The most stylish people of 2023 (including runner-up Margot Robbie)

It’s no longer enough to have a top stylist on speed dial, perfect hair and a body with more dips and turns than a rollercoaster to make the best-dressed list.

The way to stand out in 2023 was to maximise personal style without flailing through designer regurgitation of the eighties, nineties and noughties. Here are the success stories.

1. The movie star: Greta Lee

‘Past Lives’ actor Greta Lee in Gucci at LACMA, Los Angeles in November; in Loewe at the Paris ready-to-wear show in March; in Chanel at a lunch in Tribeca in June.Credit: Getty

After years of supporting roles alongside Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Natasha Lyonne, US actor Greta Lee has entered the spotlight red-carpet ready. Lee’s role in Celine Song’s directorial debut Past Lives garnered critical acclaim, but her red carpet style is equally inspiring. Whether in Gucci, Chanel or Loewe (especially Loewe), Lee brings an intriguing edge that invites second, third and fourth looks, just like Past Lives.

Runner-up: Margot Robbie
Following a flawlessly orchestrated Barbie press tour, where Margot Robbie personified the Mattel doll on the red carpet, the successful producer, actor and gin maker has been leaving pink behind and letting her own playful style show through.

2. The couple: Rihanna and A$AP Rocky

A$AP Rocky in Bottega Veneta leather jeans and an oversized blazer with Rihanna in Danish label Cecilie Bahnsen in New York in October; A$AP Rocky in Gucci with Rihanna wearing Valentino at the Met Gala in May; Rihanna in Loewe rugby top with Louis Vuitton box bag and A$AP Rocky in a Bottega Veneta vest in November.Credit: Getty

Any lingering memories of maternity frocks as a fashion choice were banished by Rihanna’s belly-pride ensembles at the Super Bowl, Met Gala and on the streets of New York this year. The singer and beauty entrepreneur knows how to celebrate her body while bringing a luxury aesthetic down to earth.

Following the birth of her second child Riot Rose, with rapper A$AP Rocky, Rihanna’s reign continued. The new parents have fallen into style step, with Rocky elevating his game with well-chosen pieces combining luxury and street influences from Bottega Veneta and Gucci.

Runner-up: Rebecca Harding and Andy Lee
Television presenter Andy Lee looks equally at home at the races in suits from Sydney tailor P Johnson that fit like well-worn gloves as he does hosting Nine’s The Hundred (Nine is the owner of this masthead). Lee’s relaxed approach is the perfect backdrop for his model partner Rebecca Harding’s more adventurous forays into designer labels.

3. The princess: Beatrice

Princess Beatrice wearing a Beulah dress and Zara boots with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and stepson Christopher Woolf at Westminster Abbey in December; at Raffles London wearing a Self Portrait lace dress and Alice + Olivia jacket in October; In Jigsaw jumper and skirt and Zara boots with Mapelli Mozzi at an event for singer James Blunt in London in December.Credit: Getty

Perhaps it has something to do with a move away from the silly hats that have dogged her since the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in 2011, but Princess Beatrice is on a style streak.

The glow-up began when Beatrice started working with stylist Olivia Buckingham, who put dresses from fashion favourites The Vampire’s Wife, Beulah and Saloni on rotation at official events.

Beatrice’s style credibility accelerated recently on repeated outings with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in outfits that exude formality without any of the usual royal rigidity.

Runner-up: Princess Catherine
Watching the most recent season of The Crown shows that being the Princess of Wales is not an easy task, but Catherine has settled into the role with relative ease. A uniform of Alexander McQueen blazers for meet-and-greets, and body-skimming dresses from Jenny Packham and Catherine Walker with well-chosen tiaras delivers the expected princess effect.

4. The pop star: Budjerah

Budjerah in Valentino at the Maison Valentino store opening in Sydney in March; in Burberry at the ARIA Awards in November; in Song For The Mute at the ‘Faraway Downs’ premiere in October.

Singer and songwriter Budjerah is playing the red carpet game by his own rules. While his peers look as though they’ve borrowed their personal style along with their clothes for appearances, the 21-year-old Therapy singer brings curiosity, understanding and a sense of joy to his outfit choices. Walking the tightrope of luxury labels and relaxed fits never looked so easy.

Runner-up: Troye Sivan
Low-slung pants, non-binary tops, body jewellery and lashings of Prada define singer Troye Sivan’s club kid cool. Competing for Sivan’s best outfit of the year with his full drag look from the music video for One of Your Girls was his preppy runway outing in boardies for Miu Miu in October.

5. The starlet: Chloe Hayden

Chloe Hayden at the NGV Gala in Velani this month; wearing Reigner at the Marie Claire 2023 Power Talks in October in Sydney; in Romance Was Born.Credit: Getty, Supplied

Labelling Heartbreak High actor Chloe Hayden a starlet might seem like a mistake, as the disability activist, motivational speaker and influencer has spent a good part of her career overcoming boundaries. It’s a fitting description, however, for the chaotic energy Hayden brings to her camera-ready appearances, which fuse eclectic fashion choices from Australian labels with adventurous make-up applications.

Through the unpredictable spirit of labels such as Reigner and Romance Was Born, Hayden bypasses a traditional approach to sexiness with brash colours, in-your-face prints and deceptively cute details.

Runner-up: Ayesha Madon
Hayden’s Heartbreak High co-star Ayesha Madon’s sartorial triumph of the year was wearing a streamlined Versace and Dua Lipa dress to the frothy Logies.

6. The housewife: Jenna Lyons

‘Real Housewives of New York’ star Jenna Lyons a the NBC upfronts in New York in May; wearing Valentino on ‘The Tonight Show’ in New York in November; at the July premiere of the ‘Real Housewives of New York’ in an Oscar de la Renta cape and jeans.  Credit: Getty

The powerful Real Housewives franchise had done more for day drinking and cosmetic filler than fashion before former J Crew president and creative director Jenna Lyons joined the cast of the New York-based series.

Lyon’s refined eye, queer aesthetic and ability to combine jeans with couture capes left her co-stars confused and fans thirsty for more. Having helped Michelle Obama with some of her most memorable looks during her tenure as US first lady, Lyons knows what she’s doing. “I’m actually not a housewife, I am Jenna Lyons,” she said on the Shut Up Evan podcast.

Runner-up: Terry Biviano
The Sydney season of the Real Housewives franchise, streaming on Binge, follows the style cues of more traditional US cast members than Lyons, through a TK Maxx filter. The stand-out is former shoe designer Terry Biviano, who mentally moves into the fashion fantasies she creates. On Derby Day at Flemington Racecourse, Biviano deserved an Oscar, or at least a People’s Choice Award, for channelling Monica Bellucci as a grieving Italian widow.

7. The athlete: Travis Kelce

Travis Kelce in a mint Lanvin suit at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘The Quarterback’ in July; in Bode holding hands with Taylor Swift in New York in October; wearing the Elder Statesman at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.Credit: Getty

Twilight star Taylor Lautner aside, singer Taylor Swift has a preference for dating men with a sense of style that’s almost as well honed as her songwriting skills. Most of these paramours have been sample-sized stars, such as Tom Hiddleston and Harry Styles but this year she upgraded to the Big & Tall section.

The modern boho style of new love Travis Kelce, champion tight end for the US NFL Kansas City Chiefs, positions him perfectly to be cast as Owen Wilson’s character Hans in any reboots of Zoolander. Rather than lean into vintage, Kelce lets textured craftsmanship shine through in textured pieces from The Elder Statesmen and Bode, all grounded with white sneakers.

Runner-up: Darcy Moore
Collingwood captain Darcy Moore is at the forefront of a new breed of AFL players pushing the sport’s style boundaries far beyond Warwick Capper’s short shorts. Delivering Elvis energy in a green suit from Reigner at the Arias in November, and layering Millie Savage jewellery in black tie at the NGV Gala, Moore is kicking non-traditional goals.

8. The cook: Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Melbourne cook and author Julia Busuttil Nishimura in Alemais in Sydney in November; in Lee Mathews at the Melbourne Film Festival program launch in July; wearing Vince at the Melbourne Film Festival in August.

Cookbook author and Good Weekend columnist Julia Busuttil Nishimura ignores the old-fashioned recipes for dressing once given to petite women with curves. Look-at-me prints and long-length dresses from Australian labels such as Lee Mathews and Alemais accentuate Nishimura’s doll-like beauty without overwhelming her figure.

The occasional extra-edge is added by heavy black boots, anchoring the floaty, ultra-feminine dresses. Now the expression “making a Julia”, used by her fans, goes beyond satisfying pastas and salads to considered wardrobe choices.

Runner-up: Melissa Leong
Former Masterchef judge Melissa Leong takes her role as a special guest at events such as the Melbourne Cup Carnival and the NGV Gala seriously, indulging in looks that prioritise old Hollywood glamour above practical needs such as sitting down or moving quickly.

9. The tailor: Joe Ha

Sydney tailor Joe Ha from The Finery Company in Paddington in Sydney.

In an era where the rules of fashion are being relaxed to the point of slovenliness, the founder of Sydney tailor The Finery Company, Joe Ha, is a model of dapper discipline. You won’t find the exponent of 1940s elegance at influencer events, with Ha’s style attracting the stealth-wealth set to a discreet Paddington terrace for private fittings. Once most men meet Ha they’re left wondering whether they can copy his impeccable side part while mentally calculating the “boy math” for one of his suits cut from Loro Piana fabric.

Runner-up: Christian Kimber
After a triumphant Australian Fashion Week debut, Christian Kimber’s Italy-meets-Toorak approach to design is finally crossing borders. Kimber always looks ready for business in wintry suede coats, open linen shirts or jackets that leave room for a second course at lunch.

10. The author: Erin Deering

Author and entrepreneur Erin Deering at the Melbourne Cup wearing Bottega Veneta in November; at Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point wearing Loewe; in Gucci in Singapore this month. Credit: Justin McManus, Louie Douvis, supplied

The co-founder of Triangl swimwear made her fortune from bikinis, but in her new life as an author and fashion business adviser, Erin Deering has a more covered-up approach. Rather than mix and match, Deering commits top-to-toe in outfits from Bottega Veneta, Gucci and Loewe, travelling straight to the source to see the clothes on the runway in Milan and Singapore.

Melbourne is home, but her international approach has been honed by stints in Hong Kong and Monaco. With a preference for sheer fabrics and unexpected flashes of skin, sunscreen is still required.

Runner-up: Street style photographer Liz Sunshine is in the unusual position of looking more stylish than many of the people she photographs for Vogue and leading fashion clients. Her 2023 coffee table book, Future Fashion, sold out, with fans appreciating her seasonless approach for bringing style into focus.

Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday