My first thought when Sarah Pidgeon arrived at the 2026 Gotham Awards was, "Wow, her black dress could be on loan from her Love Story costume rack." Plot twist: The Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy-coded LBD wasn't an LBD at all. Pidgeon stacked a backless jumpsuit from Tom Ford over matching trousers. It's still channeling her onscreen character, but with a contemporary cool-girl twist.
Little did Pidgeon know, she'd wear the illusion red carpet look to accept her first accolade for Love Story. She won the Ensemble Tribute award with her co-star, Paul Anthony Kelly, but the actress's matching set was trophy-worthy on its own.
First, stylist Emma Jade Morrison dressed Pidgeon in an $8,980 cap-sleeve top, which stretched far beyond a T-shirt's typical hemline. The stretchy, double-georgette textile continued all the way to the red carpet, much like her gowns at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party and the Met Gala. Pidgeon's front profile was completely covered, making her open back even more jaw-dropping. If she didn't show some skin, I might've never noticed the pants beneath her reverse train.
The "Impossible Bipart Jumpsuit" originally comes with straight-leg trousers in the peony pink color trend. Perhaps inspired by her Love Story character's neutral color palette, Pidgeon went with a black high-rise pair instead. Simply sliding her thumbs into the blink-and-you'll-miss-them pockets confirmed they're indeed pants. Each hem was so elongated, I could barely make out the shape of her stilettos. Another angle showcased just the pointy tip of Pidgeon's black pumps.
Pidgeon's accessories were as minimalist as her black-on-black Tom Ford 'fit. She skipped earrings, necklaces, and rings to showcase the star of the show: a $650,000 cuff bracelet from New York-based jewelry brand Belperron. The vintage bangle blended platinum curvatures with old mine-cut diamonds. (Yes, that's the same center stone on Taylor Swift's engagement ring.)
Pidgeon didn't need a dress to tap into 2026's leading red carpet trend: backless looks. Emma Stone's back was on full display at the 2026 BAFTAs; Zendaya shut down the Euphoria Season 3 premiere in a haltered chocolate brown dress from Ashi Studio; and Cate Blanchett bared her spine beneath a fringed Givenchy gown at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.
It's only a matter of time before backless looks move from the red carpet to the street style scene. Pidgeon's Gothams outfit proved tailored trousers or shorts will do the trick.
