Edgy Glamour: The Best Dressed Women at the Critics Choice Awards 2026

Skin, structure, restraint, and reveal—these women defined glamour in their own ways.

By Sean Castelo III January 05, 2026

Awards season has entered its interesting part, where red carpets are showcased and experienced with differing styles of their celebrated talents. The 31st Critics Choice Awards doubled down on a version of glamour that didn’t agree on one idea of beauty. Edgy glamour, here, wasn’t loud. It was soft, sometimes sensual, sometimes severe, often all at once.

Chase Infiniti

Infiniti arrived like a modern statue with her butter-yellow two-piece look: a slinky, floor-length skirt grounding the look, while an artful, avant-gardeAvant-GardeExperimental fashion that pushes boundaries and challenges conventional ideas of shape, material, and beauty. Avant-garde designers treat clothing as art, presenting sculptural silhouettes and unexpected textures on runways, and theirGo to Avant-Garde Glossary crop top curved and twisted above it.

Mia Goth in Dior

Goth took a different route, one that relied on classic beauty. Her off-the-shoulderOff-the-ShoulderA neckline that sits below the shoulders, leaving the shoulders and upper arms exposed. Seen in tops, dresses, and gowns, the off-the-shoulder style is romantic and feminine, draws attention toGo to Off-the-Shoulder Glossary white gown draped with a severity, its simplicity doing the unsettling work she’s known for onscreen.

Elle Fanning in Ralph Lauren

Fanning leaned into bombshell territory. Her plunging, gold-hued gown nodded to old Hollywood glamour while letting the neckline do the heavy lifting.

Teyana Taylor

Taylor reminded everyone that tailoring can be seductive. A double-breasted jacket extended into a small feathered cape, paired with matching trousers and a striped tie. The look played with masculine codes and sealed with Tiffany & Co. jewelry.

Natasha Lyonne in Celine

Lyonne brought her signature nonchalance in a sequined jumpsuitJumpsuitA one-piece garment that joins a top and trousers, available in fitted, relaxed, sleeveless, or long-sleeved versions. Once workwear, the jumpsuit is now a versatile fashion staple that suits everythingGo to Jumpsuit Glossary that flirted with illusion—reading as a full-length gown until it didn’t. Paired with circular shades and her unmistakable red curls, the look landed somewhere between rock-and-roll relic and downtown myth.

Britt Lower in Bottega Veneta

Lower leaned into texture and mystery. A creamy, backless top masqueraded as a dress from the front, dissolving into trousers at the back. The effect was subtle yet magnetic, especially with her Tiffany & Co. jewelry.

EJAE

EJAE chose focus over excess in a corseted black gown rendered in luxe satin. The silhouette was undeniably striking with no distractions, no detours.

Meghann Fahy in Ludovic de Saint Sernin

Fahy was a modern siren in a sparkling black halter-neck dress. The cut revealed, the shimmer tempted, and the overall effect felt sensual.

Taken together, these women didn’t chase one idea of glamour. Some revealed, others withheld. What emerged was a contrast—by choice, by tension, by fashion that understands how to keep the eye interested. Edgy glamour, it turns out, thrives in the space between expectation and refusal.

Photos: RED CARPETRed CarpetThe high-profile arrival area at premieres, award ceremonies, and galas, where celebrities pose in carefully chosen fashion for photographers. Red carpet looks generate headlines, define trends, and elevate designers, andGo to Red Carpet Glossary SPACE (via Instagram), THE WALL GROUP (via Instagram), WHAT THE FROCK (via Reddit), and MEDIA FOR UPDATES (via X)