Oscar night has come and gone, but one thing is forever: Red Carpet fashion. And while we already debated the true winners of this year’s ceremony, it’s time we talk about Sydney Sweeney serving one of the best looks of the year (as young as 2024 still is).
Attendees pulled out all the stops at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party and Sweeney, who seems to be everywhere promoting her latest projects (please tell me you saw her recent SNL appearance; exquisite), was no exception. In archival Marc Bouwer and debuting a new shorter ‘do, Sweeney paid homage to two Hollywood stars: Angelina Jolie, who wore the same dress at the 2004 Oscars, and Marilyn Monroe, who served as inspiration for the dress.
Both Sweeney and Jolie styled the dress similarly, pairing it with a layered diamond necklace (Sweeney’s is a custom-made piece from Messika, courtesy of her talented stylist Molly Dickson) but each gives off such a different vibe in this look. With her shorter hair and softly smokey eye makeup, I can’t help but think Sweeney’s giving Marilyn in The Seven Year Itch.
Even if you haven’t seen the film, you know the scene: Monroe, clad in an ivory dress courtesy of costume designer William Travilla, stands above a subway grate to appreciate the breeze from a passing train. The wind blows her dress up, showing her legs, while Monroe giggles and says, “Isn’t it delicious?” I’m guilty of using this word more than is probably warranted, but Monroe’s look in this scene is iconic; I mean, how many outfits do you know that have their own Wikipedia page?
With its plunging halter neckline, slinky cream-colored fabric, and slight ruching at the waist, it’s clear that Marc Bouwer had Monroe on the brain when he created this dress. And it’s hard not to see Monroe in Sweeney when she dons the gown, especially with that flirty bob she debuted alongside it. Can anyone else see Sweeney playing Monroe in a future project?
Think about it: Sweeney has an on-screen persona similar to Monroe’s in her heyday. Both women rock the blonde bombshell look and juxtapose an overt sensuality with a sense of innocence. It’s not a stretch to imagine Sweeney doing her own take on Monroe in the future. It’s almost a rite of passage for Hollywood ingenues to pay homage to Monroe, whether in film or editorial shoots, meaning Sweeney would be joining a long list of stars if she were to do so. If this look is her audition for a future old Hollywood period piece, I think she certainly has the range!