Shailene Woodley’s stylist Karla Welch decided not to back down after the star’s 2026 Emmys outfit was brutally roasted online.
The stylist shared a message, hitting back at haters and defending her decision of putting Woodley in what was deemed one of the most “terrible” outfits of the night by fans.
The internet, however, did not let Welch have the last word and continued roaring with their blunt opinions.
Highlights
- Shailene Woodley’s outfit on the 2026 Emmys red carpet sparked brutal reactions from viewers.
- Following the backlash, her stylist Karla Welch clapped back at critics for being “mean.”
- Her statement was roasted online, with viewers saying: “I wish she didn’t say anything. The look is rancid.”
- Woodley won her first-ever Emmy this year.
Shailene Woodley’s stylist Karla Welch did not back down after the star’s Emmy outfit was brutally roasted
Jaws dropped on the floor when Shailene Woodley posed on the 2026 Emmy Awards red carpet at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 14.
The 34-year-old actress was dressed by her stylist Karla Welch in a plunging blue top and beaded gold pants from Balenciaga’s Fall/Winter 2026 runway.
Adding more theatrics to the outfit was a pair of burgundy opera gloves, while a colorful Howl Jewelry necklace was the cherry on top.
With her hair tied in a slick low ponytail, the Divergent star seemed pleased as she smiled on the red carpet, having already won her an Emmy for her role in Paradise.
Later, for Disney’s after-party at Vibiana in Los Angeles, Woodley switched her tank top for a loose graphic t-shirt endorsing the 1986 film Home of the Brave.
Following the glitzy evening, the only conclusion most viewers came up with was: “Her stylist hates her.”
The stylist seemed to encourage dialogue but slammed critics who chose to be “mean” with their opinions
Welch, whose clientele includes stars like Sarah Paulson, Olivia Wilde, Karlie Kloss, and both Justin and Hailey Bieber, addressed the backlash over Woodley’s outfit.
The stylist seemed to encourage dialogue about the look but slammed critics for being “mean” while sharing their opinions.
“Love or hate something fine but it’s an opinion and it can even be a conversation but being super rude and mean and taking glee from it, well that says a lot more about the mouths it’s coming from,” the stylist wrote on Threads.
Her statement, however, did very little to appease viewers, who continued saying it was “respectfully one of the worst fits ever assembled.”
“Okay, but you did a terrible job. Your client looked terrible!” one said, while another wrote, “I wish she didn’t say anything. The look is rancid.”
“Since when do stylists write think pieces about their flops? Babe no one even knew you styled her…” another said.
One wrote, “It’s completely on the stylist and shows he has a terrible eye for not being able to recognize what made it work on the runway.”
The Fault in Our Stars actress previously said she prefers a non-fussy wardrobe that prioritizes comfort
During her early years in the business, Woodley said she prefers a stress-free wardrobe that prioritizes comfort over everything else.
“My style is dominated by my desire to be comfortable. Like I never want anything restricting my stomach,” the actress told InStyle in 2016. “I don't know how people wear jeans so often, because that band is just so tight!”
“I am much stronger in a pair of oxfords and a pair of pants versus a pair of heels and a fancy dress,” she added. “I'm more of a pants kind of chick.”
This year, Woodley won her first Emmy award at the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys ceremony held on September 6.
She received her trophy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for playing the role of former Graceland tour guide Annie Clay in Season 2 of Dan Fogelman’s post-apocalyptic series Paradise.
“Mom, this is so cool,” she said onstage during her acceptance speech.
Woodley won her first-ever Emmy this year for her role in Dan Fogelman’s post-apocalyptic series Paradise
“I just feel so lucky to do what we do and to be a part of the circus with all of you amazing traveling storytelling clowns,” she added.
Previously, Woodley was nominated in 2017 in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series Or Movie category for playing Jane in Big Little Lies.
Woodley spoke about her Emmy-winning role of Annie earlier this year, saying the character was vastly different from the person she is in real life.
“Annie and I are actually very different, which was fun to play somebody that was very different than who I am,” she told People in April.
She said both she and the character are “quite resilient,” but how they “practice that resiliency” is different.
“I’m an emotional roller coaster sometimes,” she added, “and Annie is quite linear, I think, in her approach and practical.”
“This looks like a child dressed her just throwing on random stuff that doesn’t even match,” one commented online
