Fashionista's 28 Best-Dressed Celebrities of 2018

Did your fave make the cut?

It’s been a long 12 months, and before we kick 2018 to the curb, we're looking back at all of the most memorable, game-changing fashion and beauty things that went down. Follow along with us as we look back at the year in review.

As you may recall (or may not, since it feels like it was about 20 years ago), red carpet fashion got off to a dark, but powerful start this year. In support for the industry-changing Time's Up initiative, celebrities rallied together and wore all black to the January Golden Globes. Things have undoubtedly gotten much more colorful since then, but the event seemed to kick off a way of dressing for the red carpet that feels more empowered, inclusive and personal.

Meanwhile, new designers at big design houses like Givenchy and Celine (no é) brought excitement to the red carpet, as did rising style stars like Ezra Miller, Sadie Sink, Gemma Chan and Timothée Chalamet. Your longtime faves Alexa Chung, Dakota Johnson, Rihanna and Margot Robbie majorly delivered, as well. And you better believe we already published an entire essay on 2018's undisputed style star, Tracee Ellis Ross.

Without further ado, read on for our 28 picks for the year's best-dressed celebrities, including credit where it's due to their incredibly hard-working stylists.

Tracee Ellis Ross

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Tracee Ellis Ross and her stylist Karla Welch could do no wrong this year. She was the clear best-dressed pick at every red carpet event she attended (a lot), never shying away from an explosion of voluminous fabric, but looking just as incredible in a sleek suit, pulling all of it off with the grace and poise of a supermodel, and the excitement of someone who knows and loves fashion.

Tessa Thompson

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Rising styling duo Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald killed it with their longtime client Tessa Thompson, who had a busy year promoting projects like "Creed II," "Westworld," "Annihilation" and "Sorry to Bother You." She regularly wears the most bold pieces from runway designer collections where less adventurous celebrities would have chosen a safer design, and does it with aplomb.

Alexa Chung

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It was a big year for perennial "It" Brit Alexa Chung as her namesake clothing line really took off. Embracing this new role as a business owner seems to have influenced her red carpet style, which took a slightly more mature, elegant turn this year with a preference for suits and tea-length dresses. Still, Chung's penchants for smaller brands with whimsical design touches remained.

Bella Hadid

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Our own Alyssa Vingan said it best time and time again this year: DAMN, BELLA. With her figure and bone structure that defy all logic and an inspiring air of confidence and positivity (and top-notch stylists Elizabeth Sulcer and Mimi Cuttrell), Bella Hadid looked just as incredible in a a cocktail dress as she did in a men's suit as she did in a skin-tight, virtually sheer get-up that barely registered as clothing at all. 

Zoë Kravitz

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Zoë Kravitz's looks probably inspired the most "ughhh I just want to be her"-type reactions from the Fashionista team this year. With help from stylist Andrew Mukamal, she regularly managed to strike the right balance between cool-as-fuck and elegant on the red carpet.

Harry Styles

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Our feelings about Harry Styles have been well-documented on this website, and the pop star's inevitable relationship with Gucci continued to yield some incredible suit looks this year, most of them seen in action on stage. We obviously can't wait for next year's Met Gala, for which Styles and his co-chair Alessandro Michele will surely cook up something unforgettable for the red carpet.

Kacey Musgraves

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We've come to love Kacey Musgraves' vibe-y, retro-tinged performance and red-carpet looks just as much as her beautiful, instant-classic album "Golden Hour." Whether it's a sparkly Juicy Couture jumpsuit or a sleek, fitted Versace suit, stylist Erica Cloud brings a thoughtful approach to dressing her that's just perfect for the occasion and leaves a lasting impression.

Hari Nef

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Another friend of Gucci's Alessandro Michele, Hari Nef is regularly one of the coolest girls on the red carpet in the designer's vintage-inspired prairie dresses.

Yara Shahidi

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In addition to starring in what was arguably the year's most stylish television show, "Grown-ish," and going to Harvard, 18-year-old Yara Shahidi made time for some flawless red carpet looks in 2018. You can tell she genuinely loves fashion, and stylist Jason Bolden does an excellent job of allowing the brilliant teen's sprit and personality to shine through while clearly indulging her love of ultra-girly pieces (a stark contrast to her off-duty uniform of sweatsuits).

Michelle Obama

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We've sorely missed seeing former First Lady Michelle Obama on a regular basis, but feel so #blessed for her recent book tour, which proves that if you thought all pantsuits were boring, you weren't looking hard enough.

Dakota Johnson

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Dakota Johnson has never worn a tea- or floor-length dress with a fitted waist that didn't make our collective jaw drop. (Her recent shorter Celine look worked quite well, too.) Longtime stylist Kate Young clearly knows what works for the movie star, who tends to let her dresses speak for themselves without too many impeding, fussy accessories or overdone hair and makeup.

Jonah Hill

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Coinciding with his evolution from comedic actor to serious filmmaker, Jonah Hill's style has become a point of obsession for menswear enthusiasts, inspiring an Instagram handle, a million GQ articles and an annual gathering of his style stans called Jonah Hill Day, which Hill himself attended this year. It's his individualistic leaving-the-gym outfits that tend to get the most praise, often comprising of an Online Ceramics tee, gym shorts, Adidas sneakers and, sometimes, a sleek overcoat. His red-carpet style is a bit more subdued, but no less excellent.

Timothée Chalamet

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While 2017 blessed us with the arrival of Timothée Chalamet as a breakout star in awards season stalwart "Call Me By Your Name," it was the 2018 red carpet circuit that solidified him as a style star to watch. Few male celebrities are so unafraid of a daring suit choice (or look so good in a suit).

Cardi B

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This felt like the year fashion really embraced Cardi B, and Cardi B embraced it right back. She made the fashion month rounds, holding her own in the front row, channeled an iconic Linda Evangelista look, had some very chic baby bump moments and helped make this year's Harper's Bazaar Icons party one of the most memorable of all time.

Lady Gaga

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You never know what you're going to get out of a Lady Gaga press tour, but you know it won't be boring. From her impactful Marc Jacobs suit at the Elle Women in Hollywood event, to the show-stopping gowns she wore throughout appearances for "A Star Is Born," this felt like Gaga's most mature and classically glamorous era yet.

Laura Harrier

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With an aesthetically perfect Cannes tour under her belt, not to mention the press tour for "BlacKkKlansman," Laura Harrier — with help from stylist Danielle Nachmani — solidified herself as a fashion darling this year. Watch out for this beauty at Met Galas, in front rows and on best-dressed lists for years to come.

Aidy Bryant

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"Saturday Night Live" favorite Aidy Bryant lights up our television screens every weekend with recurring characters like, most recently, Sarah Huckabee Sanders. But outside of 30 Rock, she favors looks with ultra-femme, sophisticated and girlish charm, often working with stylist and costume designer Remy Pearce. Her April nuptials to fellow comedy writer Conner O'Malley provided a healthy dose of wedding inspiration, wearing a midi-length, long-sleeved frock with pink satin Prada platforms.

Sadie Sink

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This "Stranger Things" actress was a clear breakout style star this year, and probably also helped make Molly Dickson a breakout stylist. It's always worth taking note when someone has this much style — and access to Chanel — at age 16.

Ezra Miller

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Wondering where the hell Ezra Miller came from, with his otherworldly red carpet looks during the "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald" press tour? Our best guess: the future. Stylist Jason Rembert has helped turn the actor into one of the most avant-garde, boundary-pushing celebrities we've ever seen on the red carpet, and we're here for it. He practically makes Cate Blanchett look basic.

Janelle Monáe

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2018 was a big year for Janelle Monáe and her aesthetic. She released the seminal album and "emotion picture" "Dirty Computer" and widened the scope of her wardrobe to include more than black and white — though there was still plenty of that, too, and she continued to find new ways to use it with help from stylist Alexandra Mandelkorn. She's perhaps the best example on this list of using fashion to express herself, always with thrilling results.

Troye Sivan

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2018 breakout star Troye Sivan has mastered the art of developing a unique, fashion-forward aesthetic without really wearing anything that one might define as "over the top." Whether in fitted jeans and a leather jacket or a loose-fitting suit, he maintains a certain effortless cool that never crosses over into the "slob" look some other male stars seem to get away with.

Rihanna

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That said, no one is cooler than Rihanna, and — with aid from stylist Mel Ottenberg — she more than kept up that reputation in 2018, as her beauty and lingerie businesses got bigger than ever. No one else could pull off that Pope-inspired Met Gala look (courtesy of Maison Margiela) or that matching snakeskin mini-dress and bucket hat ensemble the way she did.

Saoirse Ronan

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Along with Timothée Chalamet, Saoirse Ronan is helping the argument that getting a 2018 Oscar nomination and being in "Lady Bird" equates to excellent red-carpet style. Okay, it may also be that Ronan has great taste, perfected by her stylist Elizabeth Saltzman, who helps her take calculated fashion risks that always pay off.

Rami Malek

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Putting aside our personal feelings about Rami Malek (which we definitely always do for Harry Styles, too!), his red-carpet style throughout this year was excellent. Stylist Ilaria Urbinati always helps looks comfortable and himself, not like someone dressed him up against his will, which is occasionally the case with men (and women, too), let's be real.

Margot Robbie

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Margot Robbie never fails to take our breath away on the red carpet. Part of that is due to her natural beauty; the other is due to her work with stylist Kate Young, who regularly manages to put her in romantic white dresses without making her look like a bride.

Donald Glover

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Have we mentioned how jealous we are of Ilaria Urbinati with this clientele? Donald Glover kicked his style up a notch this year, nailing subtly retro, pantsuited looks that felt more mature than what we'd seen the actor-slash-musician in before — perhaps to correlate with the more serious turn his music took.

Gemma Chan

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This stunning "Crazy Rich Asians" star seemed to come out of nowhere with some of the chicest red carpet looks of the year, and we're optimistic that there's more to come, beginning with the "Mary Queen of Scots" press tour she's currently on along side Margot Robbie and Saoirse Ronan.

A$AP Rocky

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We thoroughly appreciate A$AP Rocky's unabashed and authentic love of luxury fashion and true dedication to a complete look. He's easily one of the most influential men in the game and has been for some time.

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