Reality Tea Awards 2024: Reality TV Fashion Icon of the Year

Welcome to the Reality Tea Awards, celebrating the best of reality TV in 2024! We’re kicking off our inaugural awards with a look back at the reality TV fashionistas who left us googling their outfit deets. From confessionals to reunions, and red carpets to Instagram, our favorite reality stars gave us a lot of sartorial choices to discuss throughout 2024. Here are our picks for best dressed in Reality TV this year. Let us know your picks in the comments!

Nominee: Jenna Lyons

To quote her RHONY Season 15 tagline: “Not everyone can be Jenna F*cking Lyons, but they can try.” I think we can all agree that the Real Housewives of New York City reboot’s second season is a kind of a letdown (so far). But Jenna Lyons remains as effortlessly cool as ever. This season’s drama may be tiring, but we’ll never get sick of seeing Jenna’s pristine outfits every week. There’s a reason Rihanna named Jenna her favorite Housewife of all time…

Jenna’s signature style usually consists of tailored suits, big eyeglasses, and casual classics like her controversial reunion jeans. But she also frequently takes risks and pulls them off. Such as wearing a poofy pink dress in the season premiere. She even looked chic in costume as Cher’s dad from Clueless.

Nominee: Ariana Madix

Ariana Madix cemented her fashion icon status with her Scandoval revenge dress. But that was so 2023. In 2024, Ariana proved to be a reality TV star that’s here to stay. Even if Vanderpump Rules as we know it is over. Throughout the year, Ariana also showed that her fashion icon status goes beyond one viral moment.

As host of Love Island USA Season 6, Ariana and stylist Emily Men made sure to serve jaw-dropping looks for every one of her slow-mo entrances. Whether on the main show or Aftersun, Ariana was the hottest bombshell in the villa! Like a true style icon, she even inspired Love Island contestant Kaylor Martin’s reunion revenge dress.

After hosting the summer’s hottest show, Ariana recently looked adorable in a perfect winter white ensemble at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Her highly coveted fashion sense also led to two collections with megastore DSW this year.

Nominee: Bozoma Saint John

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fans fell for Bozoma Saint John as soon as she arrived at Sutton Stracke’s surrealism party. A vision in a white gown and adorned with flowers in her hair, she immediately won best dressed. It’s no wonder the fashion-obsessed Dorit Kemsley was so keen to befriend her.

Like Jenna Lyons, Boz has a pedigree in the fashion world long before joining Real Housewives. As in, she knows Vogue legends, Anna Wintour and Andre Leon Talley. She was honored with an event to celebrate her memoir at New York Fashion Week. Because of her high-profile career history, Boz knows how to dress for a major event or red carpet. Her corporate baddie style is absolutely stunning.

In her reality TV era, she’s already giving her RHOBH co-stars runs for their money with the best confessional looks so far. Even when Boz casually greeted Kathy Hilton, she was dressed in a fabulous ensemble from head to toe. We can’t wait to see the rest of her outfits this season.

Nominee: Bronwyn Newport

In her first Real Housewives of Salt Lake City episode, newbie Bronwyn Newport made a splash by wearing the now-infamous heart coat. Not to mention, hot pants in 30-degree weather! Even before her official RHOSLC debut, Bronwyn’s unique fashion made viewers take note.

Bronwyn’s goofier outfits, like the hot dog ensemble straight off Moschino’s runway, get the most attention. While she sometimes dresses like a “Tim Burton character,” Bronwyn can also switch it up and serve pure elegance. At Mary Cosby’s Audrey Hepburn party, she was one of the few guests to nail the theme. Her look perfectly paid homage to the movie star’s iconic ensembles in Roman Holiday and Sabrina.

Whether you love or hate her outfits, Bronwyn always stands out and stays true to herself. If that’s not the definition of strong personal style, I don’t know what is!

Winner: Alan Cumming

Truly, who else could Reality Tea name as the 2024 Reality TV Fashion Icon of the Year? The Traitors Season 2 was some of the most captivating shows of 2024, and a major reason for that was Alan Cumming’s pitch-perfect hosting. Arriving at the Scottish castle, the contestants gushed over how they couldn’t wait to see the legendary actor’s outfits. And boy, they were in for a treat all season long.

I had a very hard time choosing just one of Alan’s outfits to use for our featured photo. From a bejeweled cloak to a dramatic cape to short suits to kilts, he always nailed it. Whether in bold colors or patterns, from polka dots to tartan, every outfit had us gasping even more than the show’s biggest plot twists. Every detail and accessory is always perfect with Alan – the hats, the gloves, the glasses, and his signature devilish smirk. And don’t even get us started on Alan’s fashion during the Traitors Season 2 awards run. Like when the show deservedly won Emmys, and he wore an elegant suit with a kilt to accept the honor. We cannot wait to see what he wears in Season 3!

TELL US – WHO WOULD YOU AWARD THE REALITY TV FASHION ICON OF THE YEAR? WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OUR WINNER AND NOMINEES?