine numbers, Moss shocked us last night with an edgy and slightly goth-flavored J. Mendel Pre-Fall 2014 gown in a vampy burgundy color. Featuring a black underlay, this intricately embroidered gown features graphic shapes — from diamonds to chevron stripes — for a truly bad-to-the-bone feel. Sure, it doesn’t seem quite fitting for Moss’ personality since she’s a bit too mild-mannered for such a bold look, but the dress is nevertheless a stunner.

KERRY WASHINGTON

Twitter practically exploded last night when the Scandal star stepped onto the red carpet with what she called “the best date ever”: the adorable bun in her oven! Though it’s almost a cliché to say that a pregnant women is glowing, Kerry Washington was, in fact, radiant last night. And, while any woman who has ever been pregnant will testify to the challenges of dressing fashionably as one’s bump grows, the expectant women on the red carpet last night managed to look fabulous and even outshine many of their ultra-slim counterparts with their flat abs, chiseled arms, shapely legs, and tight derrieres. Given how many women these days have a baby and then lock themselves in the gym in hopes of “bouncing back” as quickly as possible (think Kim Kardashian and Caroline Berg Eriksen), it was refreshing to see these actresses flaunt their bumps and remind us of the beauty of being pregnant and bringing life into the world. Ever the style icon, Washington opted for a simple, custom-made, white Balenciaga gown. Simple and chic, the sleeveless dress features a V-shaped neckline and a vest-like overlay along the top half of the gown, its two flaps secured by a diamond-studded brooch right at the center of her bosom, and then flaring outward at an asymmetrical angle, the edges of each flap undulating ever so slightly until the fabric reaches down to the hips.

OLIVIA WILDE

While Kerry Washington opted for a roomier gown in which to accommodate her baby bump (without, of course, making the mistake of donning a frumpy, sack-like garment), Wilde went for a flashier approach, selecting a long-sleeved, emerald green, sequin-encrusted Gucci gown that hugged her figure perfectly and brought attention to her lovely baby bump.  The dress is, by design, glitzy yet its silhouette is rather simple, so that there are no elaborate overlays or underlays, no cut-outs or slits, no mermaid tales or plunging necklines. In fact, it’s the fit and color that really make it memorable, but that simplicity is precisely its genius.

SOFIA VERGARA

As a whole, Sofia Vergara’s Zac Posen ball gown wasn’t necessarily a head turner. Sure, it was a pretty princess gown and that skirt was so voluminous that one has to wonder how exactly Vergara managed to squeeze into a limo, but the silhouette was far from novel. What makes this strapless dress work is simply Vergara’s slammin’ body. The neckline accentuates her own, uhm, “golden globes” and the bodice shows off her slim waistline, while the skirt is rather forgiving along the hips. Still, what really made this ensemble stand out was the statement necklace Vergara chose to accessorize the gown. Featuring turquoise stones and flower shapes, the necklace added a playfulness to the look and a much-needed jolt of color.

JULIE DELPY

I’ve never been particularly fond of Julie Delpy, but I do have to give the actress kudos for her dress choice at last night’s Golden Globes. Like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Taylor Swift, and Lupita Nyong’o, Delpy donned a scarlet-colored gown that was romantic and conjured up an old Hollywood sense of glamour. Designed by Romona Keveza, Delpy’s strapless gown features a pointed, triangular neckline that adds a bit of edge to an otherwise classic silhouette. The belted waist, meanwhile, is reminiscent of the Dior dress Jennifer Lawrence donned to the 2013 Golden Globe Awards.