We started with a mission: to honor the most stylish women in Hollywood. We sought true trendsetters with bold style that is uniquely their own, whether in couture on the red carpet or in casualwear on the street.
Us Weekly Best Dressed List: Find out the complete list of winners for 2015
A team of Us Weekly editors debated hundreds of contenders and narrowed it down to 35 finalists. To help Us make our final selections, we enlisted a panel of eight judges, renowned designers, supermodels, and hairstylists with decades of experience leading their industries. Our elite panelists — Naomi Campbell, Lauren Conrad, Frédéric Fekkai, Diane von Furstenberg, Valentino Garavani, Heidi Klum, Chris McMillan, and Zac Posen — pored through hundreds of images in search of a true style icon.
PHOTOS: Supermodels, then and now
Posen looked for “powerful” women, while Conrad sought “confident” dressers. And von Furstenberg combed through the contenders for those who “use fashion to express themselves.” In the end, the judges ranked their favorites and we combined and tallied the results to find these 10 women who won over the best in the biz.
The judges praised Taylor Swift for her effortless ability to mix high-end designers with affordable items. “She’s sophisticated and a bit retro, but still keeps it young and fresh,” says Klum.
PHOTOS: Taylor Swift's best street style
Rihanna’s fearless style captivated the panel. “She’s not predictable,” Campbell tells Us. “You never know what Rihanna is going to wear.” And it’s not just her ensembles that impressed. “She goes from short hair to long to slicked-back,” McMillan says. “I love that!”
However, one finalist ranked highest among the entire elite panel: Cate Blanchett. “She’s confident and she doesn’t second-guess,” Fekkai tells Us.
PHOTOS: Cate Blanchett's stunning red carpet style
While Blanchett favors structural designs and abstract prints, they never overpower her. “She never looks like the outfit is wearing her,” Campbell says of the Oscar-winning Aussie. “She’s wearing the outfit.”
For more on the Us Weekly 2015 Best Dressed List, click here and pick up the new issue, on stands now.
This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Taylor Swift, Rihanna, More Stars Top Us Weekly 2015 Best Dressed List