The Best Dressed From the Neck Up at the 2021 Critics Choice Awards

By Joan Summers | March 8, 2021 | 5:25pm

Entertainment

The Best Dressed From the Neck Up at the 2021 Critics Choice Awards

It was the Critics’ Choice Awards Sunday night! Everyone clap. Despite working in this industry for over a year, I still have no idea why we give the critics an awards show, or if anybody even watches this thing. Who cares! Keep clapping.

Keeping in mind the pomp and circumstance that such an awards show demands from its audience, it’s with a heavy heart that I must also admit that I am too poor to afford the fancy photos from it, most likely because photos of people standing around as people do, and not over Zoom or whatever, are in high demand these days.

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As such, this will not be the “best dressed” of the night. Instead, I will be focusing on who looks the best dressed exclusively from the neck and shoulders up. Congrats, coronavirus! You’ve officially broken this fashion blogger’s will to live.

First up we’ve got Dominique Fishback, star of Judas and the Black Messiah, wearing Reem Acra. I won’t pretend like I have very much affection for the prom-dress adjacent brand—at least these days—but Fishback looks utterly radiant. Good job, Reem!

Next up is Yara Shahidi, in Dior Haute Couture. Like… of course this look is sublime, right? Between the twists and pops of color in the updo, to the embroidery on the bodice, to the reversal of more modern trends, where instead of a ballooning shoulder, the gown balloons at the sleeve. It all works well! Mostly because the greater part of my enemy Maria Grazia Chiuri’s design is hidden beneath the camera. But from what I can see—bravo!

Randomly, hunk-about-town Steven Yeun did not get screenshotted via Zoom, but had a whole photoshoot in a blank cyclorama—photo speak for big white room—with his dogs. I’ll take it.

The least Sacha Baron Cohen could have done for Maria Bakalova, after everything she endured in Borat Subsequent Movie Film, is to ensure she got something stunning to wear to the Awards circuit this year. Whoever her stylists are—you almost got there! The Lorraine Schwartz headband is a nice touch, as is the glued-down-to-the-scalp bang she has going on. But my god, does that little black Prada dress all but disappear on a Zoom call. She wore it the best she possibly could, however, and so for that, I give Bakalova two thumbs up.

Despite the predictability of the dress, there is something glamorous here!

I mean, it’s Angela Bassett in a pantsuit with makeup and hair so effortless I almost want to cry. Actually, I am crying. It’s like she just popped on something sparkly to wear and was like, “This is good,” and still looked better than almost all of her peers.

The Crown star Emma Corrin really wore up the fashions this go-round. Wow! This is Schiapparelli, obviously, and it’s perfect. It’s nice to see something from the famed couturier that isn’t reliant on taffeta and pleating.

My god, Daniel Roseberry is legitimately trying to kill me.

Freak superstar and 2020’s most notable streaming actress Anya Taylor-Joy wore one of the uglier dresses from Maria Grazia Chiuri’s iteration of Dior Haute Couture. Thankfully, I can’t see it, except for the sleeves here. And let me tell all of you—it’s fabulous… specifically from the arms and neck up. The makeup is impeccable!

I honestly think dressing ugly on purpose, because you just can’t be fucked, while your ex-fiancé runs around with an international pop star, is actually kind of hot and cool? More people should do it like Jason Sudeikis.

I would legitimately die for Catherine O’Hara. I mean it, I really would. What else is left to say? She looks perfect, although I would have pulled her hair up and back, maybe, and given her a crown.

At first I thought this was a bathrobe, and then I thought it was sweats. Either would be fine! Then, suddenly, I realized it’s like, something that is supposed to be fashion? Oh no…

This is an unnaturally pared-back look for Zendaya! After dozens of immaculate concepts and FASHIONS on red carpets worldwide, I think she deserves a pass for this little strappy Valentino number.

I have legitimately no idea what Leslie Odom Jr. is wearing? But I applaud him for the concept, honestly, even if it failed in the execution. At least it was something!

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