Shailene Woodley's Divisive 2026 Emmys Look Could Have Been A Crowd Pleaser With These Tweaks
Shailene Woodley had her first win at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys, earning the title of outstanding guest actress in a drama series for "Paradise." Unfortunately, the California native's red carpet ensemble hasn't received the same fanfare. She wore a look from Balenciaga to the September 14 ceremony, with the outfit having the potential to dodge the same fate as the worst dressed celebs at the 2025 Emmy Awards with better tailoring and turned-up styling.
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Woodley's outfit consisted of oversized trousers textured with glittering embellishments and a saturated, cornflower blue tank top with a bold, deep-V neckline. She accessorized with burgundy opera gloves, a gemstone necklace, and a middle-parted ponytail that covered her ears. However, there's a fine line between an outfit being oversized and looking untailored, with Woodley's ensemble sadly feeling like the latter.
The trousers are so big that they pool at the actor's feet, giving the impression that she picked up a pair a couple of sizes too big. Meanwhile, her top doesn't effortlessly drape across her body nor is it fitted enough to look tailored. While she definitely gets points for wearing something unique, the "Divergent" actor's look was ultimately overwhelmed by fabric.
Shailene could've made a few tweaks to her styling
Not only did Shailene Woodley miss the mark with poor tailoring on the Emmys red carpet, but her ensemble also fell short in styling. For one, the over-the-ears ponytail makes for an awkward hairstyle. Given that Woodley looks so wild and free with her natural hair, a slightly textured ponytail tucked behind the ears, like the one she wore to the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards 2025, would've suited the star while also balancing the roughness of the trousers.
Additionally, Woodley has landed among the stars that went makeup-free on the red carpet and looked good doing it in the past, but her choice of a pared-back beauty look here leaves the outfit feeling incomplete. Even something as simple as a statement lip color or bold eyeliner could've met the couture energy of the Balenciaga pieces without feeling overdone. She looks beautiful with a simple swipe of mascara, but it's not enough to match the rest of this outfit.
Overall, Woodley's red carpet look could've been improved with some notable changes. Even so, the star's choice to wear such an unexpected Emmys look, even if it didn't stick the landing, should keep fans interested in her future fashion choices.