- Julia Roberts wore a charcoal Giorgio Armani suit to the 1990 Golden Globes at age 22, a look that became a defining red carpet moment.
- The oversized, menswear-inspired outfit combined a white shirt, purple floral tie and flat brogues, signaling an androgynous direction in awards dressing.
- Roberts continued to embrace tailored suiting across her career, from Cannes and SAG Awards to a 2025 Chevalier ceremony in Paris.
- Her 1990 choice helped open the red carpet to women in tailoring — a trend echoed by stars from Gwyneth Paltrow to Ayo Edebiri.
How a suit changed the red carpet
When julia roberts stepped onto the Golden Globes carpet in January 1990 wearing a charcoal gray Giorgio Armani suit, she did more than dress differently — she disrupted expectation. At 22 and newly recognized for Steel Magnolias, Roberts arrived in an oversized, menswear-cut suit tailored to her frame. In a room largely dominated by gowns, the look read as purposeful and modern.
Styling that made the look
Roberts paired the suit with a crisp white shirt, a purple floral tie and flat brown brogues. She softened the androgynous lines with her signature loose curls and understated makeup, finishing the outfit with a soft red lip. According to Roberts, she and a friend did her hair and makeup; she even kept the suit, calling it one of her favorite looks in a later interview.
The tailoring was key: Roberts had the jacket adjusted at the Beverly Hills store where she bought it to keep its menswear edge while fitting her frame. The balance of sharp tailoring and casual ease made the outfit feel effortless rather than ostentatious.
Why it mattered then — and now
The 1990 Golden Globes weren’t the couture-heavy spectacle award shows are today, but Roberts’ choice still stood out. In the years that followed, women in tailored suiting became a recurring presence on major awards stages. Designers and stars embraced tuxedo jackets, tailored trousers and suit-inspired jumpsuits — a lineage that can be traced back to moments like Roberts’ Armani look.
Stars who followed the tailoring trend include Gwyneth Paltrow in a velvet Gucci suit at the 1996 VMAs, Rihanna’s tuxedo at the 2009 Met Gala and Angelina Jolie’s Saint Laurent tailoring at the 2014 BAFTAs. More recently, Ayo Edebiri’s slouchy Loewe suit at the 2025 Golden Globes explicitly echoed Roberts’ move, and Keri Russell and Sarah Snook leaned into male-coded tailoring at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards.
Roberts’ evolving suiting signature
The 1990 suit set a template Roberts returned to across decades. She wore tuxedo-inspired jumpsuits at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Cannes, and chose tailored shorts-and-blazer combos for several premieres. In March 2025 she wore a gray tailored suit to accept the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in Paris — a clear nod to the original look.
Most recently, Roberts revisited the reference on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in October 2025, selecting a more fitted cobalt-gray suit with slimmer proportions and playful brooch accents. That appearance underscored how the relationship between suiting and Hollywood glamour has shifted from quiet disruption to a confident signature.
Whether julia roberts wears a restored 1990 Armani piece or a modern reinterpretation, the suit remains one of the quietest — and most influential — moments in red carpet history.
Image Referance: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/10/style/golden-globes-remember-when-julia-roberts-suit
