Best Dressed of January 2016

 Well we have the first Best Dressed list for a month. Just as a friendly reminder I don't include the major red carpets that I cover in different capacities over the blog, like the Golden Globe or SAG Awards, so that I can allow for some of the other beautiful looks that grace red carpets around the world. Topping the Best Dressed of January list is Dakota Johnson who was so flirty and feminine on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon wearing a Gucci Spring 2016 RTW cocktail dress. I have been on one side or the other but I finally believe that Dakota Johnson is finding her red carpet footing on the red carpet and I am starting to love her almost every time that she steps out. This was the look that firmly cemented her in my one to watch podium.

 When Awards Season 2016 kicked off at the Palm Springs International Awards Gala I was very taken by Cate Blanchett in her custom Marc Jacobs gown. I found this vintage inspired gown to be something that Cate was absolutely enchanting wearing. Since then I have been very let down by Cate and I am hoping that she gets back on her red carpet footing before the Academy Awards at the end of this month. 

Jourdan Dunn earns her first post on the blog in a coveted Best Dressed spot thanks to her absolutely beautiful Burberry look that she wore to sit front row at the Burberry Fall 2016 Menswear presentation. I love everything about this look from the fur vest to the olive shirt dress to the strappy Burberry sandals and the absolutely stunning hair and makeup. Sometimes front row fashions can go too over the top but this look feels authentic to Jourdan's personal style. 

Last year through awards season Rosamund Pike really didn't wow me but I was finally blown away by one of her look with this sizzling crimson Azzedine Alaia gown which she wore to the IWC 'Come Fly with us' Gala Dinner. This gown mixed chic sex appeal with classic glamour. I am usually not a fan of Alaia on the red carpet but this gown was one of the absolutely best Alaia moments on the red carpet ever. 

 Alicia Vikander has been consistently showing up on the red carpets this awards season looking absolutely fabulous. While her Golden Globes and SAG Awards gowns might have been dictated to be Louis Vuitton based on her contract Alicia strays from the brand for some of the smaller red carpet parties. For the W Magazine celebration of the 'Best Performances' Portfolio and The Golden Globes Alicia wore a stunning Marc Jacobs Resort 2016 abstract floral print cocktail dress. I love that Alicia gives me a varied number of different styles of looks so it was hard picking which of her looks was going to feature on this list and this Marc Jacobs dress just took the cake.

The People's Choice Awards are usually a more laid back and and casual event so when major movie star Kate Hudson stepped out I was extremely intrigued to see what she was going to be wearing. The strapless ivory Stella McCartney tuxedo inspired jumpsuit that she wore for the red carpet was something that really spoke to me. I love to see Kate in these relaxed high glam type of looks as her boho glam type of style really shows through in this type of look. 

December was really a great month for Star Wars: The Force Awakens breakout star Daisy Ridley and I actually made an exception to add this stunning purple Jason Wu Pre-Fall 2016 floral gown which she wore to the films premiere in Tokyo as she wore it after my Best Dressed of the Year list was posted but still before the first of the year. Daisy has already cemented her fashionista credentials by wearing looks from coveted brands like Chanel, Dior and Giambattista Valli but it was this complicated gown that I only pictured Diane Kruger pulling off that really made Daisy the "It" girl for me. I am kinda hoping that she gets the call to present at the Oscars.

Tessa Thompson knows exactly what to do to blow me away for a major movie premiere. She took one of my favorite gowns from the Marc Jacobs Spring 2016 RTW collection and went all old Hollywood with the styling letting the abstract gown do all of the talking for the London premiere of Creed. I had high expectations for Tessa for this premiere and she definitely did not let me down. 

The addition of Diane Kruger to this list for her stunning Giambattista Valli Spring 2015 Couture cocktail dress worn to the Sidaction Gala might be a little self serving because I posted a prediction just the day before that she would wear this on the red carpet on Pinterest and I love when my wishes come true. Diane always knows how to work a more complicated look and this definitely could have gone in a bad direction but her classic styling with pulled back waves, red lip, silver clutch, and strappy Giambattista Valli sandals just ensured that this was a stunning look on Diane.

I welcome Gigi Hadid to the ranks of women who have made it to my Best Dressed list with her wearing one of my favorite looks from the Sally Lapointe Pre-Fall 2016 collection for the 'The Power Of Colors' MAYBELLINE New York Make-Up Runway show. As it was an event for Maybelline, which Gigi is a face of, her hair and makeup were on point and I do not begrudge her pointed pumps with the feathered details of the gown. Gigi took this complicated gown and wore it with such ease that it was simple for me to award her a spot on this list. 

Who was your best dressed? You can see all the looks that I considered for this list over on my Facebook page, and I would love to know who is on your list.