Houston’s Best Dressed Women of 2018 Make Quite a Designer Impression in Their Big “Reveal”: The 10 Femmes Who Set the City’s Style Scene

When you are named to the Houston Chronicle Best Dressed list, the pressure is on to live up to the sartorial standards that the honor implies. So it was no surprise that when the class of 2018 was introduced in the couture salon of Neiman Marcus, designer labels were as abundant as the air kisses shared throughout the fashion flock.

And few among the party cast of 200 wore it better than the honorees. Three of the 10 entered the Best Dressed Hall of Fame — Stephanie Cockrell wearing Dior, Paige Fertitta (on her way to the Houston Rockets game) in Rockets red Dior and Millette Sherman in Valentino. That honor comes with a third appearance in best dressed ranks.

Guests sipped champagne, wine and vodka cocktails while congratulating the honorees even before Jack Sweeney, chairman of Houston Chronicle Publishing, made the official announcement. Somewhere along the way in the 36 years of the Best Dressed event, which benefits the March of Dimes, the absolute secrecy of the honorees has evolved into more of an unofficial hush-hush reveal that is seeped out by the honorees well before the curtain is formally lifted.

So it came as no surprise to many when Sweeney introduced the first-time honorees — Karina Barbieri wearing Dolce & Gabbana including the personalized Sicily handbag, Brigitte Kalai in black leather Armani sheath and Tom Ford stilettos, Shawntell McWilliams in Roland Mouret, Alicia Smith in Oscar de la Renta dress and earrings and Aquazzura pumps, and Hallie Vanderhider stunning in a shimmering Oscar de la Renta. It’s been quite a few days for Vanderhider who on Saturday was honored as one of the ABC 13 Women of Distinction.

The second timer honorees did the fashion thing beautifully as well — Lindley Arnoldy in Emilio de la Moreno and Claire Cormier-Thielke in Cushnie Et Ochs.

The glittering announcement party is prelude to the Best Dressed luncheon, which takes place March 20 in the ballroom of Tilman Fertitta’s posh hotel The Post Oak. This will be one of the first events in the hotel ballroom and Akris will be the featured designer that Neiman Marcus will present. Get ticket info here.

Among those applauding the honorees were luncheon chairs Laura Davenport and Sippi Khurana, March of Dimes’ Darcie Champagne Wells, Ceron fresh from his new salon in Memorial Green, realtor Bill Baldwin (wearing Zegna), Gretchen Wright, Sima Ladjevardian, Jennifer Garrett, Denise Monteleone, Carrie and Sverre Brandsberg-Dahl, Ishwaria and Vivek Subbiah, Lauren Randle, Janet and Ernie Cockrell, Susan and Dick Hansen and Deborah Duncan.

A few among the Best Dressed Hall of Famers in the mix were Diane Lokey Farb, Lora Clemmons, Jana Arnoldy, Yvonne Cormier, Lisa Holthouse, Gina Gaston Elie and Phyllis Williams.