Nicola Coughlan Outfits That Just Didn't Work

When it comes to jaw-dropping fashion, "Bridgerton" actor Nicola Coughlan sets a high bar for herself. The world has watched Nicola Coughlan's stunning style transformation with eager eyes, embracing both her easy, cool-girl street style and her drop-dead-gorgeous red-carpet ensembles. Along the way, we've learned that she looks equally fabulous in hyper-feminine looks, like princess-y puffed sleeves and Regency-era frills, and chic, modern tailoring. For instance, we lost our collective minds over Nicola Coughlan's best press-tour outfits for "Bridgerton" Season 3 — how can we choose a favorite? — and she even had one of the best looks at the London "Barbie" premiere in 2023.

In short, Nicola Coughlan has proven time and time again that she's a fashion icon. However, with great style comes great risk, and sometimes, those audacious outfits simply don't land. Even fashionista-favorite Coughlan isn't immune to the rare sartorial flop, and from imbalanced silhouettes and unflattering hues to thunder-stealing accessories, the "Harlots" star has debuted a few ensembles that just didn't work.

Nicola Coughlan has shown off a lot of chic, all-black looks, and she's a regular proponent of the classic LBD. However, her moody, monochromatic ensemble felt out of place at Wimbledon 2024, where fresh whites and pastels are typically de rigeur, as are light, springy silhouettes. Coughlan's choice to don a black maxi dress topped with an oversized black trenchcoat was decidedly out of step with the vibe of the tennis championship. Adding white peep-toes and sunglasses didn't make this look warm-weather appropriate — on the contrary, their jarring contrast further emphasized the odd somberness of Coughlan's overall look.

Nicola Coughlan was on the right track with her peppy pink styling for a Pride brunch in July 2023 — her heart-printed Kate Spade handbag was everything! — but she ultimately overdid it with the addition of a checkered, blouse-style jacket from Miu Miu. The pastel, gingham piece fought with Coughlan's hot-pink Aje Baret cocktail dress, which we wanted to see more of, and its casual, rumpled silhouette detracted from the rest of her cute, doll-like aesthetic. She probably would have had better luck with a tidier bolero style or even a tailored denim jacket that let her pink dress shine.

Orange is a divisive color in fashion. Done right, it can be vibrant and attention-grabbing, but done wrong, it can look like you're wearing safety gear. Unfortunately, Nicola Coughlan landed in the latter camp at the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards in 2021. Her aggressively orange dress was certainly a bold move, but in the end, it reminded us more of a traffic cone than whatever avant-garde intention Coughlan was surely aiming for. The apropos-of-nothing pink heels and blue eyeshadow didn't help matters, leaving Coughlan's entire ensemble glaring and disjointed.

Nicola Coughlan seems to love a trench dress, and she often pulls them off with style and aplomb. So, it was no big surprise to see her attend March 2024's "Renegade Nell" premiere in a beige, trench-style maxi. This outfit was very nearly another success to add to Coughlan's tally — her black leather belts looked especially sharp against the neutral dress — but the unfortunate addition of oversized shoulder pads killed the look. The too-broad shoulders spoiled Coughlan's sleek silhouette, making the whole ensemble feel top-heavy. Moreover, her cream-colored peep-toe heels seemed irrelevant, missing an easy opportunity to compliment the belts with heels or boots in matching black.

Nicola Coughlan is unbeatable in a structured dress, and the "Derry Girls" actor was ready to slay in the black Mara Hoffman dress she wore to a Netflix event in Brazil in June 2023. Coughlan rocked the gown's swooping neckline and architectural sleeves, but her daring choice to don blue Paula Rowan gloves as a colorful focal point backfired. The hue was a little too close to the ubiquitous nitrile gloves used in healthcare, like Coughlan was about to give some kind of medical exam, which utterly distracted from the rest of her gorgeous ensemble.

We love the thought process behind Nicola Coughlan's Gaurav Gupta dress for the 2024 Fashion Awards in London. The neckline was fabulous, and the dramatic bustles at Coughlan's hips were playful period pieces, even if they were more "Cinderella" than "Bridgerton." However, the silhouette came off looking awkward in many photos. Coughlan didn't seem to know what to do with her arms, and that clear discomfort took away from the look. The gown wasn't a disaster by any means, but it also wasn't as effortlessly impressive as some of Coughlan's other showstoppers.

We usually adore Nicola Coughlan in a diaphanous outfit, but the silhouette of her Simone Rocha gown at the 2022 Remarkable Women Awards left something to be desired. Sheer and amorphous, the dress swallowed up Coughlan, resulting in an almost-ethereal but ultimately shapeless look. It also undermined her coloring — a natural beauty, Nicola Coughlan looks gorgeous without makeup, but the vague, off-white hue of this dress seemed to wash her out, even though we've seen her shine in other pristine ensembles. We'll chalk it up to the occasional, inevitable miss and wait eagerly for her next look instead.