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The 20 Best Golden Globes Dresses of all Time

Including sequins, silk and a baby bump

best golden globes dresses ever monroe johansson coolidge trio
Via Getty Images: Hulton Archive; Steve Granitz; Matt Winkelmeyer

Movies, music and Peak TV are well and good, but our favorite part of awards season is ogling the stunning dresses. So, we patiently wait for the 81th annual Golden Globe Awards—hosting duties are still up in the air, but the show is definitely airing on Sunday, January 7. This ceremony, the kick-off to awards season, is nicknamed "the party of the year" and has a Hollywood reputation as being the place where stars relax and hobnob, thanks to the more casual dinner theatre vibe in which stars cluster at tables overflowing with food and drink. And what a crowd this year: 2024 noms have major star power, including three songs from Barbie, Taylor Swift nominated in the cinematic and box office achievement categories, and Selena Gomez all in the mix. Plus, the Hollywood Reporter said that not only has the voting pool of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association evolved, but the show has new producers helming 72 live cameras to give CBS audiences an unprecedented look at the goings-on. And again...there will be 'FITS. With all that up ahead, let's indulge in a quick recap of the 20 best Golden Globes dresses of all time.

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Michael Ochs Archives/ Getty Images

1. Marilyn Monroe, 1962

The blonde bombshell collected the “Henrietta” award at the 1962 Globes wearing a sequined Norman Norell gown that’d be just as stylish now as it was then. 

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Ron Galella/Getty Images

2. Audrey Hepburn, 1990

The effortlessly chic 60-year-old Hepburn won the Cecil B. DeMille Award while wearing an elegant white silk sheath with exaggerated shoulders, courtesy of an unknown designer.

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Carlo Allegri/Getty Images

3. Jennifer Aniston, 2004

The same year Aniston said goodbye to Friends, she donned a stunning black Valentino gown that was both classic and daring. (Remember, this was, like, ten years before “side boob” was a thing.)

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Robert Gauthier/Getty Images

4. Nicole Kidman, 2005

Kidman peacocked, both literally and figuratively, when she snagged the award for Best Actress in a Drama Motion Picture in a slinky bias-cut Gucci number. The plume details and rich hue were an unexpected choice for an actress who typically goes neutral.

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Steve Granitz/Getty Images

5. Keira Knightley, 2006

We love how Knightley’s crepe satin Valentino pairs a simple column silhouette with a flashy kimono belt and tassels.

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Steve Granitz/Getty Images

6. Eva Mendes, 2009

Mendes frequently gravitates toward feminine pieces with flourish. This Christian Dior is proof that all white plus oversize bows need not look bridal.

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Getty Images

7. Angelina Jolie, 2011

Angie stole the show back in ’11 when she appeared like a Kelly green (Versace) goddess in a sea of black and white.

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8. Lupita Nyong'o, 2014

Who says you have to have superpowers to flaunt a cape? 

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Justin Moore/Getty Images

9. Julianne Moore, 2015

Sequins, feathers, sass…this Givenchy gown truly has everything. 

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10. Jennifer Lawrence, 2016

We love the way this Dior number plays with proportion and sex (those side cutouts!) and nods to the crop-top trend that seemed to be everywhere that year.

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Steve Granitz/Getty Images

11. Jessica Biel, 2017

It takes guts to rock a décolleté, and Jessica Biel did just that in this stunning Elie Saab ensemble.

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Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

12. Catherine Zeta-Jones, 2018

Although everyone wore black dresses to the 75th annual Golden Globes, Catherine Zeta-Jones’s sheer gown was undoubtedly memorable. 

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STEVE GRANITZ/GETTY IMAGES

13. Lady Gaga, 2019

Decked out in a lengthy train and matching bolero, a star was born in Lady Gaga’s Valentino Couture number at the 2019 Globes

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FRAZER HARRISON/GETTY IMAGES

14. Sandra Oh, 2019

Not only did Oh take home the award for Best Actress in a Drama TV Series for Killing Eve, but she also looked incredible in this white Atelier Versace.

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Steve Granitz/WireImage

15. Zoë Kravitz, 2020

Zoë Kravitz stepped out in a stunning gown by Saint Laurent and proved there’s no such thing as too many polka dots.

16. Anya Taylor-Joy, 2021

The Queen’s Gambit star turned heads in Dior Haute Couture—and we can see why. However, she didn’t get to walk the red carpet because it was a virtual ceremony.

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Steve Granitz / Getty Images

17. Scarlett Johansson, 2020

ScarJo not only lived up to her name in a crimson silk faille strapless gown from Vera Wang at the 2020 Globes, but also she gave us all a glimpse at her back tattoos, which show a branch of roses and a lamb.

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George Pimentel / Getty Images

18. Billy Porter, 2020

This Alex Vinash suit was custom-made for Billy Porter and took three months to design. It featured a custom feathered train that required an assistant to carry and arrange on the red carpet and that zipped off to allow the actor and singer to sit down.

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Steve Granitz / Getty Images

19. Natalie Portman, 2017

When Natalie Portman walked the red carpet in support of her nomination for Jackie, the biopic about Jackie Kennedy, she wore a yellow dress by Prada that channeled a famous gown that the First Lady wore in 1961. But we're seeing even older fashion echoes in the long-sleeved gown, which has an Empire waist that skillfully flatters the actress's baby bump: Portman is giving Elizabethan era elegance.

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Amy Sussman / Getty Images

20. Jennifer Coolidge, 2023

Accepting her award for best supporting actress in a limited series, the White Lotus star delivered a heartful speech that made show creator Mike White cry. Her sequin Dolce & Gabbana dress with a slightly off-the-shoulder neckline was a dignified yet snazzy backdrop to the engaging star's winning night.


lex

Cat mom, yogi, brunch enthusiast

Lex is an LA native who's deeply obsessed with picnics, Slim Aarons, rosé, Hollywood history and Joan Didion. She joined PureWow in early 2017.

dana dickey

Senior Editor

Dana Dickey is a PureWow Senior Editor, and during more than a decade in digital media, she has scoped out and tested top products and services across the lifestyle space...