Steve Granitz/WireImage.com; Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images; DAVE M. BENETT/GETTY IMAGESUnderstated, elegant, and never a hair out of place. It's official: Kate Middleton is one of the best-dressed women in the world.
What's that? Tell you something you didn't know? OK: so is Lady Gaga.
The spectrum-straddling duo are just two of the sartorially-savvy –avant-garde or otherwise boundary-pushing fashion icons selected for inclusion on Vanity Fair's 72nd annual International Best-Dressed List.
The magazine today revealed just a taster of its complete list, the full rundown of which will presumably be laid out in full in the next issue, and while there are the usual suspects, the group isn't without its surprises.
You don't exactly have to be Rachel Zoe to know that the Duchess of Cambridge was a lock for the list (and, it follows, pretty much every list of a similar nature from now until eternity). And so far, she's the only British royal revealed to have made the cut (as if Beatrice and Eugenie needed another reason to regret those fascinators).
Joining her in the list—and marking her second consecutive recognition by the magazine—is Lady Gaga, who never met a muppet or cut of meat she didn't want to wear. (Further proof that fashion for some isn't just clothes, it's a way of life.)
As for the newer members of the sartorial set, Carey Mulligan's unique brand of British quirkiness set her apart from her peers enough to earn her a slot on the list. Ditto the stylings of the always, um, intriguing Tilda Swinton. France's first lady, chanteuse Carla Bruni, made the cut for the fourth time, while swagtastic singer Janelle Monaé is surely happy with her inaugural hat tip.
As for the fellas, it should come as no surprise that the always slick but far from envelope-pushing stylings of Justin Timberlake earned him placement on the list. And Oscar winner Colin Firth no doubt just discovered another benefit of being besties with Tom Ford, as his impeccable string of tux-donning earlier this year helped earn him his sartorial props.
Joining him on the male side were fellow turned-out thesp Armie Hammer, Paris Hilton and Mary-Kate Olsen ex, shipping heir Stavros Niarchos, British Formula 1 racer (and Prince Harry pal-arounder) Jenson Button and NBC's nightly newsman Brian Williams.
Hey, you try looking that good in a suit night after night.
As for the Best-Dressed Couples list, Vanity Fair revealed just one pair and—surprise!—it's not Will and Kate (though that's not to say they won't be included when the full rundown is released). Nope, it's our own fashionable commander-in-chief (we're guessing, with a big assist from his wife), Barack and Michelle Obama.
Looking good, guys. Looking good.