White was the colour at the Golden Globes tonight, seen on Grecian gowns, shimmering shifts and Amal Clooney’s gloves.

White and off-white are no-brainers for awards shows – there is a shade to compliment most complexions, and deep California tans in particular. No other colour shows off hard-won Barry’s Bootcamp bodies quite like it. It also ensures the wearer stands out – the dress is its own personal spotlight – and never clashes, or worse, disappears into the red carpet.

From Salma Hayek’s Alexander McQueen ballgown to Reese Witherspoon’s sparkling beige Calvin Klein column, from Emily Blunt in Michael Kors to Rosamund Pike in Vera Wang, white was traditional, almost bridal, on some. Elsewhere, it was sexy: see Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s white body-con and Kate Hudson’s scoop-necked rib-displaying Versace. Others took white in wonkier directions. Keira Knightley’s take on maternity wear was over-the-top empire-line Chanel ruffles. Tina Fey did highly structured monochrome Antonio Beradi.

There was plenty of off-white, too: Jennifer Lopez wore an unapologetic scene-stealer of a frock – an on-brand shimmering, cleavage-bearing cape – while Sienna Miller went for edgy Miu Miu boho in a subtle shade of blush. Alan Cumming wore a suit tie and shirt the same shade and caused Twitter to erupt.

Amal Clooney’s take on white – a pair of very Grace Kelly gloves – was a far more subtle use of the colour, but it had a similar effect. More than anything, white is the shade of the impossible dream, which is why many women only consider wearing it on their wedding days. It speaks of a life of limo drivers and stylists, personal trainers and PAs, and never having to worry about a dry cleaning bill.

Given that the Globes is the most booze-fuelled of the awards ceremonies, with a reputation for drunken debauchery, that impossible dream may just be skewered. We’ll be looking out for a few stains on Instagram later tonight.