The 2026 BAFTA Awards Were A Fashion Disaster For Everyone There

The British Academy Film Awards, aka the BAFTAs, are held annually to celebrate the best in British cinema and are generally considered their equivalent of the Oscars. They also offer a spectacle of celebrity red carpet fashion. In 2026, the black comedy-action film "One Battle After Another," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Teyana Taylor, swept the awards after garnering the most nominations and taking home the top honors, including best film and best cinematography. DiCaprio looked dashing, as per usual, in his Dior suit, while Taylor slayed in a custom Burberry gown by designer Daniel Lee. It was a reimagined trench coat featuring a high ruffled neckline and a short train with a front leg slit. Marvelous.

Alas, not everyone showed up on the red carpet at London's Royal Festival Hall looking their best. Some failed to make a statement and wow the crowd with their questionable, if not tragic, outfit choices. Catherine, Princess of Wales attended the ceremony with Prince William in a familiar-looking dress that wasn't flattering. Hollywood star Tilda Swinton also turned heads for all the wrong reasons in an oversized Chanel tuxedo. And they're not the only outliers. These are the worst-dressed attendees at the 2026 BAFTAs.

We're not loving this look on the typically reliably chic Kate Middleton. For the 2026 BAFTA Awards, the Princess of Wales re-wore a dress she previously donned for a gala dinner in 2019: A lilac off-shoulder gown by Gucci. It had a velvet belt that matched her husband, Prince William's, Giorgio Armani suit (cute!), and which Kate Middleton accessorized with a pair of expensive-looking earrings and a matching bracelet and rings. We love a sustainability queen and her mermaid hair looked super gorge but this one just didn't hit for us, sadly. 

We're big fans of Aimee Lou Wood, so it pains us to say that she could've done better than this look. Much, much better. The "White Lotus" star rocked a pale pink, structured dress by Emilia Wickstead that washed her out completely and didn't do her body enough justice. This comment from a Redditor was spot-on: "Aimee has SUCH an incredible figure, her body is amazing, but this dress makes her look boxy. It's not flattering fit, and the [color] really drains her. The fabric choice is wrong too, showing every tiny wrinkle." Those "wrinkles" were actually embossed flowers if you happen to look closely. But they couldn't save this look. 

Speaking of boxy! Tilda Swinton has all the swagger to pull off a men's suit both on and off the red carpet, but this outfit was just not it. The previous BAFTA winner showed up to the ceremony in a black and white oversized suit from Chanel's 2026 Pre-Fall collection. She sported a black jacket and high-waisted trousers, with a crisp white shirt buttoned all the way up and her signature pixie cut. Instead of looking stylish, the look came off as boyish.

Paul Mescal, who was nominated for best supporting actor for playing William Shakespeare in "Hamnet," walked the red carpet at the 2026 BAFTA Awards in a custom suit by Prada. His lewk, which just screamed "lazy," featured a black jacket with matching (wrinkly!) pants and an off-white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his wrists for a cooler, more laidback vibe. Perhaps he felt the suit would look better without a tie, but it definitely didn't have the desired effect.

Three words to describe Sarah Niles' red carpet look: Frumpy, lifeless, and dated. The "Ted Lasso" star stepped out in London in a turquoise strapless gown featuring a corset and a floor-length skirt. The color of the dress looked amazing against her skin, but the structure was way off and failed to do her figure any favors. Niles needs to bring back whoever was responsible for styling her at the 2022 Emmys and the "F1: The Movie" premiere stat.

Is it couture, or does it only look high fashion because Kirsten Dunst is wearing it? The beloved actor attended the 2026 BAFTAs in a look from Valentino's Fall 2026 Haute Couture collection. Her outfit consisted of a soft blouse (or a dress?) with a sweetheart neckline and a solid black skirt that ended around her ankles. But the highlight was her jacket, which had exaggerated puffed-up sleeves (also known as mutton sleeves, FYI) for dramatic effect. We totally support big fashion gambles, but we're not entirely sure if this one was worth taking the risk.