The definition of an iconic fashion moment!
(Image credit: Sony Pictures/20th Century Studios)
Sydney Sweeney is having quite the moment. She had a major 2023 with her great rom-com with Glen Powell, Anyone But You landing big box office numbers, and leading the HBO film Reality, which was certainly a step out of her comfort zone. Her 2024 is off to another great start. The Euphoria star hosted SNL this past season, and now she is leading the spooky horror flick Immaculate. She is a major star, and attended this year’scoveted Vanity Fair Oscars Party in style, as she rocked a gorgeous Marilyn Monroe tribute gown that was once worn by Angelina Jolie.
What to know? The archival dress in question was designed by Marc Bouwer, who originally designed the dress for Angelina Jolie. The Mr. And Mrs. Smith wore the cream colored dress in 2004, with Sweeney rocking it at the 2024 Oscars. They both styled the look similarly, wearing a number of necklaces stacked on top of each other to highlight the plunging neckline. You can Sweeney in the dress below:
(Image credit: Photo by Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)
In 2004, Jolie paired the dress with an updo, while Sweeney wore her hair down, showcasing her new, shorter haircut. You can see Jolie in the dress below:
(Image credit: (Photo by Bill Davila/FilmMagic))
They both look absolutely stunning in the look, and Sweeney told ET how much of an honor it was for her to rock such an iconic look. She said:
I was just so honored. I was like, ‘I’m touching the same dress that Angelina Jolie wore. Like, what am I doing?
She elaborated more on what went into achieving the fashion moment in an interview with ExtraTV. Apparently, the look was in the works for a while, but her and her stylist were waiting for the proper moment to pull out all of the stops. Of course, the Oscars ended up being the perfect occasion. Sweeney explained:
You know, it was a mixture between the designer Mark Bauer and my stylist Molly Dixon, they worked together and I just was blown away that I was even lucky to wear this outfit. We had it for quite a while, and were trying to just find the perfect moment to wear the dress. And then I was like, ‘There’s nothing more perfect than 20 years later at the Vanity Fair Oscar party.’
Wearing Angelina Jolie’s dress was such a statement, and more than just a fashion one. Jolie was considered to be a sex symbol of her time, and often was the subject of rampant tabloid rumors about her dating life. Press related to Sydney Sweeney has projected a similar narrative as of recent, which much focus on her modern sex symbol status, as well as affair rumors with co-star Glen Powell. This fashion choice tying her to Angelina Jolie feels like Sweeney is owning her own narrative, and comparisons the media has made to other actresses who had similar attention.
The Marilyn Monroe tribute was another layer to this whole thing. The dress resembles the white dress worn by Monroe in the 1955 Billy Wilder film, The Seven Year Itch. It has become an iconic image of this time in American cinema, and Marilyn Monroe as the sex symbol of her time. There is so much being reflected in this dress, and Sweeney feels like the perfect actress to dawn such a gown. Her blonde hair completed the look, showcasing her to the world as our modern day Monroe, with the edge of a 2000s era Jolie.
