Which companies will get a business bounce from last night’s Golden Globes? The pictures have been sent round the world, and will play out not just today, or throughout the week in various newspapers and weekly gossip mags, but for months as other glossies re-visit celebrity looks of the year. The free advertising is tantalising, and palpably effective — it drives consumers into stores — which is why it’s worth the brands giving away so many free clothes.

Michelle Williams - - Getty Images

Anyway, for what it’s worth, here are my top five women’s picks, followed by a note on men’s wear:

1. Valentino
The fact that both commentator and It girl Alexa Chung and young It actress Michelle Williams wore this brand solidifies its re-invention under designers Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri, and its re-directing from older euro society to the new generation of cool newsmakers.

Natalie Portman - - Getty Images

2. Viktor and Rolf
Dressing the Best Actress winner is always a coup, because the publicity is guaranteed, but their strapless empire waist column was also (for them) notably graceful, and demonstrates that the duo, who often treat catwalks like conceptual theatre, are more than capable of simple, elegant dressing, and thus longevity.

Olivia Wilde - - Getty images

3. Marchesa
Olivia Wilde looked like a princess, and there are many women out there who share that fantasy. This brand owns fairy tale dressing.

Claire Danes - - Getty Images

4. Calvin Klein
With Claire Danes as best actress in a TV mini-series, they proved pink can be chic instead of sweet, and re-asserted their ownership of the minimalist aesthetic, which has been co-opted for the last two years by Céline.

5. Jenny Packham
The little-known (outside of the UK) British designer should get a major international boost from Sandra Bullock’s appearance in her filigree dress (though Ms Bullock’s hair did not exactly help matters).

Sandra Bullock - - Getty Images

Certainly, US department stores, the key to the broader American market, should sit up and take notice.

Now, as far as men go, here’s what’s interesting: though most female actresses insist on being the only person on the red carpet dressed by a certain designer, men seem to feel there’s comfort in numbers, and brands get to dress a whole host of guys. Gucci, for example, did nine, including James Franco, Robert Pattinson, Chris Evans and Ben Affleck, Burberry, seven, including Geoffrey Rush, guy Pearce, Ryan Seacrest, and Hugh Dancy; and Prada, eight guys, including David O. Russell, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey Jr.

(The exception to this multi-man rule was Tom Ford, who dressed only Best Actor Colin Firth, but he had already announced his intentions to remain exclusive, so that’s not a surprise. More interesting was the fact that Julianne Moore, who walked the runway in Mr Ford’s super-secret show last September, wore Lanvin. But maybe she’s saving her Ford for the Oscars.)

I suppose it’s a question of who has more power when it comes to selling clothes — the actor or the brand — and the answer is different for men and women.

Anyway, for other opinions on who wore what best, I recommend checking out the FUG girls, Jezebel, and Fashionista’s live blog.