First! A word about the rules: The photos we show aren’t the ONLY ones in consideration; just a representative sample of everything worn from after the Oscars in 2018, all the way through the Oscars that just finished (so, March 6, 2018, to Feb 26, 2019). Polls close after roughly 24 hours. Vote on any device, as often as you want to or can. Do you need a refresher on how this works? The Fug Madness FAQ is here for you.
Dua Lipa is a recording artist who’d managed to fly largely under our radar — or at least out of my memory — until she won Best New Artist at the Grammys this year, and I looked back and realized we’d featured her a fair bit and that it was always highly questionable. The dress I used for her cutout, with the see-through skirt, is a prime example of a bad decision from all sides, like this back view:
Dua… or is it always Dua Lipa, like, are those both her first names or what? … also embraced an ’80s revival this year. My notes read, “Short loud floral 80s thing,” and I wasn’t sure at first whether it meant this huge-shouldered pink and black confection or this:
In fact, many of my notes for her are intriguing, like, “Snuffleupagus + napkin,” and, “Short aqua ice skater thingy,” and “Strange IKEA skirt with tabs,” or simply, “Bedding.”
This outfit, we’ll see again tomorrow on Gigi Hadid:
This one, I just called, “F’ed up hodgepodge”:
And let us not forget her sins against formalwear, like this Christopher Kane, which was fresh off the runway:
There was also this dishwater situation:
And girlfriend also really likes a bra top — here, sparkly, with a feather boa, or in khaki with some lacing, and then also just straight-up under a large Talking Heads style suit.
If she makes it through, her opponent — regardless of who wins that one — will ALSO be a Visible Bra Aficionada, so that’s exciting. It’s not the reason to vote her through, though; you can only do that if you believe Dua Lipa’s archive of sartorial offenses beats this:
That is… bad. Really, really bad. However, it’s also Janelle’s most overtly unsuccessful moment of the year. I don’t LOVE the white booties with this, but the dress is cute. I DO like the shoes with this. Even the dress that is essentially what would happen if an ascot took HGH isn’t AWFUL on her, because she’s selling it:
Y’all were also divided on her Golden Globes ensemble:
It has its charms, largely the ones provided by her face, but this is one of those rare outfits where I agree with both its defenders and detractors.
So, it wasn’t a year that was ripe with atrocities. Then again:
But, and butt, can one ensemble take down a passel of them? It’s happened before; can it again? Ah, the old quality vs. quantity debate, turned on its head. Or rear, as it were.
Archives: Janelle Monae, Dua Lipa
Whose fug reigns supreme?
- Dua Lipa (76%, 4,725 Votes)
- Janelle Monae (24%, 1,489 Votes)
Total Voters: 6,214

(8) PEYTON LIST vs. (9) OLIVIA MUNN
If you’re new to Peyton List, she is an ex-Disney actress — she’s 20 now — and not the Peyton List who got her start on As The World Turns, played Roger Sterling’s wife Jane, is currently Poison Ivy on Gotham, and has a mile-long resume. I’m not sure how one of them wasn’t required to plonk in an initial, a la Vanessa Williams and Vanessa L. Williams (crazily, the more famous one — yes, that one, not the Melrose Place one — is the one who had to add the L?!?), but nobody consults me. So. Peyton List II might also be wishing to make sure people are ABSOLUTELY CLEAR who she is, and thus wore a skirt that is mostly clear.
Olivia Munn was not as sheer this year as she has been in the past, though she did wear one of those black dresses that wants you to think long and hard about it:
Guess what? Peyton has one of those, too, and hers is a jumpsuit.
Anyone for a bra top? Olivia Munn will always raise her hand:
So might Peyton:
Think we’re done with bras? Think again:
And if you thought THAT was it, you poor sweet innocent reader, Peyton has another entry:
SHRIEK. Olivia Munn did have another crop top that had a random built-in hanky in the back, and another admittedly extremely pretty bra top that would’ve looked better as… a bodice, or just with the jacket actually PROPERLY ON HER BODY. ANd this:
Getty Images, meanwhile, has Peyton in a one-shoulder top with illusion netting all over her torso. It’s all very Dancing With The Stars, except she’s actually at a film festival in Vancouver.
Girl looooooves the nude look, I must say:
Olivia Munn didn’t do that, but there was this:
I shrieked, “ON A PLANE, OLIVIA?!?”
Archives: Peyton List, Olivia Munn
Whose fug reigns supreme?
- Peyton List (63%, 3,777 Votes)
- Olivia Munn (37%, 2,178 Votes)
Total Voters: 5,955

(5) WINNIE HARLOW vs. (12) ASHANTI
Ashanti is an old favorite around these parts — the vagina sling, sadly, had its day already in Fug Madness, and did not emerge victorious, but hashtag never forget etc. — and Winnie Harlow is relatively new to the proceedings. I love it when we get to make new friends and keep the old. Girl Scouts prepared me for Fug Madness in ways I am only just realizing.
Ashanti gets her demerit badge this season for this, among other things:
Here is the view from the front, if you’d like to be thorough. You will get a very clear sense of her entire left leg. There’s also this treat from the Grammys:
I keep getting tricked by the Grammy that’s appearing in the crook of her arm. It’s the backdrop, but my brain wants to make it part of her outfit. I can’t tell if that makes it better or worse.
Ashanti was not ALL huge skirts. Sometimes she dispensed with them altogether:
Sweet girl, it’s time for a stylist change. Maybe call Law Roach?
Winnie Harlow wore a lot of things this year — honestly, as I researched this, I wondered if we seeded her too low. She wore a very large but unfortunate gown to the Vanity Fair Oscars party, and a striking dress in Cannes in a molten-look silver fabric that was unfortunately not well fitted to her actual body. That same trip, she went with a crimson Fancy Pirate ensemble.
But the overwhelming theme of my notes about her sartorial year: the word “underpants.”
At least she’s wearing them, but boy, is she intent upon us looking at them. In addition to that green lace, there was this Dior…
AND that Dior:
Even Versace got in the game:
AND ANOTHER, from when she did some red-carpet stuff before the VMAs:
She also brought a second outfit for the red carpet, for no good reason, and it also had a certain translucency to it. There was also a silver frock that had no NEED to be see-through but somehow was anyway, a fringe outfit that I’m surprised ISN’T see-through (unless it is and my eyes are just resigning), a bra at Coachella, a transparent-ish gown with a feather finish, and then that time she celebrated her birthday in, essentially, her actual birthday suit:
Too literal, girl. Too literal.
Archives: Winnie Harlow, Ashanti
Whose fug reigns supreme?
- Winnie Harlow (68%, 3,971 Votes)
- Ashanti (32%, 1,886 Votes)
Total Voters: 5,857

(4) CHLOE GRACE MORETZ vs. (13) HAIM
Haim is made up of three sisters. Chloe has… three names? SURE! Let’s call that fate. The Sisters Haim lowered their profile a bit this year, so their seeding fell lower, plus my review of their Oscars look was, “Basically fine,” and of their Globes stuff, “Sure, okay,” although Middle Haim’s pants splitting up her shins is confusing. (They also were, I think, at Amazon’s post-party and not one of them seems dressed for such?)
There was this, though:
I don’t like when they shuffle the Haims. Typically, Left Haim is Middle Haim, but y’all obviously know who I mean, especially when I tell you that her pants are confusing. This is all Stella McCartney, potentially from her Sister Wives collection.
This is from Rodarte’s, um, Rodarte collection, and Usual Left Haim — BACK IN HER STANDARD PLACE ON THE LEFT IN FACT — is wearing something with windows where there should be none.
Okay, Left Haim, we need to have a talk. Now you’re Middle Haim again. At least Right Haim understands the power of consistency. Anyhoo, this is all absurd, as if ANY of these people would legitimately give Paco Rabanne a second look if they weren’t potentially being paid to attend the runway show. There are a couple more slides from this recap of their Fashion Week shenanigans, if you like.
Haim, any of them, probably would like this ensemble:
It’s just a really truly bizarre mixing of patterns, and the shoes are not entirely relevant EITHER. We noted at the time that her great head-styling was wasted on all the confusion below it, and I stand by that.
Haim ALSO might like that dress, honestly. They also might be the only ones. And what of this?
It is see-through AND dumpy, a truly unexpected combination. It was not the only sad sack of a dress she wore this year, either. And there was also this twisted situation.
Chloe also wore nylon ankle socks under her formal shoes not just once, but twice — also a styling note the Haims might love. And then we have… whatever this is:
Oh, and this dreadful Proenza, which I think Left Middle Left Haim would adore:
Oh, and she also donned that ubiquitous Stella McCartney pattern that looks like photographs of flowers, I haven’t even GOTTEN to the outfit I jotted down as “bad overwhelming Venice,” or “MORE FUR CUFFS,” or “WTF KNEE PONYTAIL,” or my favorite, “WHAT IS THIS CROTCH?“
My note for this was simple:
It said, “ZIPPER?!??!?!?!”
Archives: Chloe Grace Moretz, Haim
Whose fug reigns supreme?
- Chloe Grace Moretz (72%, 4,262 Votes)
- Haim (28%, 1,678 Votes)
Total Voters: 5,940
