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Culture > Entertainment

Fashion Recap: Worst-Dressed Celebrities at the 2024 Oscars

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at PSU chapter.

I’ve always appreciated the glitz and glamour of the Oscars, so in my opinion, the red carpet has come to represent sophistication and fashion.

For me as a young woman who values fashion highly, seeing the stars’ outfit selections at this distinguished event has always been fascinating. But sometimes, even the most renowned celebrities fall short under the glare of high-end dresses and bold accessories.

As someone who has been a longtime fan of the Oscars, I couldn’t help but notice some of the celebrities’ wardrobe errors of judgment at the 2024 event.

These examples of fashion catastrophes were striking against the sparkling red carpet background, with mismatched color schemes and perplexing shapes among them.

Explore what went wrong on Hollywood’s most prestigious stage as we examine the worst-dressed looks of the evening and dive into the world of celebrity fashion.

Erika Alexander

Let’s examine Erika Alexander’s Oscars combination in more detail.

Her outfit had a lot of designs and was rather busy, maybe too much for the situation. The gloves didn’t quite go with the breezy vibe of the outfit and felt a little too formal. What about that necklace? In terms of fashion, it seemed to echo back to an earlier period of 2016.

All in all, Erika generally nails her appearance, but this one may have fallen a little short. Hopefully, Erika’s next red carpet appearance will have her beloved unique charm.

Julanne Hough

Next let’s examine Julianne Hough’s Oscars outfit.

She made a daring choice by dressing in a white couture jumpsuit with a dazzling metallic neckline in gold and silver. The true head-scratcher, though, were those billowy trousers. They had more of a “too much fabric” sense than sleek and stylish, perhaps reaching for flashy.

Not only did the pants fail to create the appearance of a gown, but they also failed to produce the sophisticated impression she may have been aiming for.

Although we admire Julianne for taking a chance, this ensemble might have benefited from a little more delicacy and moderation. After all, when it comes to red carpet style, sometimes less really is more.

emily blunt

Emily is normally flawless on the red carpet, but this time, she fell short.

This is where things get interesting: She was dressed in a floor-length champagne gown. The outfit was embellished with a structured tank strap that hung over her torso and an illusion of men’s underwear. It seems like something out of the wildest dreams of fashion designers, don’t you think?

In actuality, though, it wasn’t quite successful. The shoulder straps that hung loosely over her? It’s kind of strange. And the lower portion of her gown—that silhouette resembling a man’s briefs? To put it mildly, it wasn’t the most attractive appearance on her.

Sometimes, despite a designer’s belief in meticulous attention to detail, things just don’t work out the way they should.

laura karpman

As the composer of “American Fiction” and a finalist for Best Original Score, Laura Karpman made waves at the Oscars with her unorthodox look, but perhaps not for the best reasons.

She chose to pair her silver and sequined outfit with a purple and sequined Cadbury Dairy Milk handbag. That wouldn’t be a bad fashion choice in and of itself, but here’s the real tea: the purse was full of chocolates, which she then threw to the cameras on the carpet.

Though I admit that I like an appetizing bite just as much as the next person, the Oscars red carpet isn’t exactly the appropriate setting for an item with a candy theme.

Even though she may have meant it to be humorous, it came off as tacky rather than elegant.

Melissa Mccarthy

For all the wrong reasons, Melissa McCarthy’s ensemble attracted notice.

With her long trail like a theatrical curtain, her tight red gown had enormous pink balloon sleeves. Despite accessorizing with an abundance of jewelry and red shoes, her appearance resembled a costume rather than an elegant red carpet ensemble.

That reminded me of Disney’s Ursula, I’ve been saying. On my list of “worst dressed” for the evening, McCarthy’s outfit didn’t go down that well overall.

dwayne johnson

To put it mildly, Dwayne Johnson’s Oscars ensemble was a little off.

He chose a Dolce & Gabbana shining silver suit that didn’t appear to go with the theme of the occasion. It appeared more like something from a science fiction film than a red carpet occasion. Then there was this burgundy scarf underneath, which left everyone perplexed—was it meant to be a shirt or a scarf?

I was not impressed with the ensemble as a whole, and I didn’t think it looked well.

Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande’s Oscars outfit didn’t exactly live up to expectations.

Choosing a custom-made, soft pink Giambattista Valli gown, the whole look was unable to entirely highlight Grande’s beauty. Rather than bringing out her natural beauty, the light pink hue contrasted with her blonde hair, making her look washed out.

Furthermore, the dress’s dramatic details—such as its lengthy train and huge balloon sleeves—overpowered her small frame and made her appear drowning in fabric rather than confident and poised. When combined with her characteristic curls, the whole look was unimpressive and didn’t have the intended impression on the red carpet.

Florence pugh

Florence Pugh looked amazing at the Oscars, but perhaps not in the greatest manner.

She looked amazing in this pale grayish-blue dress from Del Core’s spring 2024 collection, which defied gravity with its spaghetti straps. It was reminiscent of Emily Blunt’s unsuccessful style. The dress included some interesting features, such as a little peplum and a transparent, jeweled corset, but the straps were simply tacky.

However, I have to give her credit for pulling off the Madonna hairstyle from the 1990s; it was the standout feature of her appearance!

margot robbie

Margot Robbie’s look at the Oscars got a lot of attention, but not necessarily for the right reasons.

She wore this simple black Versace gown that hugged her hips and didn’t have much else going on. Some people online were speculating if her low-key outfit was her way of protesting not getting nominated for Best Actress.

While the dress did show off her figure and all, it felt like something was missing without any accessories or extra glam.

I get that she kind of looked like an Oscar statue herself, but for me, it just didn’t cut it and ended up on my worst-dressed list for the night.

Sanda Hüller

The German actress, nominated for Best Actress and star of two of the night’s biggest contenders, made quite an impression at the Oscars.

She was wearing a special Schiaparelli dress in black velvet with an off-the-shoulder neckline that was incredibly daring and an hourglass shape. It also had a sophisticated keyhole feature. She also wore a stunning necklace from Cartier, which included 392 diamonds on it.

However, I didn’t think the off-the-shoulder neckline was fitting; it felt a little costume-like and resembled bat wings.

I felt that the outfit lacked something, even with all the flash and glamour, and it lacked the elegance I had anticipated for such a significant occasion.

Rachel is currently navigating her way through her third year at Pennsylvania State University. Born and raised in picturesque Bucks County, Pennsylvania, She has got a bit of that small-town charm in my roots. One of her favorite pastimes is delving into the captivating worlds of romantic comedies and mysteries through the pages of books. Rachel finds joy in staying in the loop with the ever-evolving contexts of Generation Z by exploring various social media platforms. Family and friends are the heartbeat of her life, and she relishes every moment spent with them. Whether it's the comfort of familiar faces or embarking on new adventures together, these connections are what truly matter to her. Now, here's a quirky tidbit about Rachel: she possess the somewhat unusual talent of reciting any line from the TV show Friends, and it all starts with the first hint of a sentence. Friends isn't just a show to her; it's a personal favorite that has subtly woven its influence into her personality and sense of humor, shaping her in ways she might not even realize. Life is a journey, and Rachel is embracing every twist and turn it brings!