The Best Dressed Celebrities of 2009
By Sarah Stefanson December 28, 2009
Photo: Anne Hathaway at 2009 Oscars, Wikimedia Commons
It’s been an interesting year for fashion. The recession forced many designers and fashion houses to scale back, but celebrities still hit the red carpet in full force, giving us plenty of beautiful outfits to admire. Who were the most stylish celebrities this year? This list is made up of glamorous ladies that publications like Glamour, People, Zimbio, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue agree are the best dressed of 2009.
Cameron Diaz
Perpetually peppy blonde Cameron Diaz takes her style cues from super stylist Rachel Zoe. This year she wowed on the red carpet as well as on the street in her favourite cuffed boyfriend jeans.
Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway earned her first Best Actress Academy Award nomination this year and her achievements in fashion were nearly as impressive as her acting skills. Also a client of Rachel Zoe, Hathaway rocks red carpets in intricate vintage gowns.
Emma Watson
She started off as a fresh-faced unknown and has blossomed into a fashion forward young lady. This year she was named as the new face of Burberry and used her many red carpet appearances while promoting Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to show off designs by Proenza Schouler, Christopher Kane, Saloni, Jason Wu and William Tempest.
Michelle Obama
If there’s one woman who has dominated Best Dressed lists all year long it’s First Lady Michelle Obama. Not since Jackie O has a First Lady been so admired for her impeccable fashion sense. She helped make designer Jason Wu a household name by donning his creation at her husband’s inauguration.
Blake Lively
Fashionista Blake Lively takes a hands-on approach to fashion. When she finds something she likes, she simply contacts the designer herself instead of relying on a stylist to do it for her. Whatever she’s doing, it seems to be working, since she has caught the eye of the most important people in fashion and entertainment with no signs of giving up the spotlight anytime soon.
Kim Kardashian
This year Kim Kardashian continued to show off her ample assets in fierce, form-fitting dresses, not to mention plenty of skin-showing bikinis. Never afraid to take a fashion risk, Kardashian turns up the heat on every red carpet.
Beyonce Knowles
From the time of Destiny’s Child when her mom was making all her costumes, Beyonce Knowles has stood out on the fashion stage. This year she impressed the world with her style, so much so that she managed to pull off a unique metal handpiece and make it look fierce instead of goofy.
Rihanna
Rihanna is known for appearing in killer outfits by a variety of designers from Balmain to Dolce & Gabbana. Her ever-changing hairstyle is often imitated, but rarely duplicated as she carries it off with impeccable flair.
Taylor Swift
It’s been a big year for Taylor Swift who has enjoyed plenty of time at the top of the charts and on Best Dressed lists everywhere. Her signature event look involves plenty of sparkles and sequins, while she favours flowery sundresses on her days off.
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Hudgens can easily transition from jeans and boots to designer gowns, all the while maintaining the youthful glow that grabs attention. She’s managed to retain her good girl reputation by going with tasteful sexiness over outright trashiness.
Kate Moss
Supermodel Kate Moss has been a style icon for years and in 2009 she lent her name to a line of clothes at Topshop, which quickly sold out. It’s no secret that Moss has a huge influence over the styles of the moment and now she’s incorporating her own designs into her always impressive wardrobe.
Leighton Meester
The second Gossip Girl star on our list, Leighton Meester has had hits and misses, but definitely came out on top in 2009. Donning Louis Vuitton, Proenza Schouler, Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana, she proved herself a champion fashionista.
Alexa Chung
MTV personality and talk show host, Alexa Chung was new on the international fashion scene this year and has made a great first impression. She has continually put her own personal twist on designer pieces, creating a quirky style that won’t soon be forgotten.
Victoria Beckham
Having your very own clothing line means that you’ll always have something stunning to wear to a red carpet event. Victoria Beckham wore many of her own designs from the Victoria Beckham Collection this year, but even when she was playing soccer mom to her kids, she still looked perfectly put together.
Angelina Jolie
Being a mother of six clearly hasn’t gotten in the way of Angelina Jolie’s flawless and stunning style. Late in 2009, she accompanied Brad Pitt on many a red carpet looking amazing as always. The combination of her gorgeous face, killer body and carefully chosen designer gowns is always a winner.
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Perhaps the second most famous First Lady in the world, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy held her own against the style juggernaut that was Michelle Obama this year. Favouring Dior, the French president’s wife impressed fashion critics across the globe.
Diane Kruger
Diane Kruger has had plenty of opportunities to shine this year as she promoted her movie, Inglorious Basterds. A favourite of Karl Lagerfeld, she has donned exquisite pieces by Chanel and Versace to create winning looks for the red carpet.
Freida Pinto
Slumdog Millionaire was a surprise hit, running away with 2009’s Best Picture Oscar and its star Frieda Pinto rode the wave of hype to the top of many a Best Dressed list. Her Indian heritage may have inspired her love of bold colours, but her innate grace seems to be something she was born with.
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole has been popular across the pond for some time now, but it wasn’t until 2009 that the world began to take notice. Appearing on the covers of British Vogue and Elle, the British singer and X Factor host now has a reputation as a stylish diva. She was even named “Style Icon of the Decade” by The Daily Telegraph.
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Submitted on December 28, 2009 in Celebrity Fashion.
Sarah is our Western Canadian correspondent. She recently left a long-standing position as editor and writer for TheSoko.com, DriverSense.com & LiveDress.com to focus on book and novel writing. Sarah continues contribute weekly articles to AskMen.ca and Models & Moguls. Sarah thinks she might have been a model if it weren’t for the blessing of Slavic hips and thighs.
Sarah Stefanson has contributed 64 articles to Models & Moguls.
