Nicole Kidman in Gucci, Christina Ricci in Christopher Kane, Laverne Cox in Prabal Gurung, Brie Larson in Atelier Versace, Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton

It can sometimes seem that the awards ceremonies leading up to the Oscars are a bit like a dress rehearsal for the big one – at least on the red carpet. You just know that the assorted celebs, stylists and designers haven’t really unveiled their killer dresses yet. However important the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards (aka SAG Awards, possibly the most unfortunate acronym in awards ceremony history!) are, they just can’t compare.

What that means a lot of the time though is that, with everyone not trying too hard to get it just right, the fashion choices can be pretty good. Celebs are often more prepared to take the risks they can’t get away with on Oscars night. Oscars fashion choices are judged VERY harshly (I’ll never forget one year when a big name male celebrity was accused by one commentator of “disrespecting the Academy” for wearing a tiny string friendship bracelet on the night).

So, to the SAGs 2016. Was it a vintage year? Not really. But there were some strong statements and some pretty cool dresses. Here are my favourites.

Old Hollywood

You can always rely on some stars to celebrate Hollywood’s golden age. Often strapless, and usually figure-hugging, such dresses are all about va-va-voom rather than esoteric fashion statements. But not all celebs are channelling Monroe or Harlow with this look. Strapless in particular can be sweet as well as sexy if the focus is less on an hourglass shape and more on a full skirt.

Christina Hendricks in Christian Siriano, Viola Davis in Zac Posen, Ellie Kemper in Peter Pilotto, Rachel McAdams in Elie Saab, Eva Longoria in Julien Macdonald, Samira Wiley in Christian Siriano, Kiernan Shipka in Erdem

Shimmer and shine

Beads and sequins are a perennial favourite on the red carpet and can at times prove a little overhwelming. But I love this selection. Helen Mirren and Uzo Aduba both look like they’re each wearing a waterfall of sequins, while Alicia Vikander, Nicole Kidman and a pregnant Hannah Bagshawe prove that shimmer doesn’t have to look traditional.

Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton, Helen Mirren in Jenny Packham, Nicole Kidman in Gucci, Hannah Bagshawe, Uzo Aduba in Zac Posen

Too hot to handle

Rich reds and shocking pinks are proving to be a popular choice for the red carpet this year and certainly make an impact. While the colour alone can ensure these dresses don’t get missed, detail like the draping, slashing and cutouts on Laverne Cox’s Prabal Gurung gown add an extra dimension.

Laverne Cox in Prabal Gurung, Anna Faris in Naeem Khan, Katie Lowes in Christian Siriano, Tina Fey in Prabal Gurung, Sofia Vergara in Vera Wang

Softly softly

Pale tones and soft materials looked cool on the red carpet, from gently frothy sheers to lace, supple silk crepe, plissé, layers of organza, and the subtlest shimmer and texture. All of these made an impact without feeling OTT.

Christina Ricci in Christopher Kane, Carice van Houten in Christian Dior, Amanda Peet in Narciso Rodriguez, Emily Robinson in Antonio Grimaldi, Laura Prepon in Carmen Marc Valvo, Lily Rabe in Lela Rose, Saoirse Ronan in Michael Kors Collection

Feeling blue

All shades of blue are having their time in the spotlight at the moment and so it was on the SAGs red carpet. Cut to hug the figure, these dresses made colour their overriding statement – from the palest to the darkest, plus blue-tinged teal (some may call it dark green but as that doesn’t suit this section’s title, I prefer to think of it as teal!)

Brie Larson in Atelier Versace, Naomi Watts in Burberry, Claire Danes in Stella McCartney, Kate Winslet in Giorgio Armani

NB: I don’t have a budget to buy-in celebrity pics. All of these images were painstakingly screen grabbed from the Instagram or Twitter feeds of the designers or stars featured in them, or from the SAGs’ own website.