Winter White Fashion Won Out at the 2024 Golden Globes

By now, we know fashion rules are irrelevant. Wear black and blue together, mix patterns, don’t worry about matching your bag with your shoes, and, of course, possibly most important, wear white after Labor Day. At this point, that old rule has been unheeded for years, rightfully so. Winter white has proven to be a beautiful option in cold months (and even in the not-so-cold months if you’re considering a light white sweater in, say, September or March). But if you don’t believe us, just ask the biggest names in television and movies. Because while color was present on the Golden Globes red carpet on Sunday night—with Margot Robbie representing Barbie in fuchsia and Taylor Swift arriving in an entrancing metallic green—it was white that proved to be the most popular choice of the evening, with over a dozen stars hitting the red carpet in variations on the hue.

Now, where to even begin? Perhaps with Natasha Lyonne, who wore a showstopping Schiaparelli haute couture dress covered in paillettes that climbed up past her bust in a hornlike structure and framed her face. Then there was Elle Fanning, who took a more demure approach compared to Lyonne’s Surrealist look. The Great star reminded us what true vintage looks like, embodying Grace Kelly in an ivory dress designed by Pierre Balmain himself. Greta Lee also seemed to embrace more of an Old Hollywood feel, in a white Loewe dress that evoked a modern Marilyn Monroe. Meanwhile, Keri Russell opted for something with a bit more of a casual undertone, looking incredibly chic in her own paillette-covered number from Jil Sander.

But those were hardly all the white gowns that passed by the paparazzi that night. Riley Keough looked like a Chanel bride in a white lace dress from the French house, while her Daisy Jones & the Six costar Camila Morrone could have easily met her at the altar in her simple white Givenchy. Elizabeth Olsen arrived in a corseted lace Vivienne Westwood gown, covered in ornate details at the bust. Gillian Anderson, meanwhile, used the white hue of her strapless Gabriela Hearst dress to add a secret message to her look, as a closer inspection revealed dozens of white embroidered yonis that blended right into the skirt, likely a nod to her sex therapist character on Sex Education.

Then there was Ali Wong, who accepted her first Golden Globe in a draped Dior Haute Couture number, and Lily Gladstone, who took the stage as a winner in a white Valentino dress, which she covered with a voluminous black shawl. Cailee Spaeny added some color to her white Miu Miu look with a subtle floral print, and while Hunter Schafer’s ethereal Prada moment might technically be very light pink, it’s close enough to include it in this roundup (and just too beautiful to ignore in general).

But it wasn’t just the women who avoided red wine all night out of fear of staining their pristine dresses. All-white took over menswear as well. Jonathan Bailey attended in a monochrome suit with wide-leg trousers courtesy of Givenchy, while nominee Andrew Scott almost matched him in Valentino. They were rounded out by Abbott Elementary star Chris Perfetti ,who decorated his white pinstriped Dolce & Gabbana suit with a black floral brooch that would have made Carrie Bradshaw swoon. In fact, the presence of three men in white on the same red carpet had some humming “You Don’t Own Me” while imagining the prospect of a gender-swapped remake of The First Wives Club.

It’s not that it’s completely surprising that so many stars chose to wear the same color to an event. There are only so many colors on the spectrum, and trends are bound to appear. Take red, which was also a popular hue for the night, showing up on Julianne Moore, Selena Gomez, Florence Pugh, Barry Keoghan, and many, many more. But white is a rare choice for many reasons. For one, it can easily be ruined by a rogue drop of soy sauce from your Nobu-catered dinner, and at an alcohol-fueled event like the Globes, spills are bound to happen. It can also be harder to make a statement in white than in, say, orange, like Issa Rae, or purple, like Oprah. Still, all of these actors proved that when done right, white can be just as impactful, and its unexpected nature, especially in January, makes it all the more delightful to see on the red carpet. We’ll have to wait and see if this trend continues into awards season, but considering it was close to oversaturation at the first event, we wouldn’t be surprised it stars steer away from the choice next time around.