The best-dressed celebrities of 2024, from Zara Tindall to Sir Paul Smith
This best-dressed list was a hotly contested debate among The Telegraph’s fashion editors. We decided from the beginning that it shouldn’t just feature those whose style shouted loudest this year – yes, Sienna Miller looked sensational in all her boho revival looks, and no man’s geography teacher knits have been more dissected than Daniel Craig’s. But we eventually decided that our list should focus on those characters who took a less manufactured, more personal and imaginative route with their wardrobes, whether that’s on red carpets, at race meetings, on the political stage or the social circuit.
Fashion remains one of the greatest vehicles for standing out from the crowd and sending a message in today’s image-saturated world, whether you’re a reluctant political wife making your entrance on the world stage (we thought Lady Starmer stepped up to the sartorial challenge impeccably) or a prince seeking to rebel within the confines of regal convention (hello to Wills’ beard). So here is our choice of the people who rose most impressively to the challenge…
Zara Tindall
Zara Tindall was once the royal tabloids loved to chronicle for her partying and penchant for a tongue piercing – you may recall how her straight-from-the-stables hands were compared to Kate Middleton’s pristine French manicure when their engagements were announced within weeks of one another back in 2019.
Now, however, the 43-year old regularly appears on the front pages looking more polished and sleek than ever before. Her glow-up has involved hair and make-up upgrades while a wardrobe makeover has been orchestrated by discreet stylist Annie Miall. This year, Tindall’s race day ensembles have been particular highlights, from elegant coats by the likes of Laura Green and Claire Mischevani at Cheltenham to a gorgeous line-up of puff-sleeved dresses by Rebecca Vallance and Anna Mason at Royal Ascot.
Refreshingly, Tindall remains reassuringly down to earth. When I interviewed her earlier this year, she told me that her mother, the Princess Royal, had always taught her the “importance of having good-quality clothing that keeps you warm and comfortable outdoors”.
Lesley Manville
Aged 68, Lesley Manville has had her most experimental fashion year to date. Encouraged by her stylist, Steph Wilson, she said yes to “riskier” fashion choices – semi-sheer tops, or spliced print dresses – on the red carpet.
Her subsequent fashion campaign with luxury label Loewe went viral; the national treasure posed in Bekonscot Model Village, towering over Britain’s landmarks in Jonathan Anderson’s larger than life designs. She worked those Loewe looks in real life too – from Anderson’s cult “post-it” dress, to a custom draped gown at the Venice Film Festival that was positively statuesque. She’s come a long way since the dowdy jumpers of her “Mum” era.
Victoria Starmer
For a variety of reasons, it had likely never crossed Lady Starmer’s mind when we entered 2024 that she might end up on The Telegraph Magazine’s best dressed list. Yet here we are – her wardrobe has been one of the most commented on in recent political history, and not just by fashion editors.
Highs included the perfectly-pitched red Me+Em dress that she wore as she arrived at 10 Downing Street following her husband’s election victory and the polka dot Edeline Lee co-ord that she wore with suitably large sunglasses as she made her debut on the front row at London Fashion Week. Clearly Lady Starmer enjoys style – which is a good thing, because the British fashion industry is on its knees, and has never needed an ambassador in her position more.
Lashana Lynch
From princess-y chiffon dresses to trompe l’oeil ties, Lashana Lynch can do it all. She’s the year’s greatest fashion chameleon and you could not guess, ahead of any red carpet appearance, whether she might fancy herself today more in a leather corseted minidress, or an undone shirt with Adidas trainers.
It’s this adaptability and resistance to being over-styled to a set theme by a prescriptive industry image maker, that makes Lynch so endearing to watch from a fashion perspective. She also thinks outside the box, shining a spotlight on under the radar labels such as Ottolinger and Lurline.
Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Winkleman’s commitment to a monochrome palette is rare in the world of television – her on-screen wardrobe is a sleek palate cleanser amid the more-is-more costumes on Strictly. It’s a look that is uniquely her own, although she mixes it up with some unexpected influences for each series. Currently it’s the 1970s singer Demis Roussos, with a little Kris Kardashian, “but only when she’s on holiday”, says Sinead McKeefry, Winkleman’s stylist of 18 years. “It’s always a bit tongue in cheek.”
Ronnie Corbett and Madonna in her Guy Ritchie era have appeared on the mood board for her Traitors wardrobe. What’s consistent is the ease with which she wears her clothes, whether it’s a Saint Laurent blazer or Decathlon leggings; she looks polished, yet comfortable – no wonder we want to emulate it.
Rosamund Pike
The ultimate British drama queen, Rosamund Pike’s style in 2024 has been as chameleonic as her acting roles. One Saturday back in February, she graced the front row of the Molly Goddard show by day in a playful but chic ruffled mini dress, navy blazer and Mary-Janes. Just hours later, she was at a pre-Baftas party in a dominatrix-meets-dubutante ensemble by Erdem, consisting of elbow-length leather gloves and a delicate blush dress.
Elsewhere Pike, guided by stylist Leith Clark, has brought her idiosyncratic glamour to looks as diverse as swishy chiffon Dior, an iridescent Jean Paul Gaultier by Simone Rocha skirt suit and an ultra-jazzy sequinned jumpsuit at ABBA Voyage – the woman has range.
Golda Rosheuvel
She plays a Queen on-screen but off-screen, Golda Rosheuvel exudes an equally majestic presence. Where so many play it safe on the red carpet, she is fearlessly bold but always with beautiful results, whether it’s the Cadbury-purple Naeem Khan feathered gown she chose for the NAACP Image Awards Dinner in March or the shirt, tie and rose-emblazoned dress by Erdem which she donned for the Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year awards in November.
But even Rosheuvel’s more everyday looks convey an acute sense of her own aesthetic, be it the scarlet cape and grey balloon trousers worn at Roksanda’s London Fashion Week show in February or the printed denim coat and trainers she championed at Wimbledon.
Sam Taylor-Johnson
This was the year we reached peak Method Dressing (see Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in fantastical pink and green creations and Challengers lead Zendaya in every iteration of “tennis inspired” outfit you can imagine) but it was director Sam Taylor Johnson who exhibited the cool and calm way to do it while promoting her Amy Winehouse film, Back to Black.
You guessed it, she wore mostly black – but not in an OTT costume-y way. Her interpretation was infused with all the nonchalance and ease of a 57-year-old who knows her own mind and taste and feels no need to look like she’s vying for attention. She displayed great versatility in her black choices, which have ranged from leather trousers and tailored coats to ballerina-like dresses with heart-stamped heels. Chic and laidback, she’d make anyone want to go back to the black in their wardrobes time and again.
Samyukta Nair
She may be the doyenne of the Mayfair fine dining scene, but Samyukta Nair, founder of the LSL Capital group of restaurants (Nipotina, Socca, Koyn and Michelin-starred Jamavar) – is just as fluent in fashion. There’s no stylist guiding her choices, just a good eye, and as a result, her wardrobe is packed with the most covetable kind of investment pieces by Khaite, The Row and Chloé mixed in with vintage Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent.
It’s not all ultra-high-end – or pared-back and minimal. As you’d imagine, she is often playing host, and her occasionwear line-up includes dresses by Rixo and Reformation, Simone Rocha as well as Indian labels Anamika Khanna and Arpita Mehta. It’s a mix, but she makes it work. A tastemaker in every sense of the word.
Emerald Fennell
Emerald Fennell can do it all: not just act, produce, direct and write to Oscar-winning standards, but she can also hold her own on the red carpet. She knows what suits her: awards ceremonies call for old Hollywood-style goddess gowns, often with some kind of cape detail or plunging neckline for added drama – Jenny Packham and Giorgio Armani are among her go-tos. For cocktail events, she prefers tailoring, but always with a twist: a blazer paired with an ultra-high-waisted column maxiskirt, or a black suit with a red 1990s-style crop top – there’s usually a cheeky flash of skin, but never too much. Her real ace though, is that unlike so many others in her field, she never looks like she’s playing a part. This is just Emerald doing Emerald – and it’s fabulous.
Prince William
The ever-busy Prince of Wales took on another patronage in 2024, becoming the new face of Great British Beards. William’s stubble arrived in the summer and has stayed put since – much to the dismay of nine-year-old Princess Charlotte, who the prince said was in “floods of tears” when he first grew it.
William was right to resist the request to shave it off; it has served to add rugged charm and a level of laddish relatability to all of his outfits. His actual clothing choices have seemed more considered too. From promoting local labels such as Isle of Wight indie Rapanui on his autumn tour of South Africa, to emulating his father’s trick for wearing fun (but not novelty) ties at the Euros, his style offered more talking points than perhaps ever before.
Jonathan Bailey
It was only in early November that Jonathan Bailey came to the attention of the Telegraph’s fashion desk when pictures landed of the Oxfordshire-born star on the promotional circuit for Wicked wearing a pair of Giuliva Heritage “short-shorts” in Sydney – eat your heart out Paul Mescal (until that moment the king of the thigh-grazing style statement).
On closer examination, Bailey is the man to look to for an effortless ability to go from Versace sequins and Dolce & Gabbana satin shirts (think Scarface vibes) to relaxed knitwear and timeless loafers. Bailey also makes a convincing case for having one’s mankles on show.
Bill Nighy
Befitting of Mr Anna Wintour, as he is unofficially known, Bill Nighy knows the power of finding your formula and sticking to it. At 74, Nighy demonstrates just how deftly he knows himself and what suits him through his sense of style. Much like Wintour, Nighy relies on certain staples – a sharp, severe black suit (usually by Dunhill), black framed spectacles and usually an open collar white shirt. Nothing radical, nothing boundary pushing, but it’s a masterclass in precise tailoring and working to your advantage. Nighy makes the use of that slender 6ft 2 frame with exacting cuts and silhouette, lean as you like and always immaculate.
He tends to deviate slightly – occasionally a chalk stripe, sometimes a less formal variant of blue blazer, denim shirt and knitted tie – but the tenets remain the same. Years ago, when I happened to style Nighy for a shoot, the edict came through that he’d wear anything and everything, as long as it was a dark Dunhill suit. Recently the British actor has grown his beard out to rather shaggy proportions; clearly Wintour, like the late Queen with Prince Harry for his wedding, has given her sartorial blessing.
Sir Paul Smith
It’s all about the details for Sir Paul, not just in his work but in the way he dresses himself. Obviously he wears a suit well – his business is built on tailoring, and even after 50 years, he remains the best advertisement for his products. Smith’s is usually navy, worn with a white shirt and no tie. There are variations on that theme too though: a zip-up blouson with a darker shirt, for instance, or a chore jacket, or a pair of windowpane check trousers. He sets a quiet example of how any man can update and evolve his look, without straying into garish or try-hard territory.
Jason Atherton
Chefs are not exactly famed for their exquisite style – even household names like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay are more likely to look dodgy than dapper. But Jason Atherton is defying the stereotype. His look is far from ostentatious but he always projects cool and crisp elegance – The Telegraph magazine’s editor was especially impressed by his choice of cream polo knit at an event in early November. Elsewhere you’ll spot Atherton in similar quiet luxury knitwear, expensive-looking denim and impeccably tailored suiting – he really makes the case for having a carefully curated wardrobe which creates a streamlined uniform. Slick grooming helps, too – see that perfectly seasoned salt and pepper beard. It couldn’t be more apt that Atherton’s latest opening is Row on 5, nestled at the heart of London’s menswear mecca, Savile Row.
Jude Law
The competition to be the most experimental midlife trend pusher of 2024 has been tough. On paper, it’s been Daniel Craig’s year – his transformation from sharp Bond figure to geography teacher on acid, courtesy of the designer house Loewe, has made headline news.
But Jude Law’s work in this field has been more subtle, and is perhaps more likely to be copied at home. Quiet updates to the actor’s look – such as wearing vests and silk scarves with suits, rather than shirts and ties, or gelling his hair in a new sweep – have offered the same flamboyant fashion flair, without anyone wondering whether he’s in costume for a new role.
Ian Wright
Of all the football pundits out there, Ian Wright surely has the most distinctive style. He’s an example of how well-chosen, distinctive specs can really anchor a look, but it doesn’t end there. His love of hats – beanies to baseball caps – never looks try-hard; this has earned him a role as the face of M&S men’s headwear. Pulling it all together is an array of smart-casual jackets and gilets worn over dark shirts and turtlenecks. His wardrobe is practical, warm, and most of all, looks great on television.
Charlie Casely-Hayford
The dashing Casely-Hayford cut his fashion teeth learning tailoring from his late father, the peerless Joe Casely-Hayford. The paterfamilias was a Savile Row star and pioneering figure in menswear, and Charlie Casely-Hayford carries that mantle forward in the pair’s namesake label. “I’m a big believer in uniform,” Casely-Hayford once told me once. He has made it his mission to take the stuffiness out of tailoring and make it more easy and everyday.
“A suit can be relaxed, I never really wear one in a ‘formal’ way; it’s always mixed with casual elements,” says the 6ft 6 designer, demonstrating how to dress his imposing frame in soft-structured, sanguine jackets and loose trousers, worn with T-shirts and chunky boots rather than traditional shirts and polished Oxfords. It’s a refreshing, relevant approach that more young men would do well to emulate.
Dev Patel
Strangely, for an actor that’s been around for years, Patel’s never really had a moment in the style spotlight, watching other British thesps like Andrew Garfield and Eddie Redmayne catch the flashbulbs instead. But with his recent round of red carpets, 34-year old Patel has been steadfastly consistent in his low key, minimal outfits that look entirely on-point for what the average 30-something British guy wants to wear. Cue shackets, easy workwear, blousy Giorgio Armani suits and the occasional classic tuxedo.
There’s nothing particularly remarkable in that, but his everyman, laid back approach to dressing is precisely the kind of weekend uniform that most men would happily adopt. And extra kudos to Patel for opting for an independent British-Singaporean label for his big directorial debut Monkey Man, at his premiere in LA, choosing a sage green, soft-fit, workwear-esque suit from label Dzojchen.
Steven Moore
“Anything’s an accessory if you’re fabulous enough,” declared the effervescent Mr Moore to the Telegraph earlier this year, and by jolly he means it. The writer and Antiques Roadshow presenter has quietly amassed a 400k following on Instagram thanks to his charming insights into antiques, as well as his thoughts on style. So much so that earlier this year Loewe came knocking, inviting him to its Paris show, which he attended wearing a vintage Austrian jacket.
The 58-year old, who splits his time between Newcastle and Venice, is inspired by the richness and craftsmanship of La Serenissima, enlisting vintage scarves as decorative belts, adorning lapels with brooches and trinketry and scouring the city’s spellbinding calle for vintage capes. He’s also a staunch supporter of British and Italian made. Moore also makes a convincing case for men enjoying the antiquated art of dress up, even if it’s simply adding a flash of bold pocket square or ornate scarf. Who needs another navy suit when Moore makes the case for men dressing with peacocking joie-de-vivre so elegantly?
