Fashion
The 19 Outfits That Defined 2024
From Hunter Schafer’s moody couture to Paul Mescal’s thigh-baring shorts.
We pride ourselves on having consummate taste when it comes to fashion. Our roundup of the outfits of the year, however, is not about who had the best style, but rather who grabbed headlines and the public’s consciousness, if only for a brief moment. So, with that in mind, we put our heads together over in-person and informal Slack chats to narrow down the past 346 or so days into the 19 most memorable looks — including a spoon top to innumerable Rihanna ‘fits — that will live in infamy in this unofficial fashion history of 2024.
Addison Rae’s Star-Making Moment
Addison Rae’s duo of songs released this year, “Diet Pepsi” and “Aquamarine,” proved she has a lot more to say — and so did her fashion. This custom Miss Claire Sullivan worn at the VMAs, complete ith a swan tutu and lumpy bra, was so wrong it’s right — but the best accessory was her glowing aura.
Hunter Schafer’s Couture Knockout
For the Berlin premiere of her thriller Cuckoo, Schafer wore a look from John Galliano’s Maison Margiela Artisanal collection. The jaw-dropping couture show was inspired by ‘30s Brassaï photographs and the night-crawlers of Paris, which Schafer embodied handily with dramatic makeup, a moody pout, and wind-swept hair.
Chappell Roan’s Lady Liberty
After declaring herself “your favorite artist’s favorite artist,” Roan made good on that promise with a star-making string of exquisitely dressed festival appearances. Her Gov Ball performance started with her emerging from a broken apple in Lady Liberty drag, smoking a joint and watching over one of the festival’s largest crowds in history, with several wardrobe malfunctions ensuing. Nevertheless, her commitment to the bit made up for it.
Charli XCX & Lorde’s Bougie New York Linkup
As “Girl, so confusing” says: “People say we’re alike / they say we’ve got the same hair.” At the sold-out Sweat tour stop at Madison Square Garden, however, Lorde and Charli XCX had the same hosiery dress, sunnies, and furs, all Saint Laurent, to perform the most bracingly honest pop song of the year.
Chloë Sevigny’s Mood-Defining Errands Look
Never has post-election woe looked so good on anyone. One of our best-dressed ladies of the year continues to redefine what low-key schlepping fashion can be.
Taylor Swift’s Bejeweled Couture
Swift picked up her third Album of the Year Grammy Award wearing custom Schiaparelli — and heads turned because this was a rare miss for the French couture house. Whether or not it worked is besides the point, as both her stacks of jewelry and opera-length gloves inspired red-carpet looks for the rest of the year.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet Stage Look
The “Please, Please, Please” singer brought sexy back on her own terms in bedazzled, cheeky looks on tour all year, with lots of leg and a return to the opulence of retro stage costumes.
Troye Sivan’s Sexy Chaps
The “Rush” singer and Sweat tour co-headliner turned out slutty, dance-ready looks for the whole run of shows, and this crystallized chap/jockstrap combo was slightly off — but worked for him.
Zendaya’s Cinematic Graphic Shirt
The $650 T-shirt from Challengers that couldn’t stay on Loewe’s shelves, inspired by John F. Kennedy Jr.’s identical shirt from the ‘90s. Fashion is nothing if not a circle.
Beyoncé’s Western Get-Up
The Cowboy Carter era has seen Beyoncé shying away from the public eye more than ever before. So, when she showed up to the iHeartRadio Music Awards in April in this custom Versace leather-cowboy fever dream, we took it all in for its country-ified goodness.
Paul Mescal’s Short-Shorts
The leading man of Gladiator II is embracing a more, er, sensual side of fashion with mini knit sweaters and, of course, shorts that show off his Spartan legs with ease.
King Kylie’s Fashion-Month Fairytale Ending
Kylie Jenner bested her sister by doing what many models only dream of: closing out Fashion Month. She made her runway debut for Coperni at Disneyland Paris, sashaying with a confidence that clearly runs in the family.
Kirsten Dunst & Hollywood’s New Favorite Red Carpet
The Academy Museum Gala had more attendees than Getty Images knew what to do with, and celebs took the non-award event as a chance to play around and have fun. This resulted in some of the best looks of the year, including the aging-backwards Kirsten Dunst in chocolate-brown Gucci.
Nicola Coughlan’s Themed Gown
Coughlan has been embraced by high fashion for her no-nonsense approach to glamor. This custom Rodarte will go down in our history books as the best homage to Bridgerton fashion of the year.
Kendall Jenner’s (Almost) Record-Breaking Dress
This archival Givenchy FW99 gown, designed by Alexander McQueen, was one of our favorite looks from the Met Gala red carpet, and while Jenner claimed to be the first person to wear it, it was quickly debunked with photos of Winona Ryder in the same gown. Nevertheless, being second-best isn’t that bad.
Rihanna’s Final-Boss Fur
In a fall season packed to the gills with archival looks, furs, and shearlings, Rihanna won the race in this extremely rare Christian Lacroix look, replete with a wrap fur dress and matching hat, to accompany her mans to the 2024 Fashion Awards. She gives a whole new meaning to “deep cut” when it comes to vintage pulls.
Timmy & Z’s Twinning Moment
Two of the film industry’s most beautiful faces in matching biker jumpsuits to promote Dune: Part Two was a dose of fashion kismet that we’re still riding the high of.
Jenna Ortega’s Pitch-Perfect Thom Browne
The rise of method dressing has us missing when people just dressed well, but Ortega’s homage to the original Beetlejuice was so well-executed, we could only sit back and applaud.
