Angela Bassett's Most Stunning Outfits

Since becoming a household name with her performance as Tina Turner in 1993's "What's Love Got to Do with It," Angela Bassett has been on a roll. Not only did her portrayal of Turner score her her first Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe win, it also set in motion her career that, over 30 years later, is still going strong. In 2022, The Hollywood Reporter included Bassett in their Women in Entertainment Power 100 and the following year, Time declared her one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2023, as well as an honoree for Woman of the Year for not only her impact on the entertainment industry, but her charitable endeavors.

As much as Bassett is extremely talented, puts her time and money into causes that are important, and is a celeb who confronts aging with confidence, she's also a fashion icon. "The thing I love most about dressing Angela is her total and complete trust in me and my vision," Bassett's stylist, Jennifer Austin, told US Weekly in March 2020. "She has let me change her image and style, push her out of her comfort zone, and has never questioned me or my choices."

While Bassett has always had unique style and an eye for what's fashionable, Austin has really helped to elevate her looks, making Bassett one to watch when the red carpet is rolled out. Neither Bassett nor her stylist are afraid of colors and unconventional designs, and that's definitely something that plays in Bassett's favor. Because of this, Bassett has a long list of stunning outfits that you may just want to dupe.

When Angela Bassett received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2008, she wore this white lace dress with thick black straps and a black bow at the bust line. Bassett's raven hair was swept to the side and into a low bun, giving the appearance of bangs. While far more on the casual side than her usual public appearances, between the cut of the dress, the open-toe black heels, and her hair style, she looks like she's been plucked right out of the heyday of Hollywood. It's a vibe that really works for the event, as if paying homage to all those who have received stars before her.

In September 2016, for the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, Angela Bassett wore this lemon-yellow dress by Christian Siriano. Lemon yellow is not always an easy color for many people to pull off but, to no surprise, Bassett can. It's also a color she never shies away from, rocking it on the red carpet often. The combination of the bell sleeves and train, give the gown a free-flowing and almost-boho chic feel, while the low-cut neckline and the fitted waistline makes it Emmy-ready. What's also cool about this dress is that, although custom made for Bassett, Siriano had a very similar design in the same color when he collaborated with Lane Bryant that year.

For the world premiere of Marvel's "Black Panther" in January 2018, Angela Bassett didn't just dress to impress, but took method dressing to the next level. Wearing a gold-colored fringed pantsuit by Naeem Khan with gold platform heels, Bassett looked like absolute royalty. "Angela is the Queen of Wakanda in the movie so I wanted that to be seen on the carpet for the premiere," Bassett's stylist, Jennifer Austen, told People in 2018, explaining that inspiration came from various African cultures, as well as Indian to achieve a Nubian tribal look. "I wanted her to look bold and sexy with beautiful texture. I also wanted her to have movement — so this beaded yellow Naeem Khan was perfect!" 

For the 91st Academy Awards in February 2019, Angela Bassett rocked this absolutely breathtaking one-shoulder fuchsia dress by Reem Acra. Let's be honest: similar to lemon yellow, this is also a shade not everyone can pull off. It's bright, bold, and the design could even be considered over-to-top if it were on someone else. However, on Bassett it's the right amount of everything — including the thigh-high slit in the front. To make sure all eyes were on the dress, Bassett's team kept her makeup on the low-key side, slicked her hair back, and skipped a necklace and bracelets. The drop earrings were just enough to complete the look.

Although Angela Bassett wasn't nominated for anything at the 71st Emmy Awards, she dressed like she was. As an attendee and presenter that night, Bassett wore this coral jumpsuit by Antonio Grimaldi that had such an interesting and fun abstract design, it almost looked like it belonged in the MOMA. To complete the playful ensemble, Bassett carried a small novelty bag that resembled a rainbow swirl lollipop. As usual, she kept her jewelry to a minimum, but did go big and bold with her long locks, proving that the half-up half-down hairstyle is perfect for curly hair.

When Angela Bassett attended the 93rd Annual Academy Awards in April 2021, she doubled down on the fact that she is in no way scared of a puffy sleeve. For the 91st Academy Awards in 2019, Bassett's fuchsia dress had one — very large — puffed shoulder, and just two years later she went double on the puff when she wore this gorgeous red gown by Alberta Ferretti. With the sweetheart neckline, the thigh-high slit in the front of the dress, and just a bit of a train, this is how you show up to the Oscars. Bassett completed the look with silver sandals and a red clutch, opting to keep her hair simple and pin straight.

While Kate Middleton may know how to turn a pantsuit into a sleek fashion statement, Angela Bassett takes that one step further, solidifying herself as the queen of pantsuits. In fact, there's no place where that's more obvious than this coral off-the-shoulder look by Moschino that Bassett wore for the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Bassett had been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," but ended up losing to Jamie Lee Curtis, a disappointment she wasn't shy about sharing. However, when it came to partying after the awards show and this pantsuit took center stage, Bassett quickly became one of the best dressed of the night.

As much as the 2025 Met Gala had its hits and misses, as it does every year, it was a handful of older celebs who really proved that style gets better with age. At the top of that list was Angela Basset making her Gala debut in a blue and black vine-jacquard velvet suit and cape by Burberry. "You know, when you hear 'superfine,' just the connotation is extraordinary, fun, and exuberant," Bassett told Vanity Fair in May 2025 of her look for the Met Gala's "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" theme. "It just represents, for me, creativity, and fearlessness and impeccable dressing and style." Bassett completed the look with black heels and a Jon Narcisso Millinery hat.

Over the years, Angela Bassett has proven she knows her way around a fringed dress. Not only did wear a few on film when she played Tina Turner in 1993's "What's Love Got to Do with It," but she has also worn a lot of fringed looks on the red carpet too. So, it makes sense that when she attended the 2025 LACMA Art+Film Gala at Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2025, she'd go for some more fringe, wearing this bright yellow gown by Gucci. Basset wore her hair parted down the middle, pulled back into a low ponytail, and completed her outfit with dazzling drop earrings and a black clutch — all of which solidifies her fashion icon status.