Best and worst dressed celebs at the 2021 SAG Awards
The 27th Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards, which honours achievements in film and television, came and went like so many Covid-conscious A-list events before. Instead of red carpets, paparazzi, limousines and screaming fans, we got the usual dose of celebrities all dressed-up with literally nowhere to go.
We have to give it to these stars though: through thick and thin, Covid and the near end of the world, they still have a dedication not only to their craft but to fashion, getting all glammed up at home and showing off their outfits online.
With that in mind, here are the best and worst dressed celebs at the 2021 SAG Awards, which took place digitally on Sunday:
BEST DRESSED
CYNTHIA ERIVO
The British actress and singer Cynthia Erivo of Harriet fame has become one of our favourite red-carpet fashion icons. She once again knocked it out the park in a dreamy cream gown by Alexander McQueen.
With its draped skirt and corset-esque top, this dress is a thing of beauty in its own right, but it's the bad-ass choices the celeb's stylist made that really kicked things up a notch.
Erivo's bleached buzz-cut, dagger-like manicure and chunky black boots gave this look an unexpected edge — there's an interesting play between feminine and masculine elements here and we totally love it.
JURNEE SMOLLETT
If ever a dress deserved a strut down a paparazzo-lined red carpet, it's this larger-than-life Zuhair Murad number. While a real-life outing was sadly off the cards this year, the Birds of Prey actress did her best to bring some drama to the photo shoot she showed off on social media.
With her gelled-back hair, opulent jewels and fitted bodice with a sweetheart neckline, Jurnee Smollett looked equal parts demure and sexy in a fuchsia taffeta ball gown, which had been given a much-needed Gen-Z twist with the addition of an expertly draped 'mullet skirt'.
KALEY CUOCO
This award season has offered up a rather surprising fashion favourite: comedic actress Kaley Cuoco. Whether in a black suit or a princess gown, The Big Bang Theory's leading lady proves that sticking to one silhouette is boring and outdated.
At the SAG Awards, Cuoco stunned in a bright pink Prabal Gurung number. Feminine yet powerful, this dress packs a real punch with its over-sized sleeves and flower detail. Her matching lippy and glamorous earrings will certainly inspire prom-going teens for decades to come.
SPECIAL MENTION
KERRY WASHINGTON
We have to give credit where credit is due, and it’s due thanks to actress Kerry Washington’s eye for editorial photography. Anyone who willingly submerges a custom-made Etro dress and headpiece in water is a knockout in our books.
These brave and somewhat wasted-on-Instagram OOTD (outfit of the day) shots prove that there’s more to fashion than clothes. They also made us realise that perhaps the red carpet isn’t always the best place to show off designer outfits: sometimes they deserve to be photographed in beautiful and highly-stylised settings.
WORST DRESSED
VIOLA DAVIS
As the well-deserved winner of the SAG Award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Viola Davis deserved to bask in the glory of her talent. Sadly, her outfit proved to be an unwelcome distraction.
The styling may be impeccable — we love the bold pink lip and her bedazzled earrings work well with the chain-like details on the dress — but that neon green colour is frighteningly harsh. We wish the neckline was cut a little lower, as it’s matronly and makes the night’s big winner look uncomfortable.
It's not you Viola, it’s the dress. A sad no from us.
LILY COLLINS
The night’s biggest disappointment has to be Lily Collins, who plays the title character in Emily in Paris. Why oh why, when you have spent the last year plugging a series that celebrated fashion, would you opt for a look that is so dated and done?
The dress is immaculate and the details flawless. However, the entire look is drab, uninspiring and passé. The colour makes her look sallow and the shoes are embarrassingly outdated. Perhaps a pair of ankle boots and a leather jacket would’ve brought this look into the 21st century?
A highly stylised shoot may have helped to bring some life to this boring ensemble, but instead all we got to see on social media was Collins standing in front of a wooden wall looking like she’s ready for a night out in 2013.
EMMA CORRIN
We love stars who have a unique sense of style: individuals who don’t care for trends, who wear what they want to wear because they truly love a look. It’s not easy to find such celebs, but since Emma Corrin first entered our lives as the much-loved Princess Diana in The Crown, she has proven to be a rather dynamic fashionista.
Corrin takes fashion risks most people her age would never dream of taking and her choice of outfit for the SAG Awards was no exception — except this time she didn't quite pull it off.
This Prada number is a total 180 degrees from the outfits donned by the rest of the virtual-attendees. It’s simple to the point of boring and unique to the point of being odd. A cream lace dress with pale blue sleeves paired with a pleated-half skirt and combat boots is certainly creates an interesting ensemble, but it's also one that manages to be strange and drab all at once.